A Cruel Bargain for A-Rod and Boys With Baseball Dreams
I'll start the semester off with a great read about A-Rod. And no I'm not posting this because I grew up rooting for the Yankees; rather, I think this article and the steroid issues address one of the major themes we'll cover this semester: the fallen hero. Forget what you think of the over-paid geezer; A-Rod has an impressive baseball resumé and relationship with the game. But then things changed.
What are your thoughts on the idea of A-Rod as a fallen hero? Was his trajectory unavoidable? Is the pressure to be better, faster, stronger partly to blame for his fall?
I think that A-Rod is a fallen hero to some but not all. While it has been devastating to many Yankee's and baseball fans alike some don't believe "juicing" is wrong at all while others are glad he's gone (and not beating their teams anymore). While the pressure to be "better, faster, [and] stronger" is definitely there I do not think "it" was unavoidable. There are many great players who are clean and if all it took was muscles almost any athlete could just switch sports and get a contract. What makes you good is your head; reading a pitcher or batter, reading a ball in the air better than a book, knowing when to steal and how to slide. These are what make great baseball players and in my mind A-Rod had what it took without the drugs too.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that A-Rod is a fallen hero because he is not a hero. A hero inspires others to follow their footsteps. A-Rod is known to be arrogant and superior to others who play the game. He is a disgrace to his own team. Players who wore the pinstripes before him, such as Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, would always view the game as simply that. They would have fun and be charitable. Those two were known to hit home runs for kids at orphanages. His trajectory was unavoidable because most of the best power hitters were not doing it clean. In order to stand out, he had to become stronger, faster, and simply better. He probably is not the brightest guy, so roids seemed like the easiest option. However, there were clean power hitters during that era. Ken Griffey Jr., Vladimir Guerrero, and Mike Piazza are a few examples. He cracked under the pressure, yet he is not a fallen hero because he is not a hero. When is the last time you heard a kid say "I want to be like A-Rod when I grow up?" Probably not since '07.
ReplyDeleteJoseph Kakkis
DeleteI think that Alex Rodriguez is a perfect example of a fallen hero in baseball. Although he was in no way the most influential of baseball players, he was still a hero to many people, specifically younger kids who watched him as they grew up, trying to echo his footsteps. When he was caught for doping on the surface it definitely seems like he was the fallen hero: the baseball player who was clean and one day bowed under the pressure to keep up with the changing game and doped however I think this is only on the surface. A lot of the time with scandals like this it seems like the player gets more popular after it happens, not in the sense that everyone suddenly loves them (in this case more so the opposite) but suddenly more people are paying attention to the player. On the surface it might seem like he’s a fallen hero but if you define his heroicness as the number of people who are paying attention to him, and thus (even on accident) being influenced by him, he may have become much more of a hero after he was caught. I think that his trajectory was avoidable but I think it was to be expected and I believe that the feelings behind his choice to take them should be empathized with. The pressure on professional players is insane because if they choose not to take performance enhancing drugs they might lose their jobs for not being good enough, but if they take drugs they might lose their jobs if they’re caught. Personally I think that the pressure to be better was almost all to blame for his fall and I personally completely understand where he may have been coming from when he decided to take the drugs. Unfortunately, however much I empathize with him, his actions impacted and influenced many people and so I not only agree with some punishment but I also feel that many more steps need to be taken so that doping isn’t seen as an option by professional players. -Kirsta
ReplyDeleteA-Rod can be described as a fallen hero. Despite this, his history of doping completely tarnishes his reputation as an inspirational baseball player and compromises the validity of calling him a hero altogether. The blurred lines of if he can truly be labeled as a hero raises the question of if he could have had the same impact on baseball, and become such a renown “hero”, without his use of steroids? I would hope that a doping athlete would eventually receive punishment for their actions, and in this sense believe that his ban was inevitable. I would not, however, assert that his 211-day ban and subsequent appeal was suitable for his actions. A-Rod could have used the reasoning that the pressure of MLB caused him to use performance-enhancing drugs to become faster and stronger. This stress and pressure however, is present at varying levels in all professional sports. In this way, by example of great athletes who survived this strain to be better without using drugs, they prove that its still possible to be deemed a hero without altering your body’s chemicals. Because of this history of great athletes who restrained from doping, although A-Rod may have felt this pressure, it cannot be used as a rationale that relinquishes responsibility from his actions.
ReplyDeleteAlly
A hero is a person who “is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” A-Rod was exactly this. As a kid, he spent hours and hours practicing baseball and pushing him to be better. His talent was apparent starting at an early age, and during his senior year of high school he was the first pick for the amateur draft. A-Rod quickly became one of the greatest baseball players of all times. However, he found himself caught up in the pressure to be better by competing and performing at a higher level; A-Rod cracked and doping was his answer to “achieve” the success he desired. A-Rod could have completely distanced himself from the use of any drugs and instead just pushed himself and practiced more. However, he must have seen it like the easiest approach to gain what he wanted, similar to players involved in the “Black Sox Scandal” (the only way to achieve what they wanted was to involve themselves in an immoral and wrong action). Although A-Rod’s punishment may appear severe, it is the only way to teach himself and others that doping should never be used as a performance-enhancing drug.
ReplyDeleteSamantha
My natural reaction is to have a bit of sympathy, or a hint of of understanding, for what A-Rod did. In an industry that is barely punishing players for doping, the choice to dope can seem like an easy career advancement tool. However, A-Rod's choice to dope completely diminished any chance he had of ever being a hero. My sense of sympathy is crushed by the way his actions affected other players, and the game as a whole. His entire career is irrelevant, given that he undermined the honor of the game. There are plenty of "what if" questions we could ask; we can wonder what would have been if he hadn't doped, but the reality is that it doesn't matter. He stole the integrity of the game, and in the end, he consciously gave up his chance of being a true hero. While he may have seemed like a hero for a short while, getting caught inevitably took that away, too.
ReplyDeleteMorgan
Alex Rodriguez is definitely a hero to many baseball fans and New Yorkers alike. While his public image has suffered in recent years due to issues surrounding his steroid usage, I do not believe fans hold that against him as much as the fact that to many, he is, frankly, an unpleasant person. Many other players admitted to their drug use, but A-Rod not only lied about taking PEDs, he then sued MLB after publically admitting the truth. From cheating on his wife to instances of dirty play on the baseball diamond, A-Rod is widely disliked by many, including myself. That being said, on the baseball field, he dominated before and after steroids. Rodriguez was one of the most talented young players in baseball during his seven years as a Mariner- he hit .309 to go along with 189 homers during that time, receiving four Silver Slugger awards. With the Rangers and Yankees, he hit 498 more bombs and won three MVPs. What he did off the field was irrelevant to many: on it, he was arguably the best hitting shortstop of all time. I believe his decision to take PEDs was motivated purely by the desire to be the best of all time, and to take his game to the next level. I imagine there is a great deal of pressure for MLB players to stay consistent or upgrade their level of play. Either way, I believe A-Rod will always be remembered as a hero to Yankee fans during his prime on the field, but not off of it.
ReplyDeleteGriff
In any circumstance, I cannot help but lose all respect for an individual who takes away the meaning behind the role that handwork and dedication play in all professional sports. The idea that sports are completely honest and that every kid who dreams of being a professional athlete has an equal opportunity to do so is completely false. Whether the restrictions are physical, financial, or political, the playing field is not level. I even see politics getting involved in youth sports teams. However, every individual can put there head down and work and see how far it can get them. For a long time, A - Rod represented the hope that dedication can result in accomplishing a dream, yet this un-level playing field shattered that. The presence of doping in MLB creates another level of inequality and dishonesty into sports. A - Rod cannot be seen as a hero because his actions have added to an unattainable level level of achievement in baseball and tarnished the honor of the game. Every athlete feels a pressure to be the best and accomplish the most. A - Rod's decisions stem from that pressure, but his actions still undermine the values that are taught through sports; values that I believe are essential to become a hero, let alone have a honest, successful career.
ReplyDelete-Chloë
Of course I agree with the statement that Alex Rodriguez is a fallen hero. To many fans of the Yankees, A-rod was a hero, especially (as this article points out) to those who are too young to understand the logistics of PED use and punishment. While it seems that there could have been times where Rodriguez played well without the use of PED’s, barely even that is justification of his worth when he secretly used outlawed substances multiple times. On the point of outside pressure, his trajectory was never unavoidable. In the end, each player has freedom over their legacy, and much responsibility to choose whether or not to uphold it. He was never forced to take PEDs, but instead chose to take them of his own decision. I also agree that the pressure to be “better, faster, stronger” is partially to blame for his decision, but only barely. Perhaps after first getting caught taking PEDs, he felt a pressure to deliver a good, “clean” season to make up for his mistakes, but required the secret use of PEDs to deliver a good season at all. If so, it would’ve been better if he had just promised to stay clean, and if he couldn’t play well without PEDs, then he didn’t deserve the glory he had in the first place.
ReplyDeleteDuncan
Although it may be hard to admit, I do believe that A-Rod is a fallen hero. He was a hero whose heroic actions were belittled by his use of PED’s, caused by the constant pressure to be “better, faster, and stronger”. Before this tragic news to A-Rod’s fans, he was an idol that inspired thousands of fans to become a better ball player. Regardless of his PED use he was a hero to his fans and he had the stats to prove it. He was a hero to kids who wanted to follow his footsteps coming from ordinary towns like he did. Without the public having knowledge that A-Rod was using performance enhancing drugs, he was a hero in their eyes, but once they found out that he was using these illegal substances it was as if his heroic reputation and profound influence he had on his fans was destroyed and belittled in an instant. A-Rods path to become the hero was never unavoidable. Many others have made it to the spotlight that he was in without the use of PED’s. It just took more drive and determination rather than an easy shortcut. He may have had a lot of pressure on him with 275 million dollars pushing on his back, but there would have been no shame in underperforming. The only shame came from breaking the rules and using PED’s. There is no problem in wanting to be better than those around you, but when it comes to performance enhancing drugs, it becomes a different story.
ReplyDelete-Jack
Alex Rodriguez is a fallen hero, one earned the status of an elite baseball player that was succumbed to the pressure of professional sports. Alex Rodriguez, a "happy-go-lucky kid," succeeded in the baseball world though his raw talent. As his heroism grew, he began to feel the pressure that comes with being a professional athlete, especially one with superstar status. Though it was his own choice to take performance enhancing dugs, the mixed messages conveyed by professional baseball must have pressured A-Rod into the unfortunate situation he is currently in. Baseball has become a mess, now private investigators infringe upon players' privacy to enforce PED bans, while other's such as Johnny Peralta are getting raises after being suspended for drug use. Where is the line drawn? This is the conflict A-Rod was engulfed by. Regardless, too all those young Yankees fans, Alex Rodriguez was the best of the best, a hero swallowed by the cruelty of baseball.
ReplyDeleteAngus
I believe that A-Rod is a fallen hero in every aspect. From the start he aspired to be one of the greats and on that path you are given decisions, the easier path or the harder path and for some it is much more difficult to distinguish your morals from your goals. For A-Rod his path was unavoidable because he felt that he was at risk of losing one of the things that he loved, his sport, and that is the final thing that caused his fall. In A-Rod's case he was under the pressure of having to be "better, faster, stronger" and his competition was under the same pressure and the performance enhancers that he was offered were the perfect resource to help him achieve his goal of becoming the best. Unfortunately he was not able to realize that his decision was detrimental to becoming a true professional player like his father.
ReplyDeleteA-Rod is a fallen hero to the many fans who falsely believe that professional sports are actually just about the game being played. A-Rod inevitable decision to use steroids is a result of the dichotomy in Baseball between the needs of the business, and the expectations of the fans. To those who play and manage in the MLB, the league exists as a lucrative business where profits are the bottom line. Conversely, the fans exalt MLB players as heroes and role models. Fans expect their heroes to act ethically, whereas the business has a fiduciary responsibility to earn the most profits possible. Because ethics are only valued by the fans, not the people in charge, there exists a power struggle. The clubs will always pay the most successful players more, regardless of how they are competing, because fans show up to see the best athletes play, which in turn earns the most money for the league. Ultimately, this creates a situation where players are being rewarded solely for how they perform on the field, and a blind eye is turned from the source of their performance. This problem is perpetuated by the lack of repercussions for using steroids. While there are serious suspicions, like A-Rod’s, players are always welcomed back to clubs with a lofty salary, like Jhonny Peralta, as long as they can compete and bring in revenue. If players were banned for life for using performance enhancing drugs, players would be less likely to use. However, without real repercussions and a culture where if you aren’t cheating you aren’t trying, it’s unlikely that players will stop turning to steroids to boost their performance.
ReplyDeleteThis discussion reminds me of the 2012 world series during which Giants all-star Melky Cabrera was suspended for 50 games. When he regained eligibility for the World Series, the Giants chose not to put him back on the roster. My opinion is that the Giants only took this “ethical” stand because they felt they didn’t need him. They had made it thus far in the playoffs without him so they used it as an opportunity to look like a stand up, good valued club. Had they needed him, I expect that he would have been on the field. We as fans have an idealistic image of the game. We view professional baseball as the same sport that “little Alex” played as a kid. In reality, it is nothing of the sort.
I have mixed feelings about A-Rod as a fallen hero. I am personally very against steroid use in professional sports and believe that is symbolizes a player's loss of love for the game and is just disrespectful in general. I think that no matter how much pressure a player feels or money is on the line, it is never right. On the other hand, I do sympathize with A-Rod for getting caught. Nowadays, it is so easy to start using PEDs and there are so many athletes that do, that it seems like everyone does it. I feel a little bit bad because it is really unfortunate to get caught for doing something that you know a ton of other people do without getting caught. Still, I believe A-Rod is a fallen hero as his integrity is diminished, and he put money and fame before his love for the game.
ReplyDelete-Katarina
I do believe that A-Rod is a fallen hero because before his use of PEDs he was a great player who played for the love of the game. As the article stated, A-Rod came from humble begins which is inspiring to both young and old fans who come to watch him play. He was a man that fans had tremendous respect for until his use of drugs. His use of PEDs cause him to lose much respect from fans, creating the fallen hero persona that he has today. It is hard to say whether his trajectory was unavoidable because every man has the ability to make decisions so on one hand you could say he could have not used PEDs. On the other you have to realized how competitive the game has gotten today. Not only have players gotten better and stronger but money has come to play a much more important role than it had before. I also believe that it was hard for A-Rod to avoid drug use because once you become a hero of the sport you are expected to stay on top, which is a lot harder than one might think. So yes, I do believe that the pressure to become bigger, faster, and stronger play a role for A-Rod's decision to use PEDs because he had tremendous pressure to stay on top and not be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteCooper
To me, A-Rod is not a fallen hero. The majority of athletes in general, not just baseball players use performance enhancing drugs. In order to keep up with those who will remain unnamed, he would've had to taken some himself. The path he was on was unavoidable, but should not have been punished so severely. He has fallen, but is not a fallen hero. The term fallen hero has such negative connotations, and makes it seem as if he has now become a villain. To me, he is an ordinary baseball player, who got caught up in the wrong, yet seemingly necessary part of the game. This does not make him a villain, it just makes him human. It is human to make mistakes, so this just humanizes the once great hero. So in the end he has fallen from his position of hero, but that does not make him a "fallen hero".
ReplyDelete-Connor Roach
A-Rod is sort of a fallen hero, as he was exposed to a temptation and was unable to resist. Using PEDs meant that could earn more money, and despite knowing that it was against league regulations, he went ahead with it anyway. I say that he was "sort of" a fallen hero because a hero, as defined by the cycle we looked at in class, has to have a mission or quest that he is trying to fulfill. A-Rod did not have a definite quest, other than perhaps simply trying to be good at baseball. Even so, that's a bit of a stretch. I don't think that his trajectory was unavoidable, since plenty of major league players continue to play and be successful without taking PEDs. There is, however, a constant pressure to perform, and when your livelihood depends on how you do on the field, cheating begins to look like a very valuable advantage. The pressure definitely contributed to his downfall, but to absolve A-Rod of all the blame is unreasonable. He is still responsible for his actions, and in the end proved that he didn't have the fortitude of a hero who was able to resist temptation.
ReplyDelete-Sam