The incredible growth of Barry Bonds (and I don’t mean his personal character)
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Not to defend Barry Bonds or anything, but even without steroids I think he would have put on a lot of muscle over his career. As a lot of players would have. Serious weight training was just coming in, and that, it seems to me–the new approach to conditioning–is what led to the offensive explosion in the nineties. The steroids just took it a bit further. How much further, who knows–maybe we wouldn’t have seen the really freakish stats, like Bonds and his 200 intentional walks, or Brady Anderson and his 50 home runs batting leadoff. But steroids or no… Read more »
VoomoZ: I’m 54 and, believe me, by the time you’re staring at 55, you’ll be wishing you had taken up that training regimen at 40. Stallone says he has no regrets about using HGH, and Bonds turned it into a 4 year, $80,000,000 extension around age 37. Hey, steroids work. That’s why athletes use them and medical professionals prescribe them. Still, you could probably add 4-6 pounds of muscle per year with weight/strength training. If Bonds was 6’1″ 175# as a 21 year old rookie, theoretically he could be 215# at age 31. I just can’t explain where the increase… Read more »
weight training & steroids were part of the offensive explosion. So were expansion, a bit smaller parks on average, effectively smaller strike zones,more shooting for power, & likely several smaller factors, like more efficient bats. Nobody knows the exact mix. But given how outlier performances & records were ascendent amongst those who we found out were drugging, they were clearly a significant part of it. Those who used also deprived others of equal or greater talent & effort roster spots, money, & their dreams through their cheating, & often lying. it warped the reputation & integrity of the game. Yep,… Read more »
Mike, I don’t know how you would measure the impact of steroids in baseball, either. However, we know Tim Montgomery went from the 5th fastest man in America to the fastest man in the history of the world. There were no expansion-related watered-down pitching or maple bat variables there. I remember seeing an article in either Esquire or Men’s Health regarding Bobby Abreu’s bench press routine – he was doing reps at 405# !!! Now, you have lifted weights for a long time. I imagine it would take a uniquely strong and gifted individual to bench 405# AND retain enough… Read more »
Yeah, this one will be fun! Can you do the same with The Babe, Andy? This weedy little guy pitching for Boston. Then show the big, slugger in 1934. Though I suspect that had less to do with PEDs as it did with steaks and the high-life. Then we know that the big fella cheated and used corked bats, which we all know are (a) illegal and (b) next to useless. Yet, they were banned. Does this mean that he was a cheater and should have a star? Or just a carefree soul trying to get what he could out… Read more »
Good points on Track & Field Paul, it applies to other sports too. I think a small % of folks could get as big & strong as a Bonds or Abreau absent drugs. If they can, with cross training, some will retain their other skills, but with enhanced power. And if they slow down like Bonds, it was a worthwhile trade off. As has been remarked at length many places, there is no evidence that Bagwell used-he may have, anyone could have, but just being big is not persuasive evidence. Now, if someone is either exceptionally large or gained muscle… Read more »
All true, Mike. My point is that both are unofficial cheaters, suspected but never proven at the time. My question is, what is it in us that says that it is okay to forgive Ruth, yet we pillory Bonds? That Ruth was likeable and fun, and saved baseball after the Black Sox scandal? Whilst Bonds was an angry a-hole with a massive chip on his shoulder? Does this mean that being a nice guy counts for something? Or is it just that Bonds was so good that the disappointment is so great? I just don’t know…
Well mark, their character & kindness certainly plays a part. But I am saying that the kind & degree & effect of cheating is so different, & the cultural context secondarily, that you can see the biggest reason for the outrage is the offense, the effect on individual performance & the game. the latter includes records personal, team, & denial of opportunity to competitors. All of which reasonably deeply undermines the reputation of baseball.
