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So when did the baseball steroid era start in your opinion?

dartsndeacs

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Somehow ended up watching old youtubes of kirk gibson world series homes, Junior Griffey vs McGwire homerun race in 97, and other sorts of nostalgic things.

Mike Schmidt was the HR champ 6 times, the aforementioned Kirk Gibson and Kirby Puckett. Junior Griffey? Paul Molitor, Alan Trammell? Edgar Martinez? Fred McGriff, Andre Dawson? Don Mattingly?


And in addition, baseball is awesome

Going into the final days of the 1910 season, Cobb had an .004 lead on Nap Lajoie for the American League batting title. The prize for the winner of the title was a Chalmers automobile. Cobb sat out the final games to preserve his average. Lajoie hit safely eight times in a doubleheader, but six of those hits were bunt singles. This later came under scrutiny since it was rumored that the opposing manager had instructed his third baseman to play extra-deep to allow Lajoie intentionally to win the batting race over the generally-disliked Cobb. Although Cobb was credited with a higher batting average, it was later discovered that one game was counted twice so that Cobb actually lost to Lajoie.
As a result of the incident, American League president Ban Johnson was forced to arbitrate the situation. He declared Cobb the rightful owner of the title, but car company president Hugh Chalmers chose to award one to both Cobb and Lajoie.
 
I think Jose Canseco can be considered a kind or patient zero, in light of what he has since admitted and given that he exploded into a 40/40 guy in 1988. I would imagine in began on a greater scale in the 1992-94 time frame. I've read that a lot of people in the game saw platers bulk up during the 1994 strike.
 
Bash Brothers in Oakland. Probably got them from a laid off Raiders locker room worker.

yes, i think this is where it started but was not wide spread at this time. huge by mid 90s through....
 
It started in football in the 1970's, so I can't believe baseball dind't have it by the '80's.
 
so do we think the start of the roid era began in the bay area? ( OAK- Big Mac & Canseco/ SF- Bonds)
 
This is such a non-issue that "baseball purists" continues to trump up as some sort of massive ordeal because they are d-bags. Steroids do not make sucky players great players. It usually does not make great players any more great - the vast majority use it to heal quicker and build lean muscle. Can steroids make your swing faster? Maybe, but not by a lot. Can it improve your eye coordination? Nope. Can it make you a better fielder? Probably the opposite. Can it make you hit more homeruns? Maybe. Can it make you hit homeruns farther? Probably.

Alex Rodriguez is a great baseball player regardless of any of the steroid shit. Baseball is a game built on cheaters - if you weren't cheating you weren't trying. While I know I may be in the minority, I really don't see the difference between what is happening now and any of the spit ball, pine tar ball, sand paper, corked bats, greenies and whatever else players have been using for 100+ years to get an advantage.

It's dumb - if they want to ban it now, fine, that makes sense - but going on these extreme witch hunts is only hurting the game.
 
barry-steroids.jpg
 
Have to think it began surfacing in the late 80s, but likely didn't become commonplace until post-strike.
 
This is such a non-issue that "baseball purists" continues to trump up as some sort of massive ordeal because they are d-bags. Steroids do not make sucky players great players. It usually does not make great players any more great - the vast majority use it to heal quicker and build lean muscle. Can steroids make your swing faster? Maybe, but not by a lot. Can it improve your eye coordination? Nope. Can it make you a better fielder? Probably the opposite. Can it make you hit more homeruns? Maybe. Can it make you hit homeruns farther? Probably.

Alex Rodriguez is a great baseball player regardless of any of the steroid shit. Baseball is a game built on cheaters - if you weren't cheating you weren't trying. While I know I may be in the minority, I really don't see the difference between what is happening now and any of the spit ball, pine tar ball, sand paper, corked bats, greenies and whatever else players have been using for 100+ years to get an advantage.

It's dumb - if they want to ban it now, fine, that makes sense - but going on these extreme witch hunts is only hurting the game.

not sure you are looking at the entire picture...

there are a lot of variables: pitch speed, bat speed, increase of muscle mass and collision force. each increase of mph bat speed equals an additional 5-7 feet of distance. then you have to add in increases of pitch speed (which also increases distance, but at a lower rate) and muscle mass (if i remember correctly it is like 10% increase could equal as much as 30-40% more HRs).

collision force should increase the speed of the ball off the bat. if it is not a fly ball (more HRs) then it would most likely increase the speed through the infield...if you have ever played the hot corner, you would understand the issue. therefore, it should also increase base hits and batting average.

having said all of that...baseball has always had cheaters and always will. i think it was widespread throughout the league and ruins the historic nature of the game but not who was best in the era.

i guess you could say that those that didn't cheat didn't try hard enough! :tard:
 
MLB loved it when Sosa and McQwire were crushing homers in the late-90s. Brought fans back to the game after labor troubles while the league turned a blind eye. Now they have to deal with the monster they helped create.
 
The only thing specific that I know about the baseball era is when 'the beginning of the end' was upon us. Jose Canseco being interviewed by Dan Patrick in 2002. Dan Patrick asked about a 'book' Jose was about to release. Jose said (and I'll never forget it as I was traveling for business, listening live to the interview) "it's time to expose the frauds of MLB, this is a 'tell all' about steroids which will include player names, organizations that new about it, and clinic's involved.

Dan Patrick "Jose, please, take a step back and think about this before acting"
Jose "too late Dan, it's already in motion, and I wouldn't stop it if I could"

I remember calling my buddy, saying 'Ohhhhh, shit, it's about to go down'

And here we are, still feeling the snowball effect of that book.
 
June 12, 1970 when Doc Ellis pitched a no hitter on acid. May be the first time a performance enhancing drug actually enhanced a performance. Doc opened the door for the rest of baseball to try new and different drugs, including steroids.
 
June 12, 1970 when Doc Ellis pitched a no hitter on acid. May be the first time a performance enhancing drug actually enhanced a performance. Doc opened the door for the rest of baseball to try new and different drugs, including steroids.

I thought Doc pitched his no-no on coke? Lefty Driesell opined that coke could enhance a player's performance, and given that it amps you up, I can see it. But pitching a no-no on LSD would be truly impressive.
 
the cartoon of doc pitching the no no is awesome.
 
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