Transitions

I plan on using the story I described in my research paper as the foundation for my creative piece of literature. I will use Barry Bonds accusations in my creative writing. Using the reserach I did about this specific topic in my creative writing will provide for a very smooth transition between the two assignments. Focusing on these two elements from my research paper will really improve my creative edge in this piece. Using the format of the movie Pulp Fiction, I will use my research involving the Bonds steroid incident to outline a particular part of the story.

Outline of Creative Writing

Pulp Baseball: Home Run Ficiton

I plan to use my research from my research paper to create the image and guidelines of the story of the main character and his struggle with steroids. I plan to use my personal experience with steroids to map out the outline of the story.

How does steroids affect baseball players as people?

I plan on using the movie Pulp Ficiton as a model outline for my creative writing. I love how the director tells the story with the ending first, but leaves out the complete ending to keep you guessing. I want to have a bunch of random events occuring and then wrap them all together at the ending with a huge bang.  I believe this will be the most effective way to relay my message to the reader. It will keep their interest. I want to start out with the two friends talking about what has just occured and then backspace into the past where the story first began. Maybe start out at a baseball game in the heat of an inning. Eventually unfold the story one step at a time to keep the reader guessing. Try to be very random but yet as descriptive as I possibly can with my events, so that the reader is able to succesfully connect all of the aspects of the paper together into one giant story. Includes Bonds accusations of steroid use in the first scene, along with the confession by the main character’s best friend. Include family aspects as well as locker room scene’s 

 

Blog # 14

After reading In Cold Blood and completing my research paper, I believe that both will help assist in making this piece of creative writing very strong. Both displayed strong roots in research.  In Cold Blood was based almost soley on research, while my research paper took hours of research to learn about my topic. I feel that this creative is very important to this class because it is one of the last things that we do. We will use all that we have learned in this class and relate it to our creative writing.

When I was reading In Cold Blood, I took a lot of notes and was able to see how research helped Truman Capote write the novel so realistically. Being able to research properly is a very key aspect to writing good papers and novels. Taking in all that Capote did to make his novel great, I will use that knowledge to take my own personal experiences and research that i’ve done and make a great paper. I want to take this creative writing and make it a lot like In Clood Blood by taking my reserach and present it in a creative.

My research paper provided a lot of problems for me, but I was able to take a lot out of the research aspect of the paper. Before we started this paper, I had an idea what proper research was. But it wasn’t until the we started doing activities in class that I found out to properly look for articles and do “good” reserach. I believe this peper took me to the next level in my research, and will let my make this creative writing to a whole new level. I think that the research I have done for this paper will help me know what to do with this creative writing, therefore making this paper a lot less stressful. 

Home Run Derby

The story of Todd and his involvment with his high school baseball team is based on factual information discovered through research.  Todd attends Cumberland Valley high school where he is a 17 year old junior. Todd is an average student and is the starting third baseman for the varsity baseball team.  Baseball can be a very exciting and amazing sport to watch and play.  Considerd to be the Great American Pastime, baseball has roots in the earliest of American history.  However, all great things have their disadvantages and problems.  At the time the story takes place, Major League Baseball is facing allegations against players that deal with perfromance enhancing drugs.  San Francisco All-Star Barry Bonds is enemy number one when discussing this issue.   Like many of the players on Todd’s team, he looks up to Barry Bonds as a fantastic all around baseball player.

In this short story, very clear background regarding the history of steroids is discussed.  The main charcater Todd researches steroids in the novel, wanting to learn more about the history of steroids in baseball and why Barry Bonds is being accused.  Steroids is also integrated into Todd’s life.  5 players on the Cumberland Valley baseball team have and are currently taking human growth hormone when the story takes place.  One of them is Todd’s best friend Marcus.  Todd and Marcus have been friends since they were on the same baseball team in third grade.  Marcus started using steroids when he was suggested he do so by some of the other players on the team.  he neglected to tell Todd at first because he was to scared he would lose Todd as a friend. 

The short story discusses the struggle between Marcus and Todd, as well as Todd with himself.  Todd fumbles around the idea of possibly taking steroids at the suggestion of his long time friend Marcus.  Todd comes from a well to do household where his parents are very much involved in his life.  they are interested in his grades and participate in fundraising and volunteering for the baseball boosters.  Todd researches the affects that steroids has on your body and how that relates to his favorite baseball player.  Stuck in a high school world, Todd will try to survive the temptation that burns inside of him.  Searching for a breakout season, Todd may just choose the wrong path to success.

How Does It Feel Now That The Majority of the Hard Work Is Done

It’s unbelievable to think that we have spent the whole semester up to this point formulating and constructing our research paper.  Looking back on all the exercises I did to prepare myself for this paper, I feel like they really helped me.  Without those helpful in class and blog exercises, I don’t know if my paper would be as successfully written.  I believe that this process will go a long way in helping me to better my overall writing skills.  If I ever have to write another research paper, which I know I will, this class will be a great reference point.

I feel drained however.  I feel very tired and feel like this paper has in a way been oveerdone.  It seems to be going out of style with my classmates, leaving very little excitment left in the papers.  I feel like I just want this to be over and done with.  Steroids has been in my mind for half a semester now, and I want to take a break.  I feel like I am not alone in this feeling either.  I hope the creative writing has a longer lasting itrigue to it.

I still feel like I have some agonizing work ahead of me however.  I am not totally done with my paper; and until I am, I will feel unsatisfied and stressed.  I have tried to calm down and take breaks while writing to make it less painful mentally.  I hope I can push through this last week and make some neccesary changes to my paper to make it flow better.  Lets hope I have a very succesful that will be able to be published.   

Strengths and Weaknesses of My Paper

I believe my paper does a good job of providing a vivid description and perspective of baseball fans view of the steroid era.  I provide examples of many baseball analysts and my own perosnal accounts of how steroids have affected how baseball is viewed by the fans.  I also believe that my paper does a good job of showing how steroids is such a widespread controversy that has infected and taken over baseball in the public eye.  Many reporters on sports shows have taken various polls about steroids in baseball on their shows, getting an enormous amount of feedback.  Most fans as I previously mentioned think that steroids has bcome a detriment to baseball and its fans.  These strengths help to enhance the overall affect my paper has on my baseball readers.

 I think that one weakness of my paper is that I don’t have enough beackground information about how steroids found its way into baseball players pockets. It feel that I can ellaborate on how the steroid era started in baseball and who were the first to be accused.  Steroids havn’t always been specifically identified as illegal in baseball’s rule book.  Explaining this event more clearly would certainly help my argument. My sources I believe are also a little weak. I can find a couple more sources that are better than the ones I already have. Thos would allow me to support my content much more freely and without question. I plan to work on these weaknesses before turning my paper in on Friday. If i can change what I think the weaknesses are in my paper, I could have a very solid paper.

My strength and weaknesses together seem to be fairly contrasting. I need to exploit my strengths more and improve my weaknesses. Focusing on my weaknesses will effectively give a more solid argument. My sources especially need to be stronger and more in depth along with my background information. Looking back to my previous notes should help me with that. I plan to improve my paper between now and Friday drastically.

Outline

A Baseball Fans Worst Nightmare

I. Intorduction

a. define what the “nightmare” is. Steriods has been a thorne in the side of major leauge baseball for more than a decade. Fans are crushed by the on-going news of the illegal usage of these performance enhancers. Fans on sports talk shows are continually bashing the game of baseball, showing no remorse for what the players have down. Fans are found questioning how “fair” the games have been for the past 10 years, and for that matter, if all the players who have used steroids have been identified. 

b. history of the steriod era in baseball. Explain the discovery and confession of Jose Canseco. Who did he identify and what did he say in his testimony. Barry Bonds has tainted the home run record with his surrounding accusations and unbelievable hitting production. Has continually defended himself but seems to be on the back burner now that Roger Clemens has made public his denial of ever using performance enhancing drugs. His hearing was nationally televised and was a disgrace to baseball fans. Countless sports writers, analysts, and fans of the game spoke out against the uselessness and embarassment of the hearing. This was a humiliating event for baseball fans to watch; witnessing the best pitcher of the past 10 years make up words and continually deny any involvement with steroids.

c. supporting and opposing ideas

d. thesis- How does the use of performance enhancing drugs in baseball affect the fans persepctive of the game?

e. hypothesis- Fans look at the game of baseball as an unfair and corrupt sport due to the unbelieveable amount of steriod users. Fans seem to be less and less interested in the actaul game of baseball, as more and more accusations occur. Baseball fans seem to think that this is not a good time to be a baseball fan, possibly questioning whether or not buying those season tickets is worth it. I believe fans are tuning out baseball and tuning in to other sports.    

II. More Detailed Explanation of problem or question

a. Explanation of the Mitchell Report. What affect did the Mitchell Report have on baseball and the fans? Fans thought that the Mitchell Report in many cases re-itterrated what was already obvious to many fans. Something needs to be done. The report made many recommendations for the comissionor of baseball to follow. All of the recommendations were very possible and would help clear up the scum that has taken over baseball in the public eye. The report also named various players that were named by witnesses brought in for interview. This caused nothing but more drama and heartbreak for many bseball fans. But it was better to know than to not know at all.

III. Review of Literature/current research

IV.  What your going to do, step by step, to address the issue-IN DETAIL!!!This is also called METHODS or METHODOLOGY or PROCEDURES 

a. I will search through sports magazines, sports journals, and sports sections of newspapers to discover what fans opinions are. I will take an in-depth look at fans reaction to all the aspects of the steroids era, and how it has affected their overall view of baseball. Will baseball lose a large part of their fan base when all of this is over. Will it ever be over? Steroids might never go away, only diminish greatly.

b. Keep updated on the situation with Roger Clemens- what are the fans stating about the hearing

V. Results ( from methodology)

VI. Discussion-in detail what did you find? How did the results meet/not meet your expectations?

a. What would the next step be?-suggestions for future research 

IIV. Conclusion     

Annotated Bibliography

1.  Sports Illustrated,the Mainstream Press and the Enactment of Drug Policy in Major League Baseball.  Bryan E. Denham  http://jou.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/5/1/51.

2.  Athletes and Steriods:Playing a Deadly Game. Roger W. Miller. FDA Consumer ,Vol 21, November 1987.

In Cold Blood

“Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought.”(http://thinkexist.com/quotations/research/)  Albert Szent-Gyorgyi’s quote goes hand in hand with Truman Capote’s interest in the Clutter family murder.  His desire to research and investigate the events which occured on November 15, 1959, propelled him to see what nobody else had scene; the truth.  The novel In Cold Blood was the result of a 5-year long research investigation; filled with information from interviews transcribed completely from memory.  Truman Capote’s practiced skill assists in the completion of the soley research based book.  His descriptions of the characters in the novel compare to anthropological investigations, where Capote sounds as if he is above his subjects.  Despite the style, In Cold Blood reveals the importance of research to writing in general.

In Cold Blood uses Truman Capote’s research to intricately tell the story of the River Valley Farm murder.  Capote stated that every word of this novel was true, personally interviewing Richard Hickock and Perry Smith, along with other investigators and close friends of the Clutter family.  Capote uses his interviews to his advantage, desribing how Perry came to Kansas on a parole violation, hoping to meet up with his religious mentor while he was in prison, Willie-Jay.  Truman Capote stated that he was in fact closer with Perry Smith than with Dick, explaining why Perry’s character was more developed and explained than Dick.  “Because the plan was Dick’s, and from first footfall to final silence flawlessly devised.” (The Last To See Them Alive, pg 37)  This quote shows the intricate studies Capote put into his research of the two murderers.  Dick was always right no matter what; looking down on Perry as unequal and not as smart.  Another example is when Perry spills his dream about a giant parrot rescuing him to Dick.  He ignores Perry’s silly imagination and continues to focus on driving.  “I wanted to fix Dick for being such a coward.  Dropping his guts all over the goddam floor.” (The Corner, pg 255)  Dick states that Perry commited all four murders; yet again feeling that he shouldn’t stick up for his friend, leaving him out to dry.  This proves that Capote uses Perry and Dick’s actual personality’s discoverd through many interviews to tell the story.

Truman Capote also uses character’s actual testimonies to describe and explain certain scenes in the novel.  He uses Billy’s actual testimony when describing his visit to the Clutter farm after the murder.  Capote also exempts the murder details from its sequential place in the book on purpose.  He instead uses the testimonies of both Dick and Perry to describe what exactly happen at the Clutter farm later on in the novel.  You discover that Dick learned of the supposed Clutter fortune from his inmate Floyd Wells, a former River Valley Farm employee.  Devising a plan to steal the fortune, Dick included Perry in his flawless robbery. Truman Capote decided to base this novel soley off his experiences with the two killers and the surrounding personnel.  Zora Neale Hurston said it best, stating, “Research is formalized curiosity.  It is poking and prying with a purpose.” ( http://thinkexist.com/quotations/research/)  Research has proven to be very vital an American literature, providing the foundation for authors to greatly succeed in re-telling their discoveries of unfinished mysteries.   

Works Cited 

1.  http://thinkexist.com/quotations/research/

2.  In Cold Blood by Truman Capote.  Random House. New York.  1965 

Baseball’s Addicting Drug

Steriods has been a fixture in baseball for over a decade, causing many fans of the game to question how baseball officials plan to attack this thorne in their side.  Baseball is America’s game.  Many sports fans have looked upon baseball with an attitude of frustration.  This is not how the comissioner wants his game to be viewed, and certainly not how the players who havn’t used steriods want to be classified.  Researching this topic will prove to many interested fans that this game can be saved.  There have been many steps already taken after the release of the Mitchell Report to advance the solution to this problem.  But how could this happen; and to the extent that it did.  At least one member on each of the major leauge clubs has taken steriods at one point or another.  This horrible realization may have been just what baseball needed to hear.  With the advancements that have been made throughout the past couple months, baseball’s tradition, history, and players have a reason to hope that this problem is on the downfall.

The Mitchell Report was an informative reserach study conducted by Senator Mitchell and a team of advisors.  The report was designed to instruct the comissioner and other baseball officials on how to go about solving the problem of performance enhancing drugs.  The report listed several recommendations that the comissioner should follow in order for the cleansing process to be successful.  It also listed several names of specific players who were discovered through extensive investigation to be involved with the use of steriods.  The purpose of the report was not to place blame on players, but rather to look ahead to the future and point out ways that baseball can move foward in a  positive way.  Of course the investigation of Jose Canseco and Barry Bonds can’t be easily forgotten.  Occuring before the Mitchell Report was released, these investigations ended with the conviction of Canseco and the extreme suspicion of Bonds.

I plan to focus my research on online journals and sports magazines.  This topic is a very important topic in the sports world today and there will be a lot of information.  ESPN the Magazine did a personal interview with Jose Canseco about his use of performance enhancing drugs, which I plan to research extensively.  I plan to break my research down week by week, focusing on a different source of research each week.  This will allow me to maximize my research time and amount that I obtain.  The steriod era in baseball is coming to a close, with a new chapter of hard hitting baseball ahead.  My paper will discuss how baseball plans to improve its disasterous reputation, along with the full history behind the steriod controversey.  Baseball is a great game, and it’s a shame to see players feeling the need to gain an edge over other players by injecting drugs into the bodies.  Hopefully, the recommendations and reserch that has been done will have a lasting effect on the game and the way it is played.