Juicing the Game: Drugs, Power, and the Fight for the Soul of Major League Baseball

by Howard Bryant

A history of steroid and performance-enhancing drug use in major league baseball discusses such issues as the 1994 strike and the current threat of punitive legislation, in an investigative account that features anecdotes by and interviews with such figures as Jason Giambi, Bud Selig, and Donald Fehr. 75,000 first printing.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Nonfiction, History

432 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Bruce Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot do justice to the well-thought out and executed effort that this book represents. This is professional journalism pretty close to being at its best. The writing, although never literary stylistically-speaking, demonstrates a great respect for the readers' needs for story-telling. The only lacuna I find is that Bryant was unable to devote a chapter to the fans' contribution to celebrity worship that this form of entertainment represents. You know that Americans are constantly being told that corporations provide a product based upon consumer demand. Of course, as I seek to exist outside the pale of mass marketing I tend to think I am inoculated from such nonsense. However, as I recognize from Jacques Ellul's PROPAGANDA, my individuality is nothing to corporations. In JUICING THE GAME, Howard Bryant often acknowledges the fans sensibilities, but he fails to address the reality behind the attendance figures as in fact an alembical element that 'stirs the drink.' This book belongs however in any class that seeks to understand baseball's madness post-1994 strike and further sharpens the question: are steroids cheating?

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

You might read the title and instantly think, "This book will be about steroids in baseball." You are slightly right. But it would be more accurate to say it's about drugs, power, and the fight for the soul of Major League Baseball.
Crazy, right?
It begins with the famous strike of '94, the actual fight between players and managers that stopped a season. It ends with some of baseballs largest figures being interviewed in Congress about what may or may not have happened in all those locker rooms.
In between, we have the struggle to bring fans back to the ballparks, the home run chase of '98, huge TV money pouring into baseball, questions about whether steroids really drove the offensive surge of the late '90s and early '00s, and a constant argument about who's to blame for what happened.
The short answer? Everyone. Everyone knew, or had an idea of what was happening, and hardly anyone actually wanted the questions answered. In the end, that's roughly the indictment, but it was certainly worth the journey if you're still interested.

[Scott Worden · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book on the background of the steroid era in MLB. The book also points out some of the hypocrisies of MLB owners that go all the way back to the 1919 Black Sox scandal as well as the hidden cohesion to not let blacks play baseball until Jackie Robinson was introduced. The book discusses Bud Selig's side, the player's union side, and how it affected the fans. I was especially impressed with how in depth the research went into BALCO, as well as the progression of events that finally lead up to a significant changes to stricter rules on steroids.

[Girard Bowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by Howard Bryant. A somewhat long, deep dive into baseball's steroid era, with side trips into owner collusion, player strikes, and umpire union busting. A nuanced account of baseball's neglect to address the steroid issue, which led to congressional hearings. There are no heroes here.

[Gordon Kwok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great baseball book on steroids and prevalence in the game.

[Aaron Horton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Howard Bryant did a good job on this book on the steroid Era in baseball.

[Mr.Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

+ There's something nostalgic about baseball. I'll take any chance to take a deeper dive into the game I love. Bryant's book is a true exploration of several aspects of the game that take place behind-closed-doors, and I found the narratives to be both entertaining and informative.
- I enjoyed Bryant's style but I do have a gripe to pick with the editor. The cuts between player profiles and historical depictions is jarring. When Bryant is not jumping back and forth between profiles on McGuire and Sosa and Matt Williams, he's discussing commissioner turnover, then the strike, then the steroid era, then back to the union's conflict with the commissioner.
- The editor's hastiness in proof-reading is evident, as every third page appears to have a letter missing or an incorrect tense.
- "To John Hoberman, a steroid expert at the University of Texas, the impulse on the part of the baseball leadership to immediately defend the use of a product neither it nor the game's many, better-qualified medical experts knew much about offered a telling glimpse into how the sport was prepared to deal with the sudden, important revelation that, like the rest of the sporting world, baseball players had been exposed to the power of supplements." ... Why do I feel like I was the first person to read this line?

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

Heading into this book I thought it would be about the steroid era of the MLB, and talk about Bonds, Canseco, McGwire, and others. But I was very disappointed, the book focused on the owners more than the players. Overall I did not like the book at all, it is extremely slow and it is more of a textbook of common knowledge than things that someone might not know. It dragged a lot and really didn't talk about the drug problem but revolved about the struggle for power between the owners and the commissioner. To sum it up, I did not like the book.

[Lorraine Harrell · Rating 1 out of 5]

The topic of this book and learning about how steroids were a big thing in baseball at the time is very interesting. I knew steroids were used I just didn't know how much and how long the players and managers were getting away with it. The one star is for the topic. The book Itself was written very bland. I am an avid reader and it took me almost a year to finish this book. That is how boring the book is.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and sad at the same time.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Byrant is nothing if not an elite investigative reporter. And like all great investigative reporters, he knows the importance of nuance and of providing a rich, detailed context. No one in baseball (or affiliated with baseball) is excoriated. On the other hand, precious few are portrayed as innocent. Beat writers, players, the Player's Union, owners, and the American public all share in the blame. Yes, the lion's share of blame is reserved for Bud Selig, but Bryant still manages to be even-handed in his analysis of the commissioner's role. Where others see conspiracy, Bryant, a la Hannah Arendt, demonstrates how events proceed, player by player, month by month, season by season, with the Commissioner's Office failing to act. The end result? A game that the fans and the press no longer believe in. Selig's greatest failure (and, by extension, Major League Baseball's) is that he overestimates the importance of the home run while underestimating the importance of trust. No other sport is so focused on its records as is baseball. And trust is the foundation upon which records are either embraced or ignored. Will anyone who wears the taint of steroids make it into The Hall? We'll see....

For anyone who loves the game and wonders what led to the steroid era and who bears responsibility for allowing the game to get out of control, this is a must read.

[Jerry Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

In depth review of the steroid decade in major league baseball. With the advantage of a few years to look back it is worth examining this era and how it came about.

This is very thorough and long. However it is very well written, especially if you have an interest in baseball (which would probably be the case if you pick this up). It puts things in context better than any other book I have read on the subject, starting with the strike in the early 90's, talking in depth about the roles of all the protagonists, discussing the realtionship with the umpires, the unions, the commissioner, the owners etc. Also deals with other reasons that may have contributed to the rise in the long ball - smaller ball parkes, juiced ball, smaller strike zone, protection for batters and so on.

As such it is a detailed view of a baseball era and fascinating for that, especially the stand that each of the interested parties took on the issue. It paints a great picture of how "baseball" as a community thinks (VERY conservative!)

I guess I didn't learn anything new about steroids themselves, but the contextual anaysis was first class.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love sports... almost of any kind, so I was intrigued to learn more about the whole steroid scandal in baseball. This is a great book if you want to know anything about the inner workings of baseball - who has what power and influence on the game and how do the forces push and pull? - the owners, the players, the player's union, the umpires, the managers, the commissioner's office, the public, the press... it's all there. It is very dry reading at times - I must warn you. Lots and lots of names of people you have probably never heard of. The author is pretty good about reminding you about a person's position, title, or relationship to the sport, but it's still a lot of names and who said what or felt what about whom or what. I learned sooooo much about the sport of baseball - historically all the way to the present day. Did you know that not that long ago baseball players were forbidden to engage in weight training because it was thought to interfere with a player's performance... that building up muscles would interfere with a player's natural flexibility, speed, and quickness?

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tells a narrative history of the steroid era in baseball. Baseball fans will generally enjoy this, the interesting points come from the story's tracking of how the commissioner and the players' union addressed steroids as an issue at various points and tracked the failure of that policy to develop to protect the game. The Players' Union blocked all testing efforts at every turn and emerges as the prime culprit, but Selig comes off as an accomplice in that he wasn't interested in fighting the Union hard on the issue at various points, and then actively blocked efforts to move the game more quickly through the issues, such as imposing fines and gag orders.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed book about more than a decade in Major League Baseball. It covers the steroid issue and gives you a good understanding of how it came about. It was a slow reading book for me because I didn't want to miss one little detail about the players, manager, teams, or history of the game and the steroid issue. But well worth the time it took to read! It also covers many other things including the Player's strike and all the details leading up to it.

[Richie C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great look at the history of steroids in baseball, and how MLB has to point a finger at itself when starting the blame game.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

in depth and well-researched

[Hubert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very strong overview of the steroids scandal from its beginnings to the present day. The only thing I would have done is edit out about 10%-15% of the book; sometimes it felt overwritten.

[Mike Mik · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good

[Ross Bonander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dynamite journalism

[Marta Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best book I've read on baseball and steroids. Eye-opening. Lost a star bec he clearly wouldn't let an editor touch it.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book makes the George Mitchell report seem even more naive.