Q4 Outside Reading #2

This week in my outside reading book I learned more about Jose Canseco's first few years in the major league. There was one moment in particular that really stood out though. He says how in his first full year he won rookie of the year with 33 home runs and 117 runs batted in and nobody had really done that before. Because of his steroid use, getting those stats were like hitting 45 home runs now. That kind of hit me. If you take that idea and compare it to today's major league players, there is a big change. In 1986 there were probably 3 people with 35 home runs. Now, there are probably like 8. Taking this into consideration, that means there must be dozens, if not more, people that use steroids. That just isn't right. If you have to take an illegal substance so you can succeed, then there isn't as much point in succeeding. Many people think the same way as I do, so testing has greatly increased and some big name players like Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro, David Justice, and many more. It's a very unethical decision, but it's their risk to take.

Q4 Outside Reading #1

For my fourth quarter outside reading project, I decided to read "Juiced," by Jose Canseco. This book tells about the ups and downs of Canseco's life starting with his childhood until his major league experience. As of now I'm around page 30 and he is talking about what is was like playing baseball as a kid. He wasn't the fastest or the strongest in his age class but he worked hard. There was another part of his childhood baseball career that I felt I could really relate to. He said that his dad would go to every single game and yell at them if they made a mistake or done anything that wasn't perfect. My dad sure doesn't act like this, but I had a coach who was close to the same way. If you did something wrong he would let you know. Originally I didn't like this coaching style, but it makes you try harder. When I had this experience I worked my hardest and had the biggest increase in skill, similar to Canseco. He admits to not liking it and even crying, but the determination gave him the MVP of both the JV and varsity teams in consecutive years. I have enjoyed this book so far, and even though I don't usually get as attached to biographical novels, I think I will really enjoy this one.