Imagine a drug that transforms anyone from a skinny, lean, frail being to a masculine bodybuilding physique, increasing strength and endurance to help improve the level of performance in any sport. Without knowing the side effects would you take this drug? This drug known as anabolic androgenic steroid has been used by many professional athletes to enhance their performance level. Anabolic androgenic steroids are a synthetic derivative of the male hormone testosterone used to build muscle mass. Anabolic effects, meaning muscle building, help the body retain proteins, while androgenic or masculinizing effects cause increased muscle mass and aggression (“Steroids”). Over the past two years, steroid use in professional baseball has seen a dramatic increase. Anabolic steroids have forever changed the game of professional baseball, influencing players to take them to increase their playing potential but also destroying athletes' bodies; therefore, a mandatory drug test should be imposed before every match to prevent this problem from increasing. By the 1990s steroids had become a major problem. Professional baseball players abused steroids without knowing the harmful side effects. Steroids could cause serious health problems such as liver damage, cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and blood clots. Other minor side effects include an increased risk of ligament and tendon injuries, joint pain, muscle cramps, sleep problems and severe acne (“Anabolic Steroids and Sports”). Recent studies from 1989 to 1998 showed the number of players on the disabled list in MLB increased by thirty-one percent and a thirteen percent increase in the average stay on the disabled list. The... center of the card... themselves. Baseball used to be a game full of talent and skill, now everything is changing due to the use of steroids. Works cited "Anabolic Steroids and Sports: Winning at All Costs." Department of Health. New York State Department of Health, October 2008. Web. January 29, 2014. Carise, Denise. “Baseball and Steroids: What's the Big Deal.” HuffPost. September 12, 2013. Web. February 2, 2014. Lavine, Joshua. “Juicin' In the Majors; A History of Steroids in Baseball.” NYULocal. February 18, 2013. Web. February 6, 2014. "Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports: Fast Facts." CNN. November 18, 2013. Web. February 3, 2014. “Steroids: Just the Facts.” Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, n.d. Web. January 23, 2014 “Steroid Discontinuation.” Baseball Almanac. nd Web. 6 February 2014. Torre, Joe and Verducci, Tom. “The Man Who Warned Baseball About Steroids.” Entertainment time. Time Incorporated, February 23, 2009. Web. February 7. 2014