Quote:
Originally Posted by Tabe
His two best homer seasons came when he was 37 & 38 years old, the former representing a 467% increase over the season prior and just his 2nd double digit season out of 11. He had 3 consecutive double digit seasons from 37-39 after 2 in his first 15 seasons.
So, yes, there was a dramatic increase.
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Valid points Chris. I guess it is hard for me to think in terms of someone being so helped by PEDs in hitting home runs when those monumental numbers for them amount to only 16 or 17 home runs for an entire year. LOL
Of course, there is still the argument that Gwynn had such a fantastic eye and ability to hit for a high average that couldn't there also be a possibility that he just decided to try going for more home runs? At that point in time the home run was becoming THE thing in baseball, with the PED era really taking off around that time as well. Rather than comparing Gwynn to the likes of Bonds, McGwire and Sosa, maybe it would be more appropriate to compare him to Cobb, who actually due to average and hitting ability has a much more likely connection and comparability as a hitter? Cobb actually did a somewhat similar thing as Gwynn for a couple years later in his career as well. Most noticeably in 1925 when Cobb hit 12 homers for the year, up from just 4 the prior year (300% increase). That season, when he was 38 I believe, included the two-game stretch where Cobb suddenly put up 5 homers over two back-to-back games. A feat and MLB record he still owns part of, and which even Ruth didn't equal if I remember correctly. And there is also the story/legend of Cobb supposedly telling a reporter to watch him show people how he could hit home runs if he wanted to. Cobb also did a similar jump in 1921 at the age of 34 when he equaled his same single season home run high of 12 as well. That time he improved on a prior year total of only 2 home runs, for a 600% percent increase, blowing even Gwynn's 467% single season jump out of the water.
There are a number of things that have been said about Cobb and that he was accused of during his career, but I don't think taking PEDs was ever one of them. To my knowledge, I don't think Gwynn was ever proven to have taken PEDs, nor failed a drug test. And just look at his batting average over the four prior seasons before his 'power surge" of hitting 17 homers. The man could flat out hit, and like Cobb, led his league and the entire majors in average over multiple seasons. Now if you want to debate about whether Gwynn's high averages were possibly the result of taking PEDs as well, that is possibly a different argument/discussion, maybe.
I honestly don't know. And since his passing, we'll never hear it from him either. At least before his passing, he spoke out and took blame for not doing or saying more against the PED movement, along with laying blame to all of MLB for not doing/saying more against it as well. That never sounded to me like someone who partook in the taking of PEDs themself.