It's easy to call these guys scumbags and lionize the players of yesterday as being clean. But I have a feeling that if steroids, HGH and the like had been available to the 50's ballplayer, they would have done them too. Male competitiveness and drive to be the best have been around for thousands of years.
Over time, I think he will. Without looking it up, can you tell me who was number 4 on the all time HR list, behind Willie Mays before these steroid era guys began their assault on the record book. This guy is in the top 30 in HR's, RBI, Walks, Doubles, Hits, Runs. I'll give you one hint, his career was at the exact same time as Aaron's. That's the position Hank will be in when our children or grandchildren start looking at baseball records.
fair point but its ridiculous to speculate and rewrite history on what-ifs. if abraham lincoln had a nuke, well.
The guy you speak of was well over 150 HR's behind Aaron, and a guy just behind him was one of my all time favorites (the Twins played spring ball in Orlando when I lived there). Point is, even when they were playing I thought they were great power hitters and players, but I never considered them to be peers of Aaron. I always remember the statement about Aaron, "Trying to sneak a fastball by Aaron is like trying to sneak the sun past a rooster". Back to the roid issue, what would the stats be of a lot of the players that we revere if they weren't on speed or whatever other drugs they used to keep going?
The difference is that you SAW these guys play, so of course you will remember them. I was directing the question at the guy a few posts up. According to his profile, he wasn't born until '86. So I wanted to test his knowledge of people not HOLDING a record. Does he even know who it is? Who he played for? Anything about him? That he's a Hall of Famer who had a great career? I'm guessing that he doesn't without looking it up. I didn't, I LOVE baseball history. 30 years from now, that's how people who will be his age are going to veiw Aaron.
yes but he also had 2000+ more at bats than anyone on the list. even williie mays. speed? they all do speed to this day. its doesnt lengthen your career. its a day2day enhancer much like drinking coffee before work in their 162 day grind. you ever notice giambi lathered up worse than barbaro on the back stretch before they even take warm-ups? dudes are tweaking on so many amphetamines in all sports nowadays its not even funny but its less than 1% impact on the game in comparison to manipulating cell growth.
ive posted it here before, and to no surprise, my friends (yeah im cool) that are in pro systems say their hasnt been much of a performance enhancer drop off.
I dont think there is any doubt that the players of old would have taken performance enhancing drugs if they were available. I remember reading "Ball Four" and players from the 60's and 70's routinely used amphetemines,pain killers, etc. A couple of examples: Don Wilson is pitching for the Astros and had nothing in the bullpen.When he comes out for the game ,He is throwing BB's.Jim Bouton asks another Astros player what got into Don."About 4 greenies" was the reply.Another time they are talking about greenies and someone brings up "rainy days sure are tough on greenie poppers.You never know whether to pop or not."Bouton himself even says that if there were a drug that would gaurantee 20 wins a year but take 5 years off your life that most pitchers would be up for that. Even Mickey Mantle missed part of a World Series because he went to some quack doctor and got an injection that absessed.
