Baseball and its Performance Enhancing Drug problem

So the infamous Manny Ramirez of the LA Dodgers today has been banned 50 games by MLB for testing positive for using the female fertility drug human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, which is considered a performance enhancing drug. Manny of course is blaming the doctor that prescribed it. The drug is designed to restart the bodies natural testosterone levels.

Alex Sanchez Jorge Piedra A. Montero Jamal Strong Juan Rincon R. Betancourt R. Palmeiro
Ryan Franklin Mike Morse C. Almanzar Felix Heredia Matt Lawton Yusaku Iriki Jason Grimsley Guillermo Mota Juan Salas Neifi Perez Neifi Perez Mike Cameron Dan Serafini Jay Gibbons Jose Guillen Eliezer Alfonzo Henry Owens J.C. Romero Sergio Mitre Manny Ramirez Damian Moss Robert Machado Clay Hensley Brian Mallette Jon Nunnally Tom Evans Grant Roberts Darnell McDonald Steven Smyth Christian Parker Luis Ugueto
Wilson Delgado Luis Ugueto Nerio Rodriguez Abraham Nunez Yamid Haad Henry Owens
Sergio Mitre

That is the list of players that since 2005 have also tested positive for steroids. That isnt including players that played before this. Granted ARod would be added if he would have "officially" been tested. But eventually the press finally found it and he in time copped to it. Roger Clemens is sweating bullets as the days pass. Barry Bonds walks freely still today.

Has the congressional intervention with baseball worked? Has it deterred the player from cheating? 44 players since 2005 have tested positive. Many of these players were positive in 2005, but it shows that even since its inception, players are still trying to get around the system.

I think the testing has worked. If you look at the amount of players that play for a MLB team, and throw in the minor leagues, the number of players vs the one's cheating, the numbers are small.

The saying a few bad apples holds true here. You can hope to police everyone, but there will always be individuals that feel the need to cheat to get ahead.

Which is worse? Is the Chicago White Sox of 1920 with "Shoeless" Joe and his gang of 8, or Pete Rose and his betting worse for the integrity and game or is one individual such as Manny injecting/swallowing steroids worse?

One good thing that has come of this is Mark McGwire, although never testing positive, only received 22% of the required votes to get into the Hall of Fame. A message clearly sent by the voters that steroids will not be accepted there.

The sad thing is, in July when the suspension is lifted, Manny's 2 month vacation will be over, he will step on the field and play again.

Instead of a 3 strike policy, it should be one and done. Guilty and you are finished. If it is something that isn't true, then in the court system, you have your venue to prove your innocence. Sadly though, the selfish individuals that cheat, that "received it through their cousins", or the doctor prescribed it, will never be brought to light.