Young Dominican baseball hopefuls resort to injections in chasing their dream
There is a potential devil in the details in the advancement of the developing nations toward economic prosperity. Another way of saying that is beware what you wish for, you may get it. In the pursuit of prosperity there are often social and environmental and impacts. Environmental degradation, such as deforestation, is often evidenced in the emerging economies. The extremely poor are often pushed aside by forced relocation in the pursuit for wealth as the shanties they inhabit become valuable land for developers.
It is however in the social framework of the youth that the biggest impact can be seen. In Dominica there are many youngsters vying for Major League Baseball contracts. For the lucky few it means a life of richness and opportunity. To achieve this goal sadly many children as young as 14 are being pumped with injections of painkillers and vitamins by their handlers so they can train longer, harder and faster. The dream of a generation is colored by the reality of substance abuse necessary to fast track them there.
Dominican-born players make up about 17 percent of major league and minor league rosters in the United States and Latin America, but about 38 percent of the players who tested positive for steroids and other banned substances since 2005.
Since 2008, when Major League Baseball instituted drug penalties here, more than half of all suspensions have occurred in the Dominican Summer League, where many newly signed Dominicans begin their careers.
When investigators for Major League Baseball asked why they tested positive, several players said their handlers had provided them with the substances, according to people in baseball who were briefed on the interviews. Some said they received the substances before they signed with major league teams, the people said.
Dominican Baseball Handlers Stir Issues of Exploiting Youths – NYTimes.com
