Murphy: Boot the steroid cheats, By: Daniel Brown
04/25/2007
DALE MURPHY, who played until 1993, had his suspicions about illegal drugs in the locker room. But to his lasting regret he never said a peep. These days, Murphy is finally speaking out.
Boy, is he ever.
The two-time MVP launched an anti-steroids campaign in January. His organization, called the iWon't Cheat Foundation, aims at nothing less than eradicating use at every level — youth leagues, high schools, colleges and, of course, the pro ranks.
He is in favor of a lifetime ban for a first offense when it comes to illegal performance-enhancing drugs.
He hopes Hall of Fame voters keep the door shut to players such as Mark McGwire and the Giants' Barry Bonds.
"You can't take numbers away, but I don't think anybody associated with steroids should be in the Hall," Murphy said last week by phone.
Of Bonds, he said: "I think Barry is a marvelous player and would have been one of the all-time greats, but he went down the wrong path."
Above all, Murphy has a message for players and fans who excuse steroid use with phrases such as "sports are entertainment" or "whatever it takes to win."
"I'm tired of that," said the seven-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove outfielder. "Our society has a problem — not just in sports, but in politics and business — with thinking cheating is OK. I'm tired of the message it sends to my kids. And by 'my kids' I mean that literally, but also figuratively for all the kids out there who play youth sports.
"People are defending an example that says, 'In order for someone to be the best, they need to do this.' Well, that's just an excuse to make the wrong decision."
Murphy's quest has struck a chord. NBA executives called him to get more information about the program, as did officials from Major League Baseball. He was invited to be part of the Clinton Global Initiative.
On a more grass-roots level, Murphy, 51, has been flooded with e-mails from parents around the country asking, "How can I help?" and "What can I do in my community?"
For now, Murphy tells them to sit tight. He's trying to catch up to the demand. There is a Web site — iwontcheat.com — but for now most of the presentations take place near Murphy's home in Alpine, Utah. Eventually, he would like to have "I Won't Cheat" chapters nationwide.
Much of the message revolves around the health risks and legal issues surrounding drugs, but Murphy is trying to emphasize the ethical choice as well.
"We need to teach kids that ethically there is a right way and a wrong way of doing things — not just in sports but in life," he said.
Murphy understands what he's up against. After a recent presentation, a father pulled him aside and spoke of his son — a high school pitcher whose fastball reaches 91-92 mph.
Murphy said the dad told him, "If my son can just get that up to 94-95 mph, he can go in the top three rounds, where the big money is."
Such are the trappings of modern sports, where the temptation for a little boost never goes away. That same pitcher who wants to go early in the draft might use drugs again to get from Double-A to Triple-A, and from Triple-A to the majors — and finally to get to that megacontract.
Murphy's solution is to attack the problem early. His Web site reports that more than 1million high school athletes used steroids last year and focuses on changing the attitudes of youth sports participants, as well as parents and coaches.
As for the pro levels, Murphy favors a zero-tolerance policy. He compared the use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs to the transgression that got Pete Rose banned for life. Gambling and steroids should get the same punishment.
"Why not? Both things strike at the heart of what the game is about," he said. "People have to know that what they're seeing on the field is legitimate. You can argue about the nuances of what Pete did, but he broke the rule, so he's done.
"Can you imagine that same zero tolerance with drugs? Think that might be a deterrent?"
Murphy hit .265 with 398 home runs and 1,266 RBIs during an 18-year major league career. His glory days were with the Atlanta Braves, for whom he won the National League MVP award in 1982 and'83. He looked destined for enshrinement in Cooperstown, but his production tailed off rapidly after his 31st birthday; only about 11 percent of Hall of Fame voters have listed him in recent elections.
During his time in Atlanta, Murphy got to know former Brave Hank Aaron, who used to stop by to give an occasional hitting tip.
Murphy's personal connection to the home run king notwithstanding, he has almost no interest in Bonds' pursuit of Aaron's record of 755 home runs.
"I've said it doesn't mean that much to me. I feel like Barry has cheated," Murphy said.
Is that fair, considering Bonds has never failed a drug test?
"I'm not arguing that," Murphy said. "I understand that we're talking about my opinion and not a court of law. But to me I've read enough and seen enough to draw my conclusions."
Along those lines, Murphy hopes Hall of Fame voters "vote with their conscience" when it comes to players such as Bonds and McGwire. "If people cheated to get there, they shouldn't be there," he said. "What kind of message would we be sending our kids?"
