Jose Bautista...I'm sorry but I'm not buying it

Mickey71

Something is not right. Becomes Babe Ruth's twin practically overnight.

Boopotts

<< <i>Something is not right. Becomes Babe Ruth's twin practically overnight. >>



I just got off the phone with Lance Armstrong, and he told me there's nothing suspicious at all about Bautista's performance.

TheVon

I had to check the date on this thread. I thought at first it was from June of 2010 - which is when I had this same thought.

zendude

Some hitters can make adjustments that dramatically improve their game. Why not give him some credit for figuring it out.

digicat

<< <i>Some hitters can make adjustments that dramatically improve their game. Why not give him some credit for figuring it out. >>



Bautista had a .400 career slugging percentage at the start of the 2010 season. In 2010 he slugged .617. In 2011 he's slugging .773 so far.

Can you name any major league players who have done something similar who's adjustments weren't of the pharmaceutical variety?

zendude

George Foster.

jeffcbay

Brady Anderson!! Oh, wait...

digicat

Foster's adjustments took 2 seasons, then he peaked at age 28.

Bautista's adjustments took one day, literally.

In 2009, he was slugging .301 from April 4 through September 3.
After a day off on September 4th, he came back and, from September 5th though the end of the season, he slugged .660.



Maybe Bautista was eating 10 hot dogs before every game up until September 5, 2009, then thought "I wonder if baseball would be easier if I didn't do that..."

Garabaldi

I can't see him being on the juice with all the testing right now.

jdip9

<<<In 2009, he was slugging .301 from April 4 through September 3.
After a day off on September 4th, he came back and, from September 5th though the end of the season, he slugged .660.>>>

wow....I didn't realize it was that extreme. I suppose anyone could have a hot month, but what he's done the past 1.5 years is so far from his performance his first 3-4 years in the majors, that something doesn't smell right. I avoided him in all my fantasy drafts figuring he was a Brady Anderson, now I figure he must have some good undetectable stuff. I wish he'd slip some to Aaron Hill, because he's killing me a 2B right now.

VikingDude

Most of it has been against the Twins

scmavl

Ha! Even PITCHERS are slugging .600 against the Twins!

hhmag70

<< <i>Foster's adjustments took 2 seasons, then he peaked at age 28.

Bautista's adjustments took one day, literally.

In 2009, he was slugging .301 from April 4 through September 3.
After a day off on September 4th, he came back and, from September 5th though the end of the season, he slugged .660.



Maybe Bautista was eating 10 hot dogs before every game up until September 5, 2009, then thought "I wonder if baseball would be easier if I didn't do that..." >>



So you think that "juice" takes 1 day to work its magic?

digicat

<< <i>So you think that "juice" takes 1 day to work its magic? >>



Space steroids.

Maverick11

It wasn't a big secret that he drastically changed his swing after the 2009 season. The change was intended to improve his power. Obviously it worked but we are not equipped as baseball fans to simply believe that the guy did his work and improved himself.

digicat

<< <i>Obviously it worked but we are not equipped as baseball fans to simply believe that the guy did his work and improved himself. >>



The steroid era kinda ruined it for fans. It makes it hard to believe that a pro baseball player without any power would, in his 10th year of professional ball, suddenly discover that if he tweaked his swing a certain way, he'd have Albert Pujols power.

bigred1

Got to agree with digicat, nice story but....

Dboneesq

<< <i>Some hitters can make adjustments that dramatically improve their game. Why not give him some credit for figuring it out. >>





<< <i>Bautista had a .400 career slugging percentage at the start of the 2010 season. In 2010 he slugged .617. In 2011 he's slugging .773 so far.
Can you name any major league players who have done something similar who's adjustments weren't of the pharmaceutical variety? >>



BARRY BONDS

GoDodgersFan

Totally agree. A change in the swing mechanics and is now a 50+ HR producer. I can see going from 35 to 50, but 16 to 50 is
just unreal and hard to fathom without chemical assistance.

PowderedH2O

Kirby Puckett was the same. Was he ever suspected of juicing?

Tabe

<< <i>Kirby Puckett was the same. Was he ever suspected of juicing? >>


Nope but he's a great example - 4 HRs in his first 290 games (including NONE in 128 games as a rookie) then 31 in 1986.

Tabe

digicat

Puckett's career ended early in the steroid era, and he died before the Mitchell Report came out, so he managed to avoid any steroid-related scrutiny during his career and while he was alive.