You know you played in the Steroid era when...

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

...you hit 214 home runs and your total career WAR was only 6.4

[cardsagain74]

And you know it's modern day sports when you got paid $12 mil per year in your later seasons to do so.

Has to be a lifelong thorn in the side for the old-timers who got all beat up for an average working man's wage

[Jim65]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

...you hit 214 home runs and your total career WAR was only 6.4

How about Dante Bichette? 274 HR, .299 BA, 1141 RBI and a career 5.7 WAR.

[Paul S]

...Bud Selig is in the HOF and currently serves as the Commissioner Emeritus of Baseball.

[clydepepper]

Originally Posted by Paul S

...Bud Selig is in the HOF and currently serves as the Commissioner Emeritus of Baseball.

As much as we beat up Bud, lots of us have to admit we enjoyed the McGwire-Sosa duel.

Attendance and Revenues were way up and that's what the owners wanted.

I will always be more offended by the cancelation of the '94 World Series.


It will be interesting to see what this new scandal does to the game's popularity. What an ugly, ugly off-season.
.

[Paul S]

Originally Posted by clydepepper

As much as we beat up Bud, lots of us have to admit we enjoyed the McGwire-Sosa duel.

Attendance and Revenues were way up and that's what the owners wanted.

I will always be more offended by the cancelation of the '94 World Series.


It will be interesting to see what this new scandal does to the game's popularity. What an ugly, ugly off-season.
.

re Selig era: Agree with everything you say. But the aftermath is such a letdown. If I wanted a carny sideshow I would have gone to a carnival. At least I would have known in advance what I was getting for my money and think, "Hey, that was a good one."

As far as the current sign-stealing scandal, I think the Astros WS win will be tainted, but not as much as Bonds' HR record.

Outside of that... EVERBODY CHA CHA CHA

[earlywynnfan]

Originally Posted by Paul S

re Selig era: Agree with everything you say. But the aftermath is such a letdown. If I wanted a carny sideshow I would have gone to a carnival. At least I would have known in advance what I was getting for my money and think, "Hey, that was a good one."

As far as the current sign-stealing scandal, I think the Astros WS win will be tainted, but not as much as Bonds' HR record.

Outside of that... EVERBODY CHA CHA CHA

I agree with you only in the fact that Bonds was such a miserable SOB that he's easy to hate. If McGwire would be the reigning HR champ, I wonder if people would just let it fade away? Remember, roided Bonds was hitting homers off of roided pitchers, and EVERYBODY knew it, from Bud to the owners to the players to the media to you.

I actually think the Astros situation is worse, and I'm highly offended that they still have a WS title to their name, tainted or not. IMHO, that's a load of crap.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by Jim65

How about Dante Bichette? 274 HR, .299 BA, 1141 RBI and a career 5.7 WAR.

Wow never would've guessed his career WAR was THAT low.

[jgannon]

I think a problem that went with the steroid era was hopped-up balls, which still may be an issue - I don't know, as I don't really follow the game that closely anymore. But I remember watching a Yankee game back in 1998, and Derek Jeter (who of course, did NOT use steroids) got under a ball at Yankee Stadium, and it just looked like it was going to go foul on the left field side of the stands. He hardly got any good wood on it. Jim Kaat was announcing, and I'll never forget his surprise as the ball kept drifting and it landed just outside the foul pole, and him saying, "And... it's a home run!!" It was such a fluke. As I remember, one of the infielders was going after it. It just looked like a little pop up.

[PowderedH2O]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

Wow never would've guessed his career WAR was THAT low.

The numbers of that time were mind boggling. Bichette's numbers in 1996 and 1998 were better than many MVP's of the 1950's-1970's. Yet he finished 20th and 21st in the voting. I have no idea if he was clean or not. He went to high school with my ex-wife and she said he was a great player then too (although he was Danny, not Dante).

In 1988 there were 5 guys that hit 30 homers. That counts both leagues total. Glenn Davis was #5 in the major leagues with 30 homers. In 2000, there were 46 guys that hit 30 or more. So, those homers weren't worth crap as far as WAR goes. Kirk Gibson's MVP season probably gets him benched in 2000. There is no telling how many roids were in use!

In 2019, there were 57 guys that hit 30 or more. That's insane.

[dio]

MLD legalize steroid
well not on the players, but on the ball itself, it's juiced.
they need more HR to attract viewers

[bnorth]

Your numbers are better in your mid/late 30s than when you were in your late 20s.

[clydepepper]

Originally Posted by bnorth

Your numbers are better in your mid/late 30s than when you were in your late 20s.

...and your head appears to grow by two or three hat sizes.


.

[cannonballsun]

Originally Posted by clydepepper

As much as we beat up Bud, lots of us have to admit we enjoyed the McGwire-Sosa duel.

Attendance and Revenues were way up and that's what the owners wanted.

I will always be more offended by the cancelation of the '94 World Series.


It will be interesting to see what this new scandal does to the game's popularity. What an ugly, ugly off-season.
.

The Sosa and McGwire thing was great fun. Baseball fans enjoyed it everywhere. Before Sosa joined it, I was a huge fan of McGwire. His tape measure shots were amazing. And then Sosa joined in, and it was twice the fun.
My question is, when did MLB ban steroids? I'm pretty sure when McGwire started, it wasn't banned yet. I remember him coming on TV and talking openly about supplements he took, which your body basically turned into steroids.
Anyway, baseball made a ton of money off those guys, and was very late to ban the steroids.

[cannonballsun]

Okay, I just googled it. Baseball put steroids on the banned list in 1991, but didn't start testing until 2003.

[Tripredacus]

Originally Posted by clydepepper

As much as we beat up Bud, lots of us have to admit we enjoyed the McGwire-Sosa duel. .

Just wanted to point out, it is often forgotten that the McGwire-Sosa duel was only in the end of the season after Vinny Castilla finally cooled off.

[packs]

I always felt like the chase was phony, even in the moment. How could anyone have looked at Sosa or McGwire and not known they were cheating?

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by clydepepper

As much as we beat up Bud, lots of us have to admit we enjoyed the McGwire-Sosa duel.

It was definitely a fun time. I tried to predict when McGwire would break the record, decided it would be in St. Louis and bought tickets which were waiting at the stadium. Of course he broke it in the previous road series. I got in my '97 Mustang and hit the highway for St. Louis. Drove halfway there from Atlanta (great drive) and decided it wasn't worth it, turned around and drove home. I should have kept driving. Actually, I should have never sold that car.

[Jcfowler6]

When your Head got bigger and your balls got smaller.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dabigyankeeman]

When ....

You take the cork out of your bat because you dont need it anymore to hit home runs.

[1952boyntoncollector]

when larry sheets can hit 31 home runs..