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In the entire history of baseball before the year 2001, only twice had any players managed to hit 60 or more home runs in a single season. Then in the space of four seasons, '98-'01, 60 home runs is not only topped five times, but it is topped by a large margin, 73, 70, 66, 64 and 63 home runs. It was done by three different hitters, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds. All three are known steroid users, the first confessed, the second nabbed by an '03 bloodtest and the third the poster boy for Balco Labs.
In the entire history of MLB, 50 or more home runs in a single season have been hit 32 times. 22 of those 32 seasons took place between 1990 and 2006, that is 69 % of all 50 or more home run campaigns taking place in what amounts to 24 % of all the seasons since 1920.
But you don't think that steroids were a big deal? You don't think that they had much of an impact?
Steroids have wrecked the record books of baseball and there is no other sport where the numbers are regarded with such interest and sanctity. Steroid users have cast a veil of suspicion over all of the players of that era so that we cannot be certain that we are honoring honest ballplayers when we enshrine those that played in that era but were not caught.
Keep in mind that before 2009 when it was revealed that Alex Rodriguez had been on the 2003 positive test list, followed by his confession that he had doped during his Rangers years, everyone had been looking toward Arod as the game's savior. He was the "clean" player whose unenhanced heroics were going to reclaim the records for the non cheaters, he would make things right by passing the discredited Bonds career home run mark.
And now look.
Do we know with absolute certainty that Ken Griffey Jr, Larry Walker, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Mike Piazza, Edgar Martinez or Jeff Kent were all playing clean? How good were Andres Galarraga and Moises Alou? Did they have artificial help?
Steroids are a stinking, rotten huge mother deal that has generated a mess, one that will be with us again and again until the last of these steroid era players has exhausted his HoF eligibility. These players pulled down their pants and took a huge crap on the integrity of the game, the record books and the fans.
There have always been drugs in society, and sports are a part of it. Drug testing earlier in the game would have caught a lot of amphetamine usage I'm sure. There is blood doping and a host of other ways that are undetectable. The fierce competition for fame, fortune, et al will always drive a person to try to get an edge.
It isn't just about getting caught using. They are claiming he tried to hamper the investigation, buy people off, etc. That is more than what they have on the other guys.
Let's face it. Bud Selig hates the Yankees so much that he is going to punish ALL Yankees players more than other players.
O.K. That's one ridiculous conspiracy theory. Maybe you can come up with another one - unless you're a Yankees fan and you actually believe that to be true. If that's the case, then I truly feel sorry for you.
There have always been drugs in society, and sports are a part of it. Drug testing earlier in the game would have caught a lot of amphetamine usage I'm sure. There is blood doping and a host of other ways that are undetectable. The fierce competition for fame, fortune, et al will always drive a person to try to get an edge.
I presented the numerical evidence for the damage done to the record books by steroids, can anyone produce any evidence which suggests that amphetamine use had a congruent impact? These are not the same things and should not be introduced into some argument about how damaging PEDs have been. Amphetamines make you less sleepy, more alert. A player who didn't get any sleep because he was out chasing skirt all night, might be restored to normal energy levels by some greenies, but he isn't gaining any competitive or athletic advantage. Amphetamines do not increase strength and bat speed. Some player popping to help him get past his hangover isn't going to hit 73 home runs in a season as a consequence.
According to the rules of baseball, taking certain drugs IS illegal - and THAT'S what he did wrong - along with quite a few other players who face long suspensions.
You make the same argument that people made defending Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, and the others who got caught using drugs a few years ago.
The "rules" of baseball? Maybe if their testing was better, they would have been able to prevent this before it actually happened. That's on baseball.
The "rules" of baseball? Maybe if their testing was better, they would have been able to prevent this before it actually happened. That's on baseball.
I do not follow your reasoning. If a bank had poor security and was robbed as a consequence, do we say "that's on the bank" and give the robbers a pass even if we catch them?
Baseball should take a fair amount of the blame. Do you think they were sitting back watching McGuire and Bonds and thinking it was totally legit? They were either really stupid or really naive. Either one is bad.
the cheaters are still cheating. It's the same mentality behind the corked bats the doctored baseballs, and the popping amphetemines to play day games after night games, they just found a better way to cheat.
I don't get all worked up over this nonsense, I assume 90% of the league is using just like 90% of every other sports league is using.
ARod was caught using banned drugs. He will now be punished.
If you don't want to do the time, then don't do the crime. Apparently Yankees fans think that their team is exempt from the rules because they're the Yankees.
OTHER teams players get suspended.
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