For those that want to accuse everyone whose performance go drasticly up must be on Roids, Let's take a look at Roger Maris. He only hit into the 30's in home runs one year and then out of nowwhere He hits 61 for the all time single season record ! How can that be ? He only had 275 lifetime ! He must have been be on Roids right ? Off course not but what is the reason ? He certainly wasn't the greatest home run hitter of his day. Actually He wasn't even exceptional...... good power but not awesome except for one season.
All good reasons and very true. That's the main reason nobody ever was pulling for Maris to break the Babe's record way back then. I remember it well as Mantle was my Hero ! I think in Reality the single season record should go back to the Babe where it rightfully belongs. Short right field perch in right field was only 297 down the line and Maris was a pull hitter... That is why the Yankee's acquired him from their farm team Kansas City !Insiders said:
You can always debate eras, field dimensions, nutrition, competition, evolution, technology etc.
The only real way to measure any player really , is how he did in his era...if the vast majority (which it certainly seems) has been doing drugs to bulk up , get stronger, the past 15 years, so be it!
I think we should just realize the fact that players today have major advantages as to why they can play longer, are stronger and can put up unbelievable stats.
It all comes down to recognizing this , 700 home run club is like the old 500 home run club.
Like in the NFL , the passing stats are so drastically different due to evolution and rule changes...I think baseball fans have had a much harder time accepting this because the records in baseball have been kept in the forfront of the fans, we don't see this really in any other sport.
It's just accepted that Jesse Owens who was the greatest track man in the world in 1936 would finish in last place, by far in 2006, or Eric Heiden, or Mark Spitz great feats.
science has finally caught up to baseball's records, like every other sport.
The only real way to measure any player really , is how he did in his era...if the vast majority (which it certainly seems) has been doing drugs to bulk up , get stronger, the past 15 years, so be it!
I think we should just realize the fact that players today have major advantages as to why they can play longer, are stronger and can put up unbelievable stats.
It all comes down to recognizing this , 700 home run club is like the old 500 home run club.
Like in the NFL , the passing stats are so drastically different due to evolution and rule changes...I think baseball fans have had a much harder time accepting this because the records in baseball have been kept in the forfront of the fans, we don't see this really in any other sport.
It's just accepted that Jesse Owens who was the greatest track man in the world in 1936 would finish in last place, by far in 2006, or Eric Heiden, or Mark Spitz great feats.
science has finally caught up to baseball's records, like every other sport.
Brock Landers said:
You are 100% wrong!!!!!!! 100% wrong.
Have you never read this story?
Ex-pitcher: Steroids rampant in '60s, '70s
House estimates 6-7 pitchers per team were using
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SAN FRANCISCO - Former major league pitcher Tom House used steroids during his career and said performance-enhancing drugs were widespread in baseball in the 1960s and 1970s, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
House, perhaps best known for catching Hank Aaron’s 715th home run ball in 1974 in the Atlanta Braves’ bullpen, said he and several teammates used amphetamines, human growth hormone and “whatever steroid” they could find in order to keep up with the competition.
“I pretty much popped everything cold turkey,” House told the Chronicle in a story published Tuesday. “We were doing steroids they wouldn’t give to horses. That was the ’60s, when nobody knew. The good thing is, we know now. There’s a lot more research and understanding.”
House, a former pitching coach with the Texas Rangers and co-founder of the National Pitching Association near San Diego, is one of the first players to describe steroid use as far back as the 1960s.
He was drafted in 1967 by the Braves and pitched eight seasons for Atlanta, Boston and Seattle, finishing his career with a 29-23 record and 3.79 ERA.
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=boxB_3053751 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=300><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=boxBI_3053751>• Congress won't charge Palmeiro with perjury
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• Timeline of Palmeiro's steroids case
• Report: Joyner got steroids from Caminiti
• Commentary: Time to thank Canseco
• Vote: Half-season ban strong enough?
• Interactive look at steroids
• Full coverage
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>House, 58, estimated that six or seven pitchers per team were at least experimenting with steroids or human growth hormone. He said players talked about losing to opponents using more effective drugs.
“We didn’t get beat, we got out-milligrammed,” he said. “And when you found out what they were taking, you started taking them.”
House said he gained almost 30 pounds while using steroids, blaming the extra weight for contributing to knee problems. He said the drugs helped improve recovery time and conditioning but did not add velocity to his fastball.
“I tried everything known to man to improve my fastball, and it still didn’t go faster than 82 miles per hour,” House said. “I was a failed experiment.”
House said he stopped using steroids after learning about the long-term harm they could cause.
“I’d like to say we were smart, but we didn’t know what was going on,” he said. “We were at the tail end of a generation that wasn’t afraid to ingest anything. As research showed up, guys stopped.”
© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
He was drafted in 1967 by the Braves and pitched eight seasons for Atlanta, Boston and Seattle, finishing his career with a 29-23 record and 3.79 ERA.
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=boxB_3053751 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=300><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=boxBI_3053751>• Congress won't charge Palmeiro with perjury
• Palmeiro's statement about positive test
• Timeline of Palmeiro's steroids case
• Report: Joyner got steroids from Caminiti
• Commentary: Time to thank Canseco
• Vote: Half-season ban strong enough?
• Interactive look at steroids
• Full coverage
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>House, 58, estimated that six or seven pitchers per team were at least experimenting with steroids or human growth hormone. He said players talked about losing to opponents using more effective drugs.
“We didn’t get beat, we got out-milligrammed,” he said. “And when you found out what they were taking, you started taking them.”
House said he gained almost 30 pounds while using steroids, blaming the extra weight for contributing to knee problems. He said the drugs helped improve recovery time and conditioning but did not add velocity to his fastball.
“I tried everything known to man to improve my fastball, and it still didn’t go faster than 82 miles per hour,” House said. “I was a failed experiment.”
House said he stopped using steroids after learning about the long-term harm they could cause.
“I’d like to say we were smart, but we didn’t know what was going on,” he said. “We were at the tail end of a generation that wasn’t afraid to ingest anything. As research showed up, guys stopped.”
© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
