Kids at Backyard University in Red Lion, Pa learn more than just baseball techniques. They learn the importance of hard work and practice.
The kids look up to Major League Baseball players and they are disappointed to hear that some players have been suspended for Performance Enhancing Drugs.
“You know, you look up to these people thinking, you made it to the ‘bigs’ you worked so hard for it and now you’re going to throw it all away by using Performance Enhancing Drugs,” said 16-year old Garrett Moats of York County. “It looks bad on baseball as a whole having the steroid era still here and with Ryan Braun even, he lied to us. You know they have strict rules against it and you’ve seen it happen before with Bonds. He had a great season but he’s not going to get into the hall of fame because of it. There’s an asterisk next to his name because he broke the home run record because of it, with steroids.”
Moats is a Yankees fan. He thinks A-Rod hurt more than himself.
“He’s hurt the team just with the third baseman aspect. We haven’t had a good third baseman there for the whole season,” said Moats.
9-year old Ben Rohrbaugh is also a Yankees fan.
“I don’t think that you need drugs to be good. I just think that you need to practice, come here! I mean drugs don’t get you anywhere they just get you suspended,” said Rohrbaugh. He thinks A-Rod may have cost the team a chance at the playoffs. “I’m a lot disappointed because of what he did, and now I don’t think the Yankees will make the playoffs. I don’t get why they take drugs when they are already good,” said Rohrbaugh.
“Liars just dig themselves bigger holes. So I guess when you lie the first time you’re trying to always make up for that,” said Jason Aspito with Backyard University. Aspito thinks A-Rod should take his two season suspension. “I think that’s better than the lifetime ban that’s being thrown around.” Aspito says his actions have already hurt his reputation. “He’s not a likeable figure in the sports world these days. He was good at one point. I don’t think he’s ever going to get voted in the hall of fame. He has the numbers but I don’t think he’ll ever be voted in, not with this much going on in the background. But he’s still a pretty good baseball player. You have to be pretty good to play in the major leagues.”