quite sad that steroids, peds, etc., is all about one thing only ... baseball records

PSACollector

steroids, peds, etc., about one thing only ... baseball records

perkdog

I disagree, I think the MAJORITY of these guys are doing it so they can get a HUGE CONTRACT!

caramelcollector

huge GUARANTEED contract.....


they sign and then COAST....unlike in football..those guys are underpaid!

bking

<< <i>huge GUARANTEED contract.....


they sign and then COAST....unlike in football..those guys are underpaid! >>



I think you're both right, but in different ways.

For the players, it's all about the big money that big numbers bring.

For the casual fans, it's all abotu the excitement the big numbers and big hits bring.

For the purists, it's all about the negative impact on stats. Baseball is more of a stats & counting game than any other. Major changes from era to era, like the deadball era and the lowering of the mound after 68, can be discussed and factored in as they affected everyone. Stats like ERA+, OPS+ etc work to help us gauge year-to-year because league-wide factors are accoutned for to a large degree. Steroids seriously taint the exercise of placing players in their "proper" statistical place because we just can't quantify who did what when.

Connecticoin

A lot of players juiced just to make it to the show. Being on the bench in the majors pays a hell of a lot more than starting in the minors.

DeutscherGeist

bking made some very good points. I guess we have to leave off the likes of McGwire, Palmeiro, Sosa, Ramirez, etc.....from ever getting into the HOF.

jaxxr

" Steroids seriously taint the exercise of placing players in their "proper" statistical place because we just can't quantify who did what when "

Excellent point, the amount, the brand, the type, the duration, the frequency, etc. of PEDs, all make a blanket label very subjective.


" I guess we have to leave off the likes of McGwire, Palmeiro, Sosa, Ramirez, etc.....from ever getting into the HOF."

Barry Bonds, who had a MUCH lesser start, via his first 3 or 4 full seasons, than Mac, who among other thing set the all time rookie HR mark, ...is okay ?

Eventually,
steroids, will become safer, more predictable, and likely legal, or at least much more used with medical approval. That aspect, plus the quagmire of selecting and adjusting stats, from suspected, likely, no proof, suspected of being clean, only one time user, and guessing at how to normalize things, will perhaps, allow the records to stand, and the HOF will judge the numbers, not the personality of the candidates.

Saberman

Jaxxr, well said.

Other era's have some obstacles, but for the most part, it affected all of them. But not all the time.

For instance, Ruth benefited in separating himself from his peers because he was fortunate to be playing in a time where most of the league was batting in 'dead ball' era style, thus allowing Ruth to out homer entire teams. That was an accomplishment of separating one from their peers that would simply not be possible in later era's. Also the advantage of only competing against white competition.

That does not make Ruth a cheater of course, and isn't the same as an advantage a steroid guy had over his peers, but it is an advantage over somebody like a Mike Schmidt who had no such luxuries in his era(a much tougher era to separate from his peers, mainly because there were more peers closer in ability to the best).

But, I will add two things...a very high percentage of players juiced in this era(and still are), and steroids are only a part of the reason for offensive explosion, and peer separation in this era.