Thursday, March 16
Weblog Post #9 - Cheating and winning at it
"blah...blah...blah"
That is what many within the sports media sound like these days. Recently a book was released that said Barry Bonds took massive amounts of steroids from the late-90s to 2002. Not so ironically, in that time period (2001) he hit more home runs in a season than any other player, beating two other juiced-up hitters (Mark McGuire & Sammy Sosa). He had 73 homers that seasom. Three more than McGuire and nine more than Sosa, who both achieved their totals in 1998.
Nothing has been proven but if you ask me, Bonds is as guilty as Popeye the Sailorman - if spinach were steroids, of course. Similarly to McGuire and Sosa, Bonds miraculously bulked up just before breaking the record. Break out your baseball cards from the 80s and notice how much smaller these players were.
Bonds was always a great player and some sports writers think he could be in the Hall of Fame just for his early career stats. Perhaps, but I can't help but think that he will always be branded a cheater. He should be stripped of the "Home Run Crown" and all the homers he hit during the years he was juiced up should be docked from his stats. Roger Maris is still the home run king in my book (61 in 1961).
It's a little coincidental that these alleged juiced players are breaking records after many years in the league. The closest McGuire got to the record before 1996 was in 1987 when he hit 49 homers. Sosa is not even in the list of TOP 50 (pre-96).
I have no sympathy for cheaters, especially at this level. Whose forking over $200 to bring their family to a ball game? Who is making the millions for playing a game? It's ridiculous.
It's hilarious when the sports writers point fingers at other players. "Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle were alcoholics," they say. "Ty Cobb was a cheater too." Is that an excuse for Bonds to get all the glory he doesn't deserve? I'd imagine that alcohol makes you play worse... Maybe Ruth would have had 74 homers if he had just put down the bottle once in a while.
There is no excuse for steroid use. Allen Iverson is not allowed to use stilts, Wayne Gretzky did not shoot into a bigger net and no one's right field wall should be closer just because they stick a need into their behind.
Bonds should be ashamed of himself and banned from the game of baseball, along with Sosa and McGuire. If they are in the Hall of Fame and are allowed to keep their home run records, millions of young baseball players will see that it's OK to cheat. They will see that even if you get caught, they'll let it slide because you helped "save baseball" with your home run race. It's crazy!
The most important thing to note, and this is a good thing, is that individual cheating may win you awards but it will not win you a World Series.
Sosa and Bonds = Ringless.
McGuire = Ringless after being juiced up
That is what many within the sports media sound like these days. Recently a book was released that said Barry Bonds took massive amounts of steroids from the late-90s to 2002. Not so ironically, in that time period (2001) he hit more home runs in a season than any other player, beating two other juiced-up hitters (Mark McGuire & Sammy Sosa). He had 73 homers that seasom. Three more than McGuire and nine more than Sosa, who both achieved their totals in 1998.
Nothing has been proven but if you ask me, Bonds is as guilty as Popeye the Sailorman - if spinach were steroids, of course. Similarly to McGuire and Sosa, Bonds miraculously bulked up just before breaking the record. Break out your baseball cards from the 80s and notice how much smaller these players were.
Bonds was always a great player and some sports writers think he could be in the Hall of Fame just for his early career stats. Perhaps, but I can't help but think that he will always be branded a cheater. He should be stripped of the "Home Run Crown" and all the homers he hit during the years he was juiced up should be docked from his stats. Roger Maris is still the home run king in my book (61 in 1961).
It's a little coincidental that these alleged juiced players are breaking records after many years in the league. The closest McGuire got to the record before 1996 was in 1987 when he hit 49 homers. Sosa is not even in the list of TOP 50 (pre-96).
I have no sympathy for cheaters, especially at this level. Whose forking over $200 to bring their family to a ball game? Who is making the millions for playing a game? It's ridiculous.
It's hilarious when the sports writers point fingers at other players. "Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle were alcoholics," they say. "Ty Cobb was a cheater too." Is that an excuse for Bonds to get all the glory he doesn't deserve? I'd imagine that alcohol makes you play worse... Maybe Ruth would have had 74 homers if he had just put down the bottle once in a while.
There is no excuse for steroid use. Allen Iverson is not allowed to use stilts, Wayne Gretzky did not shoot into a bigger net and no one's right field wall should be closer just because they stick a need into their behind.
Bonds should be ashamed of himself and banned from the game of baseball, along with Sosa and McGuire. If they are in the Hall of Fame and are allowed to keep their home run records, millions of young baseball players will see that it's OK to cheat. They will see that even if you get caught, they'll let it slide because you helped "save baseball" with your home run race. It's crazy!
The most important thing to note, and this is a good thing, is that individual cheating may win you awards but it will not win you a World Series.
Sosa and Bonds = Ringless.
McGuire = Ringless after being juiced up
Facts from Factmonster.com & The Major League Baseball Web Site
# posted by Jonathan : 5:30 PM
