Gil Hodges

[BobC]

Originally Posted by ClementeFanOh

BobC- don’t think we’ve ever talked, good to hear from you. I’m not going to “go postal”, not even close. Looks like I’m being grilled for one word- “unearned”. I think it’s pretty tough to die on the hill of one word out of an entire message, but if it helps I’ll try it your way…I know lots of people who’ve had eye surgery to improve their vision, and not always to 20/20 or however they designate it now. I also know lots of folks with great vision who are not MLB players. Again, MLB policy explicitly forbids PED usage and there’s reason for it. Their policy doesn’t forbid rotator cuff surgery or getting eyesight corrected from 20:200 to 20:40. The question of whether certain fans “ like” these PED guys, or not, is a separate issue. They took PEDs to give them a prohibited competitive advantage- period. There was no need to repair injury or, for example, get eyesight that is decent (20/20 is good vision not “enhanced” vision). The vast majority of PED guys knew they weren’t permitted and still did so. No “postal” notions at all Trent

Trent,

Exactly how does someone who goes to GNC to buy a natural supplement and then works out like crazy to build huge muscles while taking it have an unfair advantage over everyone else? It seems to me that everyone else could have gone to GNC and bought the same supplement and worked out like crazy as well to get bigger and stronger, if they wanted to. If they choose not to, that is there decision. It isn't really any different than one guy always taking extra batting or fielding practice to get better than someone else who doesn't. Except in this case you've got someone working out to get as big and as strong as they can. So what is the prohibited unfair advantage someone taking a natural supplement like andro' and then working out like crazy have, please tell me that?

As for the Lasik surgery issue, why are you dismissing it as not applicable? If someone doesn't naturally have good vision, they don't necessarily need to have surgery to medically enhance their sight to be able to live and play baseball. Yet if they decide to do it, they may be able to artificially enhance their natural ability by doing nothing more than having a purely elective, and otherwise unecessary, surgery. No working out, no extra practices, nothing. They didn't do anything to, as you say, "earn" the enhancement.

Now if you're saying that this is different because normal sight is considered 20/20, are you then saying that someone with 20/40 vision who goes to get Lasik surgery is doing it to simply put them on an even par with everyone who may naturally have 20/20 vision already, and therefore in your mind they aren't gaining an unfair advantage over anyyone else? They're simply correcting their sight unnaturally to be able to fairly compete with others. Is that your take? Because if so, it is hogwash. If that is okay to do Lasik surgery to get your eyesight to about where everyone else's is, then what about some naturally real skinny and scrawny kid who just isn't as muscular and strong as everyone else playing ball. Shouldn't he be allowed to take supplements and PEDs as well then to build up his body and strength, not to get an unfair advantage over everyone else, but merely to be more on par with them? Same logic. If you think the one enhancement is okay, then by similar logic the other enhancement should be okay as well.

And instead of going for just 20/20 eyesight, what if someone getting Lasik to play baseball even better decides they want to shoot for 20/10 eyesight? Now they really are trying to get an unfair advantage over everyone else, but I don't believe MLB will care or do anything to stop them from doing so, or punish them if you do.

So right back to the valid point that earlier poster pointed out about the possible hypocrisy and inconsistency by MLB in saying no to legal, over-the-counter supplements supposedly unfairly enhancing players, but yes to them allowing purely elective surgical procedures for other potential enhancements. Oh yeah, that logic makes a lot of sense to me!!! (Just like when MLB outlawed the spitball, but they grandfathered in anyone who had been throwing it prior to it becoming illegal to throw. That makes for a fair game for everyone also, right?)

And I've known lots of people who've taken supplements and worked out to improve their strength and bodies that don't play baseball. So I have no idea what your statement about lots of people with great eyesight not playing baseball has to do with any of this.