you said:
"Baseball is a great analogy for what's going on in the world."
You have in this statement said the truth.
Baseball is seen through a prism of spoiled Rich dudes who have the world by the tail. The reality is these are our youths playing a game that frankly they would do for far less but will gladly take whatever they are offered.
Baseball is NO different than the world society at large, These kids are for the most part underprivileged and in many cases just third world boys who play a game well. They have their temptations as we all do, are competitive as we all are, and frankly are unprepared for what comes their way as most are.
The drugs or performance enhancing ones are pushed on them well before they get to the Bigs. Imagine if you would the temptation for a boy, 18, 19 years old who can hit the cover off the ball but needs to only hit that little white thing 10 more feet to hit the ball out or just hard enough to get it through the infield to make it to the Bigs, Taking something that is pressure pushed on them by agents or subtly through the organization they play for is powerful when winning and making it to the show is all encompassing. We are talking millions here as that is the average these kids, again, I say kids, will earn.
Anyways, like I said and you referenced in your quote above, and that is baseball is very much a window pane into everything we see in the world today. I actually believe it's the influence of society that influence the game and, not the other way around. These kids are learning from the intellectuals and the lawless what is expected of them to succeed. As with everything blame must be assessed and ballplayers are an easier mark than having Congress go before the public and be paraded out in front of the world, and I dare say that every Congressman would plead the 5Th with every question asked of them. It's a double standard. Plus we are all guilty of playing the game, would do just about anything to feed and cloth our kids. Taking steroids so that we can get back to work sooner or taking alcohol and drugs for the lift it gives us as we sing and dance at times don't seem so bad. Moderation right, so these kids learn all this shit from us. Yet, they are to be perfect role models when they have learned, and have had reinforced on them all that we show as acceptable behavior. It really comes down to their mental and physical toughness, and that will change with every injury and responsability accumulated on the field and at home.
I just don't judge (severily) personally anyone myself. I am not walking in their shoes, and I know what I would do to take care of my family. Everything and anything short of taking another persons life or stealing to get what I wanted. I will work however and hard but I will work.
These kids are doing what their families, coaches and owners of their contracts are asking of them, and then thrown under the bus when they get caught. That's just the truth, and it's on all of us for expecting more from them and not from ourselves.
The ones that actually get involved with enhancing are the older ball players that have lost a step, been hurt and don't hit it quite as far or hard, and are having to do something. Their life styles and families are more entrenched in the dream and finances as never before, and staying in the Bigs is the whole deal going bad or staying as is. That's a tough, tough decision, and one that every single one of us would have to make to stay in our positions in life. Risk/Reward.
Regards
BOB