MLB Steroid Melodrama

[MaoTosiFanClub]

People around the game have suspected Nomar for the past few years. Swollen faces and enormous arms are not the only signs of steroid use. Plenty of players have done steroids and have gotten much stronger while not getting too much bigger.

 

[AZZenny]

Plenty of players have done steroids and have gotten much stronger while not getting too much bigger.

Right you are. I remember hearing a pitching coach - swear it was Mazzoni - on ESPN three or four years ago talk about how pitchers were among the first to introduce steroids to baseball - not to get bigger, but because the main thing the drugs do is allow much faster regeneration and recovery from injury or muscle exhaustion. You can then aim that more at increasing strength or size.

I believe HGH is the only thing that grows your head - other than ego, of course.

 

[Lefty]

Maybe Canseco isn't totally lying

I know Jose is out to make a buck and ratting on your former teammates is definitely a no no, but look at Palmeiro's stats before Jose got to Texas and when he arrived during the 1992 season and after.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/p/palmera01.shtml

 

[BC867]

... look at Palmeiro's stats before Jose got to Texas and when he arrived during the 1992 season and after.

10th on the all-time Major League homerun list. Rafael Palmeiro? By himself? I don't think so.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

Has Luis Gonzalez been mentioned in any of these steroid rumors?

Just curious.

 

[SweetD]

WOW that is a huge jump. But I thought him and Canseco never played together?

 

[boondockdrunk]

WOW that is a huge jump. But I thought him and Canseco never played together?

In fact, he didnt have ANY power in the minors. Grace had more power than Palmeiro. Hence why they traded Palmeiro to the Rangers and used Grace at 1st.

 

[asudevil83]

Has Luis Gonzalez been mentioned in any of these steroid rumors?

Just curious.

hell...i honestly wouldnt be suprised if his name came up sooner or later.

 

[UncleChris]

It's hard because Luis is "our guy." But if he played for the Yankees, we'd all be howling, I suspect.

 

[BC867]

It's hard because Luis is "our guy." But if he played for the Yankees, we'd all be howling, I suspect.

Is there anything about Gonzo's build that hints at steroids?

Beyond being our guy, it's hard to believe that's why he had that one 57-HR season.

I think back to HR hitters like Hank Aaron and Ernie Banks. They did it with their wrists, rather than extreme muscle.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

Is there anything about Gonzo's build that hints at steroids?

Beyond being our guy, it's hard to believe that's why he had that one 57-HR season.

I think back to HR hitters like Hank Aaron and Ernie Banks. They did it with their wrists, rather than extreme muscle.

Looking at the backs of a couple baseball cards I have of him through the years, no, his size and weight are pretty constant from Houston to Chicago to Arizona, if thats worth anything.

 

[ajcardfan]

Is there anything about Gonzo's build that hints at steroids?

Beyond being our guy, it's hard to believe that's why he had that one 57-HR season.

I think back to HR hitters like Hank Aaron and Ernie Banks. They did it with their wrists, rather than extreme muscle.

Yeah, and the fact that he dropped off so much in HR totals the last three years supports him not doing steroids. Still, that accusation will be whispered about him, fair or not. He never hit more than 15 home runs in his first eight seasons. Then, the 57 was as many as his previous two seasons combined. An amazing jump, no matter how you look at it.

 

[Evil Ash]

Has Luis Gonzalez been mentioned in any of these steroid rumors?

Just curious.

I'm sure that there is some speculation due to the jump he had in his HR #s after coming to AZ.

I highly doubt that he did do steroids. He became only the 2nd baseball player in history to hit over 50 HRs in a season and be under 200 lbs.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

I'm sure that there is some speculation due to the jump he had in his HR #s after coming to AZ.

I highly doubt that he did do steroids. He became only the 2nd baseball player in history to hit over 50 HRs in a season and be under 200 lbs.

I remember he was endorsing some kind of supplement, but I can't remember which one. He was on their website and it said he could bench some ridiculous number. I'll have to try to think of what that was.

 

[Phill11]

Is there anything about Gonzo's build that hints at steroids?

Beyond being our guy, it's hard to believe that's why he had that one 57-HR season.

I think back to HR hitters like Hank Aaron and Ernie Banks. They did it with their wrists, rather than extreme muscle.

Eh. I'm doubtful. The reason Gonzo hit that many homers that year was

1) His swing was flawless. He was hitting everything pitched inside and outside to him. To show this his OBP jumped from .392 to .429, I don't see how Steroids can do this.

2) He had backup. He had Grace, Durazo, Reggie, behind him in the lineup and then Johnson and Schilling dominating on the mound.

3) He was healthy. Whenever Gonzo plays 162 games a year, he hits at least 30 homers.

 

[AZZenny]

His OBP jumped because he got 24 intentional walks, compared to 6 the year before. His K total was not significantly different, nor his normal walk total. He actually had fewer hits than the year before, too - so the OBP jump is pretty much all IBB. Power - whether natural or unnatural - can do that.

He has only played 162 games twice in his career - the other time he hit 31 HR.

Stat numbers out of context tell you nothing.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Since Gonzo plays in AZ, never won any major awards or broke any major records, nor will he ever be in the Hall of Fame the scrutiny won't come down on him as it has on McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds. There's no denying Gonzo has gained a lot of muscle mass over his career, but it could be attributed to technological advances in weight training and supplemants just as easily as it could with steroids. Luis is the only person that will ever truly know, but those with suspicions have just as good of a case as those who completely deny the possibility IMO.

 

[AZZenny]

Asterisk

I have heard bits and pieces of BaBo's self-righteous, arrogant media event today, and here's what I think:

When the Giants come to BOB this summer, every time Bonds steps to the plate, D-Back fans should hold up big asterisk signs - like the Circle K signs we had for RJ, for Schill.

Just my opinion - he has great hand-eye coordination, superb strike zone control, excellent speed - but his main claim to fame, his claim to being 'the greatest player ever,' and where he puts his supersized ego, has been the ridiculous HR total - and THAT has been falsely augmented. He would have been a superb baseball player clean, but perhaps not 'the greatest ever.' And too damn bad if he made it impossible for us to know how good he REALLY is.

The thing he has become is inflated, and needs to have a big freakin' hole punched in it. Let DBack fans be the ones to start the process.

*

 

[Lefty]

An asterick needs to be placed next to every season since the mid 1980's.

 

[Stallion]

Gonzo's fine. He'll just be compared to a Brady Anderson with the one-year superspike in HRs.

As everyone has mentioned, he's strong, but he's not HUGE. He's dwarfed when standing next to guys like Bonds, McGwire, Giambi.

 

[Dback Jon]

Especially BaBo. Between the 'Roids and the Goalie Pads he wears when he bats.....

 

[Djaughe]

Cool idea!

 

[UncleChris]

Juiced, Juiced, JUICED!!

It doesnt' matter how you slice it, his records become meaningless.

Couple that with his abosolutely idiotic playing of the race card and I hope the guy gets hit by a bus. The man is just flat bad for baseball.

Great idea, Zen.... *



BTW, you notice the new testing process will NOT detect Human Growth Serum...... Hmmmmmmmmm..... :

 

[AZZenny]

Walking the dogs today, I was musing over whether we could get a sponsor to print up a couple hundred

* signs. Maybe Arizona Sports Fans Network would be interested? LOL.

THEN I thought - how cool would it be to have Black T-shirts with just a big orange * on it?!

 

[Phill11]

Walking the dogs today, I was musing over whether we could get a sponsor to print up a couple hundred

* signs. Maybe Arizona Sports Fans Network would be interested? LOL.

THEN I thought - how cool would it be to have Black T-shirts with just a big orange * on it?!

I think I can get someone to do it. I'll ask around, find some sponsors we could put on the back for them helping.