Steroid Use In Baseball

FCAs                                                             Matthew Accatatta

1. Thesis Statement                                         December 22, 2010

2. Three reasons to support thesis                    English 6-1

3. Conclusion                                                  Persuasive Article-First Draft

Steroid Use In Baseball

     According to the article “Who Knew?” in ESPN Magazine published in

November 2005, steroids finally made it to baseballs banned substance list in 1991,

but testing for major league players did not begin until the 2003 season.  Many

professional athletes use steroids or performance enhancing drugs to help them run

faster, be stronger, get bigger, and build more muscle.  I think athletes want to be

better at their sport.  However, athletes should not use steroids because they are

hurting their bodies, are setting impossible records in the sport, and are bad role

models to fans who root for them.

     One reason steroid use is bad for athletes is because using them can hurt an

athlete’s body. The changes to the body with steroids cause mood swings,

depression, and rage.  The feelings of rage are called “roid rage.”  Some athletes

who use steroids have become very angry and may hurt other people or even kill

themselves.  If an athlete uses steroids, he may develop acne, problems with the

liver, or cancer.  Some athletes get very bad injuries when they use steroids.  A

baseball player will have more damage to his knee because the muscles in the

knees get too big and when the muscle tears, it rips off the bone.  Sometimes

athletes may have career ending injuries. 

     Another reason athletes should not use steroids is because records are being set

that aren’t reachable for athletes who don’t use steroids.  Roger Maris held the

single season homerun record for many years.  Years later, Mark McGwire broke

the record and then he later admitted to using steroids.  Sports fans are questioning

whether McGwire would have broken the record without using steroids.  If you

compare McGwire’s homerun counts from other seasons, it is obvious steroids

helped him the season he broke Maris’ record.

     The final reason athletes should not use steroids is because it could influence

fans of sports to use steroids, especially high school and younger players.  Fans

want to be like their football and baseball idols.  Players like Alex Rodriguez,

Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa are admired by baseball fans but they have used

drugs.  If players in high school and town leagues admire these players, they might

get the idea to use steroids to improve their game.  That’s why players like Derek

Jeter are so important.  Derek Jeter is the team captain of the Yankees and he has

not been accused of using steroids.

     My dad has a book written by Jose Canseco called Juiced.  In the book, Jose

says he was using steroids for his entire career.  That is sad because he was a good

ball player and was exciting to watch.   Now, whenever his name is said in our

house, it’s never about his playing days but always about how he used steroids.  If

more players admit to using steroids while playing baseball, the most loved game

in America will just be a joke. 

Yes, I have been a good boy

     Christmas is a happy time of year for those boys and girls who are waiting for the big jolly guy to visit. The big question for the month of December is always...have you been a good boy or girl?  In my case, I have been a good boy.  How do I know this?  Well, there are a few reasons.  First, I always do my chores at home.  I don't get an allowance for doing my chores because my mom says she lets me eat, sleep at home, and does my laundry.  So, that's my allowance, in her opinion.  My chores are to feed the dog, let the dog out in the morning, clean my room, empty the dishwasher, and clean the counter and sink in my bathroom.  I do my chores regularly because if I don't, my mom will remind me a thousand times to do them.  I don't want to get her mad, so I do them.  I always do a good job with my chores because my mom will just bug me until I do them right.

     The second reason I know I've been a good kid this year is I go to CCD class without a fight.  This makes my mom and dad happy because they want me to grow up to be a good person.  I tell my mom that I don't always understand what is going on in CCD class and that I don't always agree with what the Bible says.  My mom tells me it's okay to question things but we need to have an open mind.  She says that a lot to me and I don't argue with her. 

     Since Christmas is right around the corner, I know I've been a good boy and I'm sure Santa will reward me with lots of presents.  It better come quick because I don't know how much longer I can behave.

Santa letter

Dear Santa,

    Christmas is the season when you spend time with your family and...YOU GET GIFTS!  Also, you get to be in the presence of Santa Claus.  I’ve been okay this year.  One thing I really want is a video game that was released in September 2010.  The name of it is Halo Reach.  I want it because the game is one of the most popular games of the year.  I think I deserve it because I’ve been doing my chores a lot around the house.

    I try to be a very well behaved son for my parents.  They work very hard to provide me with a nice home and I always help around the house, so they don’t have to do all the housework.  Having the game will give me the opportunity to relax after I do my chores.

                                                                                 From,



                                                                                 Matthew Accatatta

Thankgiving's History

     The first Thanksgiving was held in 1621. The Pilgrims came to America on a ship named the Mayflower. The Pilgrims met the Native Americans and the Native Americans showed the Pilgrims how to plant crops so they could grow their own food and survive in the new land.  The Pilgrims were very grateful to the Native Americans.  So, they had a feast with the Native Americans because they helped the Pilgrims survive their first year at the new land. The Thanksgiving celebration the Pilgrims and the Native Americans had wasn't one day, it was three!  The first Thanksgiving did not have any turkey, but the feast did include wild duck, geese, and venison, which is deer.  They didn't have pumpkin or apple pie either because there wasn't any flour left to make the pie crust. 
     George Washington proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789.  The Thanksgiving tradition continues today on the fourth Thursday of November as a national holiday which was decided by Congress in 1941.  

What I'm Grateful For

           There are many things I'm grateful for. The one that I am grateful the most is my parents. My parents are the ones who introduced me to the world we all know, Earth. They are the ones who keep me out of trouble when bad things happen. My parents buy me all the things I need like clothes, toys, games, and food and water. I don't know what I would do if I lost them. Some people scream at their parents but when their parents pass away they will wish they didn't do that. Most people take their parents for granted and that's not right. That is one thing I will never do.

Fun Halloween Nights

                  Halloween is so fun. You might ask why. YOU GET FREE CANDY!! All night you walk around and you get candy. The bad thing is you walk around and you get tired. But it's worth it. I like dressing up in costumes. I think it's so fun! This year I'm being a hippie. I don't know why, it just seems fun! I like the idea of funny and scary costumes. Some people make and buy creative costumes, which I like.

Satire in my life

          I love Halloween! It's just so easy to get a costume. In stores there are so many choices you can't even pick. It seems like I can never find a good costume. A couple years ago I was cop and my mom made me wear a coat. On Halloween you never see people except me wearing coats or jackets.

Does patriotism still matter?

Does Patriotism still matter?

     Merriam Webster dictionary defines patriotism as a love and devotion to one’s

country.  In the 1600’s, the Pilgrims came to a new land to get away from their king. 

They were trying to find a better life for themselves and their families.  Even then, people

were developing a love of their country. 

     As time moved on and America changed so did the people who lived here.  Our

country is a land of immigrants who came here seeking a new life.  From this desire for a

better life, love of country develops.  People are proud of their country.  We live in the

greatest country in the world.  Sure, we have problems here, but we have a good

government, we can live where we want to, and we can make a good life for ourselves.

     Patriotism still matters today and in my family we have a great deal of patriotism.  My

Grandfather Accatatta served in World War II in the U.S. Navy and my Pop Corrigan

served in the Korean War in the U.S. Army.  They both had a lot of patriotism and

always told me that I was lucky to live in the United States of America.  Now, my

brother, Mike, will be in the U.S. Army.  He will be stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as a

fire support specialist.  His job will be to fire missiles.  I know that he is probably scared

and I am, too.  He knows what the risks are but he is so devoted to his country that he is

willing to risk his life.  If you want my opinion, it takes someone very special to want to

do this.

     We all should love our country and be devoted.  There are many ways we can show

this:  voting, flying the flag, saying the Pledge of Allegiance, and singing the National

Anthem.  Patriotism may not always be cool, but where would we all be if we didn’t have

patriotism?

Marshfield Dreams

Ralph Fletcher wrote Marshfield Dreams to share with students my age about his thoughts on his years growing up.  I'm eleven years old and there were a few connections I made to Ralph Fletcher's stories.

In the vignette "Baseball", Ralph mentions he likes the Boston Red Sox "even though they weren't very good." (Fletcher 2005 p. 109)  I'm not a fan of Boston but my grandmother is.  Everyone in my family is a Yankee fan; except for my mom...she doesn't like baseball at all.  My grandmother and I have spent many hours sitting together and watching Boston play.  We would have the chance to talk to each other and I know I can trust her with my secrets.  Boston doesn't win as many games as the Yankees, but I wouldn't miss out on spending time with my grandmother.

In the vignette "Last Kiss", the author states "I guess they drift away from each other."  (Fletcher 2005 p. 84)  In my family, we are getting ready to have my brother, Mike, leave for Fort Sill, Oklahoma.  He's enlisted in the U.S. Army.  My mom has explained to me what his job will be when he is gone.  But I see the news on TV at night.  I know Mike might have to fight.  I hope he will be safe and that we never drift apart like the author did with his father.

The short stories we had to read made me think about things.  Sometimes when I read I don't always like the stories but these ones are easy for kids like me to understand.  I feel writers should try to relate to students like me, so that I won't be bored.

The bus

My last two years in elementary school, I was driven to school by mom and dad.  Now that I'm in middle school, I take the bus.  I get picked up across the street from my house and it's about a 15 minute ride to school.  You would think in that time you could relax.  But no.  Kids on the bus talk really loud and scream.  I don't know why kids scream; it gives me a headache.  There are days I'm very happy to finally get to school or back home because it is much quieter.

Lockers

To all...Hello.  Lockers are something that I like in middle school because I didn't have one in elementary school.  My locker is small but I can still fit all my books and binder in it.  It is sometimes a pain in the neck to open it.  Especially, when I'm in a rush or late to class.  I am never really at my locker; I only visit my locker in the morning before homeroom, 4th period, and at the end of the day before I get my bus.  My locker has not been flipped and hopefully, never will be.  That's why you don't give out your combination to anyone.  Some people have already decorated their lockers.  I haven't yet but I would like to put in a few pictures just to make it look more interesting.  One friend's mother has threatened to put her picture in his locker, so when he opens it, there will be her smiling face.  I hope my mother doesn't talk to my friend's mother.  That would be disasterous.