Ryan Adams Suspended: Baltimore Orioles Shortstop Caught Using Amphetamines
Baltimore Orioles shortstop Ryan Adams was suspended after he tested positive for the banned psychostimulant drug amphetamine. The Major League Baseball’s (MLB) commissioners office declared that the second baseman Ryan Adams will be suspended for the first 25 games of the next season.
According to CNN.com “[t]he 25-year-old Adams played in 29 big league games for the Orioles in 2011 and spent most of last season with Triple-A Norfolk. He was on Baltimore’s 40-man roster at the time of the test. Adams was assigned outright on Sept. 14 to Norfolk, where he hit.224 with four homers, 18 doubles and 20 RBIs in 65 games this year. He was an All-Star two years ago in the Double-A Eastern League.”
The lure of performance enhancing drugs have tempted many a professional athlete. According to About.com, amphetamines, “sometimes called “speed” or “uppers,” are central nervous system stimulant drugs that increase alertness, self-confidence and concentration, and decrease appetite while creating a feeling of increased energy.” The sports applications from amphetamines are that they “may improve reaction time, and cognitive function, increase the feelings of alertness, decrease a sense of fatigue and increase euphoria.”
According to ABC News the Major League Baseball (MLB) has suspended five players this year for abusing performance enhancing drugs under the big league testing program. These players included “San Francisco outfielder Melky Cabrera and pitcher Guillermo Mota; Oakland pitcher Bartolo Colon; Philadelphia infielder Freddy Galvis; and free-agent outfielder Marlon Byrd.” Specific to stimulant violations including amphetamines, the only major league player other than Adams penalized has been Milwaukee pitcher Mark Rogers.
With Ryan Adams suspended, it brings to mind other famous cases like Lance Armstrong. What do you think about sports figures using performance-enhancing drugs?
