Barry Bonds... new book details performance enhancing drug use

[Kontiki]

Maris is a bit odd too, though. He hit 61 HRs in 1961, but his second highest total was 39. He only has 275 HRs in 12 seasons, for an average of less than 23 a year. As far as I know, no one suspects him of taking steroids, but his record-breaking season was more anomolous than Bonds'.

[Sava]

oh btw, throwing out rumors, hearsay, etc, decades later is fine... and worth looking into... but unless there is any proof... why bother?

and really, all Imran wants to do is excuse Bonds and the steroids freaks

Maris didn't take anything that turned him into the incredible hulk... he didn't go through a dramatic physical change that caused him to put up those numbers.

According to what I've read and heard from former players, amphetamine use was widespread, like over 70% of the league.

Only a few guys... monsters, science projects, freaks... were breaking records via the help of performance enhancing drugs.

No need to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

[Sava]

Originally posted by Kontiki
As far as I know, no one suspects him of taking steroids

because steroids, as a performance enhance drug, DIDN'T EXIST IN 1961
(at least, Maris wouldn't have been able to get them... not until the mid to late 60's)

jesus christ people


I wonder about some of you sometimes.

[-Jrabbit]

I don't have time for research right now, but from what I've read, amphetamine use didn't become common until the mid-to-late 60s.

Maris' big year was 1961.

And amphetamines have a negligible effect on power anyway.

[SlowwHand]

Maris lost his hair that season. It was falling out in clumps. That was nerves, not steroids.

[Sava]

also, the first use of steroids as a performance enhancing drug in professional sports, was in football (NFL)... AFAIK, the Pittsburgh Steelers players of the Steel Curtain era, were the first players to really abuse it.

That's about when it first started to be used, widespread. But still, I don't think they were really able to exploit it to it's fullest extent.

It wasn't until the 80's when you really saw steroids become "popular".

But Maris using steroids?

I'm sorry. That's the dumbest thing I've heard today.

[Kontiki]

Originally posted by Sava


because steroids, as a performance enhance drug, DIDN'T EXIST IN 1961
(at least, Maris wouldn't have been able to get them... not until the mid to late 60's)

jesus christ people


I wonder about some of you sometimes.

That's OK Sava, we wonder about you all the time.

A) I never implied that he did - in fact, that was my whole point. Rather, I was just pointing out that his 61 HR freak season is kinda odd.

B) Anabolic steriods have been known for muscle building since the late 1930s, and Dianabol was approved by the FDA in 1958. It was often perscribed by doctors in the early 1960s as a tablet-per-day tonic for women.

Again, for the complete reading comprehension impaired, I'm not suggesting Maris took steroids. Merely that his record looks a little odd compared to other old-time HR kings like Aaron, Mantle, Mays and Ruth.

[Dis]

as far as I'm concerned, Babe Ruth still holds the home run record.

[Sava]

Originally posted by Kontiki


Again, for the complete reading comprehension impaired, I'm not suggesting Maris took steroids.

Just mentioning it was stupid.

There are anomalies in baseball all the time. That's part of the charm.

[Dis]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
Who's more deserving of a banning, Pete Rose or Barry Bonds?

===

That said, I'm glad they banned amphetamines. Now, why don't they legalize marijuana use in the games? The weed is hardly a performance enhancer...

the game is slow enough as it is. We don't need stoned out batters slowing the game down even more.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Dis
as far as I'm concerned, Babe Ruth still holds the home run record.

Which would be consistent if you deplore 'performance enhancing' drug eras in baseball's history. Jim Bouton's "Ball Four" seems to make clear that just about everyone took greenies in the Yankees' clubhouse.

[SlowwHand]

Who knows about Ruth, really? Other than he drank heavily.

[Sava]

Originally posted by Dis


the game is slow enough as it is. We don't need stoned out batters slowing the game down even more.

it would be better if the announcers got stoned


"dude... i have no idea what is going on right now"

"lol, look at that chick, she's hot... oh man..."

"you want some nachos?"

"yeah, nachos are awesome"

"hey was that a home run"

"no dude, that was like... foul and stuff"

"oh yeah....... hey.... is it like... the 7th inning yet?"

"why?"

"because I need to stretch"

"sure"

"well don't we need to sing and stuff?"

"okay"

*on loudspeaker, in the middle of a play
"TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME... HE HEHEHE... TAKE ME OUT TO THE... CROWDED... HAHA... GIVE ME SOME PEENUTS AND CRACKERS... mmmm PEENUTS... hey dude... give me some peanuts... cmon... GIVE ME THEM... CMON GIVE ME YOUR PEANUTS YOU ASSHAT... jesus christ man... you are such a dick, I'd give you my peanuts... okay... wher was I?? oh yeah... AND THE HOME OF THA BRAVE!!! PLAY BALL"

[Sava]

oh btw

the owners, Bud Selig, the juiced Steroid freaks, they are all complicit in this...

they all set the stage for this situation to occur...

A caller just brought this up (on the radio). Bud Selig was installed as comissioner, to effectively eliminate the position. The owners wanted smaller parks, juiced balls, juiced players. They didn't want the rules for steroid testing.

And whether or not you guys want to admit it or not, all these players are cheaters. It doesn't matter whether or not it was officially against the rules or not. These players cheated the fans. They cheated other players who weren't using steroids. They cheated the game.

cheating:
1 : to deprive of something valuable by the use of deceit or fraud
2 : to influence or lead by deceit, trick, or artifice
3 : to elude or thwart by or as if by outwitting

Seems like what these steroid freaks have done fits into exactly what the definition of cheating is, regardless of what the official rules of MLB said at the time.

You guys can argue about the technicalities all you want. These steroid freaks cheated me. They cheated the game of baseball. They cheated all of us. Anyone who excuses what they did or acts as an apologist for them is a fool... or is fooling themselves.


But that aside, there may be a bigger issue here. There may be serious issues of fraud involved (not specific legal charges, but morally). Many of these sports stadiums are built with public money. And fan interest, as rah pointed out, for the game, was basically brought back by the whole steroid induced home run race. And it was all a fraud. Bonds is a fraud. They are all frauds. The whole era is a fraud. And taxpayer money is being used to build these stadiums where juiced up, cheating, multi-millionaire, fraud, freakshow, science experiments play a kids game.

Chew on that.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Oh boo hoo... they cheated you, they cheated the game... did they cheat 'the children' too? What a whiner.

Guess what, baseball will break another attendance records this year, as it has for each of the last five years. And every game where Bonds is playing will be sold out (if it isn't already). I don't think all those fans are going to feel that cheated, if at all.