Impact of Steroid Era on Fandom in Baseball

Abstract

The Steroid Era in baseball is the period between early 1990s and mid-2000s when
the game of baseball experienced widespread use of anabolic steroids by players (Fury,
2018). Powered by steroids, players recorded extraordinary performances, including a large
number of home runs, the most exciting part of baseball (Antinori, Blackman & Blackman,
2017). The great performances made baseball exciting, attracted millions of fans to the game,
and made club owners and players a lot of money. Scrutiny of extraordinary performances of
some players and continuous breaking of long-held records led to exposure of the extensive
use of steroids in baseball. Public hearings and investigations of steroid use of baseball in
mid-2000s by the U.S. Congress revealed widespread use of steroids by players, including
some of the most beloved ones (Antinori, Blackman & Blackman, 2017). The revelations led
to public consternation, anger, and greatly tainted the image of baseball. Congress and Major
League Baseball (MLB) enacted stricter measures to control the use of steroids in baseball.
The measures included having year-round testing, increasing the number of banned
substances, and increasing the severity of punishment for using banned substances. However,
these measures could have been a case of too little too late as they failed to restore the great
place baseball had in the hearts of Americans. Once America’s pastime, at the end of the
Steroid Era, baseball had become America’s doormat. The Steroid Era led to significant
waning of interest in the game by fans. In the years following the scandal, baseball has
struggled to fill stadiums and television viewership has recorded massive falls as well
(Antinori, Blackman & Blackman, 2017). Two main factors have contributed to the fall in
interest in baseball by fans. One, despite measures that were put in place in mid-2000s to
control the use of anabolic steroids in the game, baseball is yet to completely restore its

3
integrity in the eyes of its fans. Secondly, the exciting home runs that were common at the
peak of Steroid Era have significantly reduced. Thus, to many baseball fans, the game is no
longer entertaining.

4

References

Antinori, P., Blackman, R. J., & Blackman, R. (2017). Contextualization of a shifting
perspective regarding the steroid era. The Sport Journal.

Furry, T. (2018). Sports Media Influence on the Legacy of Major League Baseball’s Steroid
Era.