ADDers Are Out in Left Field

I came across an article recently that suggested ADD meds are major league baseball's "other drug epidemic." The implication is that baseball players--facing intense scrutiny over illegal steroids--are turning to Ritalin and other ADD meds to help them perform in the game.

I have no idea if this is actually the case, or if there really are more ADDers in baseball than in the general population.

However, I am certain of one thing: If you're an ADDer playing left field, then you sure as hell need something.

I played softball for a few years when I was a teenager. Aside from looking cute and athletic in my uniform and getting structured social time at the field twice a week, softball got real boring real quick.

I occasionally got to play second base (which always seemed like the suckiest infield position but, then again, I sucked at the game.) I could pay attention easily enough in the infield because that's where the action was. It's hard to miss a hit when your position has you staring directly at the batter.

But in the outfield, where I usually got stuck,...forget it. Left field, right field, center field--whatever. I may as well have been in China, because my mind was never on the game when I was playing in the outfield.

It wasn't uncommon for me to be completely unaware of a fly ball coming my way until I heard a chorus of people screaming "Jeeeennnn!" to alert me that if I didn't raise my glove, I might get bonked on the head.

Had I known about my ADD back then, I might have been a much better softball player. Or I might have realized that softball wasn't really my game. Either way, a psychostimulant would have been a welcome contribution to my game...unless you were routing for the opposing team.