People are super naive about who's on PED's. I would bet a huge amount of money that Ortiz has used banned substances. But I would make the same bet on any Major athlete who is elite and over 30.
Lots of things can be done in small amounts safely/are prescribed by doctors under many conditions. So using what's "safe" as a barometer of what should be allowed is a difficult line to draw.
If you have a problem with your shoulder, your doctor might give you HGH injections to help recover, but not in the NBA? But they'll give you massive anti-pain and cortisone injections in the locker room at half time. It's arbitrary.
"Arbitrary" is a good word for this situation. Things that can be used by nonathlete couch potatoes to get healthier quicker
can't be used by athletes, who probably need them more than the rest of us? Doesn't make sense.
If HGH helps guys heal more quickly, why not allow it? I'd think the professional leagues would
want their players (especially the better ones) healthy and on the field/court. HGH certainly doesn't help guys make better contact on a round ball with a round bat, or improve their swing mechanics. It might make their fly balls go a bit farther, but so does weightlifting. Anabolic steroids are dangerous and should be banned, but leagues should just allow players to use nonharmful substances, just like they allow all players to avail themselves of coffee and creatine.
But they'll give you massive anti-pain and cortisone injections in the locker room at half time.
This is a great point, further illustrating the arbitrariness of the situation. "Quick, Kobe, take this cortisone shot so you can play in the second half," but, "McGwire, you can't do andro, even though it's not banned by MLB."