One of my all time favorite television series is The X Files. While most of it was pure fiction, it always left you thinking there was a possibility that more was happening behind the scenes than what we really knew. This is the first installment of a series of posts on players that I think have had much more happen behind the scenes than what we have been led to believe.
Much speculation abounds about Barry Bonds and most of it has been derived by the Balco scandal. The thing that gets me is not that people hate Barry because they believe he cheated, but that somehow they do not express the same hate towards other players whose numbers are unbelievable for their age. Take Hank Aaron for example. People do not want to even explore the possibility that Hammerin Hank’s numbers are inflated by steroids or other chemical enhancers, but the reality is that they probably are. For those whose minds are not closed to those possibilities, let’s delve into the evidence.
Hank Aaron’s homerun totals may not arouse su####ion to the casual observer, but when you look at the rate he hit his homeruns, and at what age he hit them, they suddenly become very dubious. At age 40 in his 23rd season, Aaron had his highest HR percentage of his entire career. He also led the majors in HR percentage for three years straight as a 38, 39, and 40 year old. This is quite the accomplishment for someone who should be declining in power rather than increasing in performance as they age. Coincidentally, two of Aaron’s team mates had huge spikes in power that year as well. Davy Johnson and Darrell Evans both went from hitting HR totals in the teens to 41 and 43 respectively only to drop in 1974. (For a more detailed analysis of his HR percentages follow this link to the article on Steroid Nation)
While you may not want to believe that Aaron used steroids or amphetamines, one can not argue with Aaron’s own admission that he tried greenies. In his book, I Had a Hammer, Aaron states,
"Actually the 1968 season wasn't the best time to present my case. It was the first time since my rookie year that I didn't drive in or scored 100 runs. I was so frustrated that at one point I tried using a greenie that one of my teamates gave me."
Some will say that Aaron's own admission to using one greenie does not prove he used amphetamines or anything else, but the fact is that as early as 1968 Aaron was experimenting. Experience tells me that people who admit to doing something once probably did it alot more. Do you really think he would come out and say that he used steroids or greenies now and ruin his entire reputation? This statement begins to sound more and more like Rafael Palmeiro to me. For those who seek the truth, they can find solace in the immortal words of Agent Fox Mulder,
“The truth is out there.”
What you do with it is entirely up to you!
SoCalSportsFan
*All information is linked to the articles that I used to research this post.*
Socal, they aint ready for this. there's an entire nation of whites who came to grips with their own race issues with Aaron. there's an entire nation of blacks who hold aaron up therw with MLK and Medgar Evers. these people will never admit that human nature didnt become what it is now in 1985. they act as if no one in the past cheated and got away with it. everyone ants to break things down to right/wrong. but this is human nature - and what you say rings absolutely true to me. what would i rather believe: is Roger Clemens a better pitcher now than he was 10 years ago because he's superhuman or because he cheats? is it possible to achieve Aaron/Clemens/Bonds results without cheating? anything is possible. is it likely? no, i cant buy that.
Demon,they may not be ready for this, but it needs to be said. As Bonds passes Aaron, this stuff is going to come out anyway. I know exactly what you mean about MLK, and others, but I grew up in the deep south. I watched the black kids come across the tracks to attend school with me. Race is a part of all of this in some convulated way. Thanks for reading.
Counting down the minutes until the usual gang of idiots here comes by and offers up some hypocrisy as to why Aaron deserves the "innocent until proven guilty" treatment, and that "there isn't enough evidence."
If Bonds definitely did steroids, as so many people seem to think, then Hank Aaron definitely used amphetamines, and, if House's statements are accurate, steroids.
Should it ever come to light that Aaron did, in fact, use these substances, it will be very entertaining to watch some of the backtracking a good portion of the media will be doing, as well as that of some of the bloggers on here (who seem to be eternally squirming in their own ignorance and hypocrisy).
I would delete the Waxman comment- he hasn't said a straight word since his birth.
Ok, hypothetically, say Aaron was a walking OTC and roid freak, though he never showed the head, body and acne that bonds has. The technology back then was more likely to kill you than actually help (Lyle Alzado, anyone?). Who in the heck had personal trainers back then? What player would be backed by a balco-like infrastructure like bonds and giambi had?
This would also mean that MLB had a 40-year roids issue. Come on. I'm waiting for the Chubacca defense.
This has never been about race. Aaron was the one who actually was hated due to his skin. Bonds, hell, he's hated just because he's a first class horse's rear end. Bonds lovers and defenders must be masochistic the way he treats you. Let bonds have the record, since it's become a case of character assassination against a world class ambassador for MLB and sports in general.
I have long held that players from Aaron's generation did off-the-record things to compete at a consistently high level.
I won't disparage Aaron unless someone with direct, concrete evidence gives me reason to. However, the greenies thing has certainly raised my doubts about Hank's generation. Make no mistake about it, athletes are always looking for an advantage. I don't see why Aaron's generation would be any different.
Frankly, I'm tired of the entire steroids discussion.
Last edited by MeanDovine on June 22nd at 3:47 PM.
So badger, we are to believe Jose Canseco as a player but not House? When he says 'roids have been around way back then and players took them like mad, we should ignore him?
Remember the East German swim teams of the late 50's and 60's? Roids have been around for a long long time. NOt everyone takes HGH which makes the head grow, but believe me these things have been a part of baseball from way back.
Ultra, I am sure some will come to Aaron's defense, but let's hope some open their minds to the possibility that Aaron's record is just as illegitimate as Bond's soon to be one. Otherwise, leave them both alone.
Mean, I am tired of it as well, but I can't leave it alone as long as people are so narrow minded as to just bashing Bonds. If people would bash them all, or leave them all alone, then I wouldn't argue with their position.
Last edited by socalsportsfan on June 22nd at 3:48 PM.
High-level competition creates intense pressure to succeed which, in turn, creates an environment where the competitors are always looking for an edge. Throw big money or instant fame into the mix, and forget about it. And this confluence of elements is nothing new. It's probably been around as long as there has been competition, and it's not just restricted to sports.
The thing I find interesting is that so many people are so invested in what happened in the past that there are bypassing a chance to address what may or may not happen in the future. To me, it is less important what Bonds or Aaron or Ruth did in the past as opposed to what may be going on right now or in the future.
The current system of deterrents in most pro sports? Please. In the Olympics, medals wind up on some bureaucrats desk because someone took the wrong cold medication, but competitors still break the rules with that hanging over them. In cycling, they take about 80 zillion liters of urine to test and competitors still try to cheat the system.
So, I think that's the issue to be addressed, if all of this cheating is so bad, how do we stop it or limit it going forward?
Socal, this is some really interseting stuff. What is wierd about the alleged steroid users in trhe past suchj as Aaron is that they dont fit the bill as far as some of the results of steroid use, wanted or unwanted. He wasnt a massive guy, his head appears to be the same size throughout his carreer and if they really popped the steroids back then you would think his body would be more broken down than it is. I am sure seroids were more dangerous back then with the lack of techgnology and research available. If players really popped them like crazy yiou would think many older payers would be dropping like flies. While these players that testified to steroid usage back then are probably not lying, it is entirely plausible that steroids just werent as effective back then as they are now. Also, while it is alarming that players were trying their hardest to get an edge through cheating as far back as the 60's it just might be theat stertoids didnt get the job done and while their intent to cheat is disheartening, the results were pure. All purely speculation.
Last edited by chitownsfinest on June 22nd at 4:47 PM.
Nooch, thanks for the comments. I agree lets move forward.
Chitown, head size and alone is not a good indicicator of steroid use. Many different types are used for different things. Head size is just from HGH. Don't confuse the two. As for efficacy, I bet the old ones were more potent because of lack of standards.
I remember reading I believe the Washington Post a year back about that most steroid users are pitchers. What's funny that steroid do give some advantage to hitters it gives none to pitchers. It may let a ball go up 2 more MPH but that's it. It's barely a difference.
dehbashi, it's not about ball speed, but about recovery. Taking steroids lets pitchers bounce and pitch on less rest and just to allow muscles to recover quicker for better work outs.
So... if we can assume there was a level playing field for all those who either chose to partake or not, all records should stand and Barry Bonds is the greatest home run hitter of all time bar none. Correct?
Rev, I could live with that. As for A rod, he will break the record if he stays healthy and if he continues to play. Two factors that are obvious, but given so little attention. One must play a minimum of 20 seasons to hit 700 HR. Ruth took 23, Aaron took 24, and Barry took 20. Arod will need both, but of course if you are using steroids in massive doses as Barry is accused of, his career should have been shortened.
Dudski, Ted was the best pure hitter, but I have to put Ichiro up there now if he keeps it up for years to come.
We all get an edge somehow. Dale Murphy resorted to joining my church and then never cheated and retired not being able to hit a batting practice HR, sitting at 398 career dingers, a lot back then...
SoCalSports' ... Any #### that'd want to even take albuterol let alone any other steroid has to be a complete ####!
Unless it's being prescribed for a legitimate medical condition then I've not got a problem taking the stuff. Albuterol is normally prescribed and used by vets for primarily horses that've suffered an injury. But they'd better beware of the overall medical complications if abused. Pyschotic bahvior has been proven and researched on with regard to those abusing steroids in some cases.
I've posted my own comedic take on Pacman Jones titled Hey Pacman Even Strippers Have Feelings Too ! Ask Carmen Electra ? Ceck it out if you're interested and let me know what you think ?
justan' .......
Last edited by justanotherfan on June 23rd at 8:41 AM.
I find it funny that the same people who claim there is no evidence on Bonds are clapping their hands for this article Socal (which is a well-written article and thought-provoking). However, it's hypocritical for these people to be glad seeing that there is ZERO evidence saying that Aaron did use steroids.
Let's remember a few things that came into effect over Hank's last 5 years: Expansion and the DH. Granted, he broke the record while in the NL. But He was able to play 2 years longer thanks to Milwaukee being in the AL. And when you don't play everyday and get your rest at age 40 you can be productive (like Bonds at 42).
Tom House's credibility is als in question as he retracted pitching methods as a coach because of players suffering arm injuries under his watch. Some also view him as a quack. Mulder and Scully probably found that out during the investigation.
ok we needsome clarity because a lot of people dont really know what theyre talking about.
the Aaron greenie-thing is huge for a number of reasons. performance in the league isnt about brute strength, its about bat speed and consistency. anyone who's ever performed in an athletic competition knows this is true. its not the guy who hits the ball the hardest, its the guy who can swing the bast with consistency day in, day out for thousands of at bats. HGH is not a trength enhancer. go to the AMA website and ready the medical abstracts on HGH. at best it decreases fat and improves muscle tone. at worst, it does nothing at all that would help a baseball player. studies indicate it may improve recovery.
barry picked up weight. ok. i've been off active duty for 4 years and i've picked up 40lbs. and its not all fat. some of it was manly-filling out. my arms and tosro got bigger without much help from me. my airforce buddy is 30lbs lighter and can do like 130 push ups - twice as many as i could do when i was at the peak of my Arm physical conditioning. i may have been able to outlift him by 150lbs, but he could lift the needed amount of weight (bodyweight) more often and with more consistency. hitting is the same way. Ken Griffey hits Homeruns just like barry, and he's not a big guy.
Barry got big because he's lifting weights to make up for the strength he's losing as an old man. he gained weight because he's old.
Last edited by demonicume on June 23rd at 4:35 AM.
i read a comment on a another post that barry gained bone mass. thats not possible. they said he grew like an inch, his feet got bigger, his head go tbigger. thats not possible. the hormones that handle that sort of bone growth dont exist in grown men. if taking steroids could increase bonemass like that, dwarves, midgets and children with bone diseases would take them. in act, there's a Fat Clinic in Charlotte which will prescribe you HGH to lose weight. am i saying that Barry didnt bulk up with supplements and questionable shots? NO. i'm saying muscle growth has little to do with HRs. and that he looks bigger because he's 40, not 18.
like MeanD said, blacks dont wanna disparage Aaron. as a people, we've got too much invested in his image. thats what elementary schools still teach that Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier when we all know thats not true. we dont like to out our own. other races may cannibalize their own in the media, but asa whole, blacks dont. we handle things in-house. if our golden boy - Aaron - turned out to be a dirty cheat, it'd be devastating for us. but i'm hear to tell ya: i think Aaron cheated. i think he was old and took various things - like greenies - because it was getting hard to get the bat around. i'm not mad at him either. or atleast i wasnt until he turned his back on bonds.
i would also like to reiterate that i dont respect Aarons supposed struggle AT ALL. i can elaborate if anyone's interested.
Last edited by demonicume on June 23rd at 4:39 AM.
You actually did it. You just wrote a response that included aboslutely no accuracy whatsoever. Once again, you've lowered the bar for the depths of ineptitude.
1. Good hitting is a conbination of strength, vision, timing, bat speed and the level to which one can combine all of those factors.
You actually contradicted yurself in the same paragraph. How can one hit the ball hardest if one is not as strong as others with similar skill levels. The answer is, they can't.
2. HGH is a strength enhancer. Do you even know hwat HGH stands for? It helps muscles grow, but it does not enhance strength without exercise. Amazingly enough, the guys we're discussing exercise a bit.
3. Barry picked up weight? Not exactly. I gained weight in the last decade, Barry gained lean muscle mass and a set of jowls that would make any Hog stand out at the county fair. Yes, you gained 40 lbs. and not all of it was fat, most of it was misplaced ego.
4. Gaining bone mass is possible, just like losing bone mass is possible. There are a whole class of supplements, marketed specifically toward old folks to gain/#### loss of bone mass. Why do you think 70 year olds break hip bones like kids eat cake? Bone mass does change, the thickness of your skull has been increasing for years now.
5. Mean was half right. Blacks don't want to disparage blacks, especially you and a few others. But when the choice between an old black and a younger black presents itself, just like a set of rims, you're buyin' the new ones.
Thanks for more predictable, empty, racially driven opinionism
Last edited by ChristopherRoss on June 23rd at 6:13 AM.
So much to respond too, and so little time. Not to mention that people's minds are already made up.
First off, CR, my post is only outstanding in your eyes because it affirms Ruth to you. It does not do that for me because Bonds is the greatest of all time.
Bone mass, it is possible to gain it and HGH will help. In fact, the disease Acromegly is caused by too much HGH as an adult. The bones are already fused, but HGH makes them grow, making the hands, feet, and head look abnormal. Usually it is caused by a tumor on the pituitary, or adults abusing HGH.
CR, eyesight does diminsh for everyone over time as a rule, but that proves nothing. I had lasik 5 years ago and I see better now than I did as a teenager. Tiger Woods had Lasik as have many other athletes. Also, most people who suffer from Presbyopia end up wearing contact lens or eyeglasses thereby negating the effect of age. You can't claim Barry is on steroids just because he is still seeing the ball better than anyone.
If you look at Ruth's homerun total over the years, he too had some spikes later on. All of this is circumstantial, but I wrote it to prove a point. Baseball has always been about cheating.
Dan, there is zero evidence to suggest Aaron used steroids, but there is absolutely evidence he cheated using greenies. The point is, at least for me, that cheating is cheating. People say Bonds is a cheater and should not go into the HOF. Well Aaron was a cheater too. Bud Selig has been covering his trail for his entire career. Selig did not want to go down the sterois path because it is inevitably linked to other performance enhancers like amphetamine which is well documented. Everyone in baseball knows that amphetamines are used like candy whereas steroids are done behind the scenes.
Demon, I agree with all you have said about Aaron not being a poster child for oppression.
Outstanding article you put together Socal, I think that someday hopefully Bonds will be recognized for what he is, not a cheater but the greatest hitter that ever played, maybe someday huh!!
The more I thought about this the more confused I became about the motive. Are you actually saying you belief Aaron might have used steroids? Or, is it just to show that any player is subject to being linked to performance enhancers because they were always there, even in the 60's. In any case, I ended up going back and looking at the stat lines for Aaron and Bonds and writing a blog about your blog (hopefully not too critically). I just don't buy a link between Aaron and steroids, but after looking closer at the numbers I'm actually starting to understand why people are so su####ious of Bonds.
baseball player can beef up on steroids and improve his athletic performance. But most clinical studies suggest that HGH won't help an athlete at all. The other key difference is that while steroids cause a bevy of nasty side effects—testicular shrinkage, an increased risk of stroke—taking HGH doesn't seem to be that bad for you. Widespread belief in the efficacy of HGH dates back to a 1990 article in the New England Journal of Medicine. A research team led by Daniel Rudman of the Medical College of Wisconsin gave regular growth hormone injections to a dozen men over the age of 60. At the end of the six-month treatment period, the test subjects had denser bones, thicker skin, less fat, and more lean body tissue. The paper likened these effects to a reversal of "10 to 20 years of aging."
Healthy people secrete growth hormone naturally throughout their lifespan, with the highest concentration coming during adolescence. But HGH levels fall off as we get older; 60-year-olds might make half as much growth hormone as they did in their 20s. In 1996, the FDA approved growth hormone as a replacement therapy for adults whose HGH secretions had fallen below normal levels. Since then, immersion journalists have written paeans to the drug that jibe with Rudman's findings. In 2003, a writer for Outside claimed it improved his eyesight and made a scar on his forehead disappear. Last January, a GQ guinea pig said it filled him with "youthful radiance," deepening his voice and renewing his interest in Internet pornography.
Clinical researchers have been a bit less sanguine. You don't need a Ph.D. to find serious flaws in the Rudman study—no one in the control group received a placebo, for example. Still, a recent review in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that better studies have produced similar results: At the very least, treatment with HGH does seem to reduce body fat and increase muscle mass. Growth hormone may not lengthen your lifespan, but it can certainly improve your looks.
Last edited by demonicume on June 23rd at 2:37 PM.
also, Growth hormone therapy can lead to fluid retention, which in turn causes swelling in the extremities, joint pain, and carpal tunnel syndrome. (Some researchers think any increase in lean body mass comes from extra water rather than muscle growth.) It can also produce the symptoms of diabetes. But all of these side effects go away when you stop using the drug.
There's some evidence that HGH can cause cancer in lab rats, but no one has proven that the same risk exists for humans on hormone replacement therapy. Patients with acromegaly—i.e., those who naturally produce too much growth hormone—are at higher risk for certain types of cancer.
It's also possible that baseball players aren't using HGH to beef up at all. Almost everyone who gets caught red-handed claims they were using the drug to recover from an injury. This might be more than a ploy to win sympathy: Some doctors believe that growth hormone can speed up tissue repair. There isn't much clinical work to support this idea, however. One study found that HGH actually shortened the lifespan of patients in an intensive-care unit.
thats just bits and pieces from the last article i read. if Barry Bonds is shooting HGH, it did affect his foot size, bone mass, or make his head swell. if anything, it'd have made him LOSE weight.
oh, and #### Chris - #### - ross. i didnt even read his comment, but i know it was stupid.
Your post is great because it affirms the truth. Yes, you did that accidentally, trying to stump for "The Junk". But in your efforts to cast a pall on the achievements of Hammerin' Hank, all you really did was make the case to disqualify cheats in general.
Once again, outstanding job in affirming that the real and only HR king is Babe Ruth. Telling the turth by accident is still telling the tRuth.
As far as Bonds seeing the ball better than anyone else goes, I do not agree with that. There are better hitters. But when it comes to patience and bat control, Bonds is likely the best in the game. It's what the steroids do after he sees the ball that gives me pause.
But take heart, even though you clinched it for the Bambino, it could be a lot worse, Socal. You could resort to pages and pages of lies about how HGH is not a performance enhancer. Then your best comebacks would be limited 4th grade level putdowns about other's family members, or gutter-slime obscenity.
Last edited by ChristopherRoss on June 23rd at 3:11 PM.
Ross, there is no agruing with you. You are so full of yourself that you can't see anything except what you want to see. I pray I never get that way, as it is, I think I am right all the time.
Dudski, no confusion here. I am not attacking Aaron as you suppose, at least not to try and defend Barry. I am trying to point out that cheating is cheating and if Aaron used amphetamines which are performance enhancers, why is he given a free pass and not Barry. It's not fair. Lots of players have cheated including Aaron, unless you are willing to say that since everyone was using it was okay. In that case Barry used during an era when many baseball players used and he should be given the same pass as Aaron.
Great post. I'm wondering how we can get the mainstream media and public to acknowledge this information before they continue on with their lynching of Bonds.
We try to get on the presses if we can. Yelling Extra Extra read all about. I know it's a lame idea but what can we try. The problem we can show it to them but will they listen.
Much speculation abounds about Barry Bonds and most of it has been derived by the Balco scandal. The thing that gets me is not that people hate Barry because they believe he cheated, but that somehow they do not express the same hate towards other players whose numbers are unbelievable for their age. Take Hank Aaron for example. People do not want to even explore the possibility that Hammerin Hank’s numbers are inflated by steroids or other chemical enhancers, but the reality is that they probably are. For those whose minds are not closed to those possibilities, let’s delve into the evidence.
