[JustinD]

Originally Posted by ClementeFanOh

I'll note that the folks who are indignant about this topic often come from
the "everybody does it" crowd. JustinD above tells us he doesn't care, while
using words like "self-righteous" and phrases about "tarnish(ing) the silver
claret". Seems he very, very much cares...

I never said I agreed with the premise of cheating, I disagree with the idea of an "era". The East German Olympic Teams of the 60's and 70's more than proved that those drugs were more than placebos. The German's had a full program in place. I disagree with ignoring all other issues for a focus only on one era when innumerable players who took shortcuts are idolized.

The agreements about mass are silly as steroids were more likely used for their true use much like Armstrong did in his career. Without weight training, there is no gains in mass. What the key use of steroids and HGH is concerns healing factor and speed of that. You can gain mass due to pushing your body to the limit and the healing of those muscles without the natural time for rest. If your naturally overwork muscles without the healing time, they will actually shrink in mass with the tightening of the fibers. The healing factor is precisely why pitchers and others are caught post-injury using these to heal, not grow mass.

If the training was not involved as much like Sparky Anderson would discourage and get upset with over muscled players as the leading belief was it would slow them down. Players would have been using it for recovery factor. Comparing size of players, is not a valid argument.

As for Greenies being less so important, many players have written and discussed how amphetamines would slow the game. Making hitting the ball an easier task. When the comparison was made that Focus/energy v. brute strength is somehow a defense of greenies is somewhat odd. Anyone would take focus and energy over brute strength as it would make a better ball player. WWE wrestlers are not going to hit a ball better because they are stronger.

We can completely ignore Tom House talking about how common steroids were in baseball during the 60's and 70's. You can ignore completely the oddity of Aaron and how somehow his entire 73' team leapt in hitting strength and HRs. Or how he led the National League in home run percentage in three consecutive years late in his career at ages 37, 38 and 39. I am sure it was happenstance as it happens all the time.