The Steroid family tree

MintMoondog · October 1, 2013 4:25PM

Several of these posts ranging from "cards we have taken a bath on" to 1980s waxbox prices have gotten me to reflect broadly about the steroid era we have, and are, still living through. It suddenly occurred to me that a surprisingly large number of the names associated with this era are related to two franchises: Texas Rangers and Oakland As. Am I wrong? Is this just a selection bias? If we did a family tree of steroid users would it look like a tree or an orchard? I always thought people like Bobby Higginson were on the juice, got a huge contract and then went off with predictable results (Brady Anderson?). So it couldn't just be those two but darn if most of the big names touched those two franchises (i.e. Pudge Rodriguez and Juan Gonzalez any number of Oakland As from the Bash brothers, Giambi, to all the great pitching prospects they traded whose fastball immediately lost MPH) What are your thoughts?

Stingray · October 1, 2013 6:30PM

Crap, at least three of those players were on the Tigers!!

UnwoundSage · October 1, 2013 10:22PM

Thanks to his brother speaking out, pretty sure Mcgwire's use started way before he was drafted by the A's and Arod's use more than likely started in Seattle. Bonds, Sosa, Caminiti and many others never played for the Rangers or A's with the exception of Sosa's first and last years in the majors even though his HR numbers almost doubled overnight with the Cubs in 98.

stown · October 1, 2013 11:14PM

Wiki of PED suspensions since '05

MiniDuff · October 2, 2013 2:23AM

Both were hotbeds for sure. Rangers also had Palmeiro and ultimately Canseco too.

We'll never know, but I believe the number of players doing some kind of PED is FAR, FAR greater than any of us think.

Kirby Puckett hit 4 home runs in his first two years (1,200+ at bats), then hit 31 in 1986.

Rafael Palmeiro's first two full seasons HR/RBI splits were 8/53 and 8/64.

aberdeentradingco · October 2, 2013 2:50AM

just some info.... sosa was in the rangers organization at the beginning of his career.... caminiti was a ranger in 2001... and bonds played in the bay area right next door to the a's... more than a coincidence ???

UnwoundSage · October 2, 2013 3:05AM

<< just some info.... sosa was in the rangers organization at the beginning of his career.... caminiti was a ranger in 2001... and bonds played in the bay area right next door to the a's... more than a coincidence ??? >>

I said Sosa played one season at beginning and end of his career in Texas. Roid use obviously began in Chicago. Caminiti was done by the time he played 54 games with the Rangers in his LAST season in the majors. Based on your Bonds comparison, I guess you can say it's the Rangers fault for Caminiti since the Astros are in the same state as the Rangers.

aberdeentradingco · October 2, 2013 3:23AM

caminiti was done with baseball after '01 but not with drugs obviously... and that brief stop with texas in '01 put him in the same clubhouse with a-rod at the beginning of his rangers adventure...
when did these guys first come in contact with roids and where? could have been anywhere.... winter league ball in the caribbean maybe... hometown ties---caminiti was from northern california... is that a connection in some way to the oakland a's??? is it all speculation...sure.... but, somewhere is an alpha user and it might be interesting to see how the tree grew and branched out through baseball....

gregmo32 · October 2, 2013 4:09AM

I have some thoughts about who might have been one of the first users, and he crossed paths with the early Bash Brothers briefly. That would lead to a second branch on the tree and would include at least two HOFers whom I have never heard implicated. And it almost feels like fact to me, the more I have thought about it.

bziddy · October 2, 2013 4:23AM

Where do the Brewers fall on the tree (1991: Vaughn, Bichette and Sheffield)

UnwoundSage · October 2, 2013 4:38AM

<< I have some thoughts about who might have been one of the first users, and he crossed paths with the early Bash Brothers briefly. That would lead to a second branch on the tree and would include at least two HOFers whom I have never heard implicated. And it almost feels like fact to me, the more I have thought about it. >>

I have always assumed Rickey was juicing.

UnwoundSage · October 2, 2013 4:39AM

<< Where do the Brewers fall on the tree (1991: Vaughn, Bichette and Sheffield) >>

They all knew a guy that went to Oakland once.

bziddy · October 2, 2013 5:04AM

<< They all knew a guy that went to Oakland once. >>

Interesting if I have the right guy then. Would explain his late career rebirth.

MintMoondog · October 2, 2013 6:17AM

It is interesting isn't it? Seems like there is more to this than is currently known. Obviously there will be people outside of this network, but it is not so easy to just dial up PDP - so it has to be "a friend of a friend" thing. My intuition tells me that these two organizations have long tentacles - and I use the term organization because there is no way that the leaders don't know what is going on. IMO Billy Beane will be smeared with this stuff like women mud-wrestling. I have had many suspicions about the SF organization as well (interestingly sitting next to Oakland).

stown · October 2, 2013 6:20AM

<< 

<< They all knew a guy that went to Oakland once. >>

Interesting if I have the right guy then. Would explain his late career rebirth. >>

Guess it's comparable to the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.

At least one teammate will have 6 degrees of separation from anyone that played in OAK or Arlington. Looking at a span of 20+ years and a crud load of roster turnovers.

Mint could be onto something....

The Steroid family tree

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