Gordon’s suspension shows PEDs are about advantages for any player

8:58 PM ET

Any major league player has been part of a conversation that ended this way: “Well, PEDs don’t make you hit the ball.”

No, they don’t. But that is not the point.

I have heard a number of arguments addressing the PED question. The moral high ground, the health risks, the level playing field, the personal choice. In fact, one of the most compelling was from a friend of mine, philosopher Jake Beck, who said PEDs create an “unsustainable arms race.” And that race will eventually be between who has the best scientists and pharmacists instead of who you really want competing: great pitchers with great defenders vs. great hitters.

With the suspension of Dee Gordon, it is an indication that PEDs are and have always been tempting for everyone. He is not a power hitter, he is not a rocket-armed closer; he is a speed guy, who makes good contact and plays great defense. Sure, it took a while for PED science to figure out how to help all the different body types and strengths of different players, but the advantage gained has always been beyond just the gain in strength.

Dee Gordon’s suspension reflects that PEDs are about getting an edge, not a whole different skill. JCS/Icon Sportswire

Baseball is a game of endurance. It is a game that slowly wears you down to the nub, day by day, week by week, year by year. You are bone-on-bone before you look up at 30 years old. The games come at you at a pace in which you can’t tell Tuesday from Friday. The pain in your side has nowhere to go but worse; there is no such thing as a day off. That is baseball.

Players must last — not just be strong, not just hit a ball. And it is clear the skills required are more versatile than ever. Every kind of player must be a physical genius-level specimen at what they bring to the table. At the same time, it is more specialized than ever, so if you are going to be the best at your niche, you better make sure your niche is as big as a canyon.

In Dee Gordon’s case, he first dug his canyon out of speed. Catch the ball, outrun the ball, steal …

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