OT: No One Elected to the Hall?

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by buymycards

I am laughing at all of the questions about who took steroids and who did not. The fact is that all of the players benefited from steroid use whether they took them or they did not. How many players have world series rings because they looked the other way when some of their teammates were using steroids? How many players received more salary because of the increased fan base during the McGwire/Sosa...

I think many more players were kept out of the league due to steroid use. SI did a great article last year about 4 pitches drafted by the Twins. All had very similar builds (btwn 6'4"-6'5" and wirey) and threw at similar velocities (85-87).
Over a 3-4 year period 3 of them hit a plateau while one was able to consistently build muscle/body mass, to the point he'd gained about 60 lbs. He also gained about 10 MPH on his fastball and ended up in the big leagues throwing nearly 100 MPH.

A good buddy of mine was a really good football player and was invited to 2-3 camps with the 49ers. He never made the team, and eventually ended up in the XFL. He'd tell me about guys who would get stronger after weeks of hot practice when everyone was else was wearing down.. And those guys separated themselves from the others. He knew several guys were juicing, and several were playing, making teams, getting paid in large part because of it.

The focus always seems to be on 5-6, maybe 10 guys who are the best of the best and threatening this or that record... And in a game like baseball its understandable since records are so sacred, but I think the far more expansive problem lies within the fringes and the hundreds/thousands of players who have to face a choice to use or not. Guys who see people flying past them in the minors, or an NFL training camp, and see their dream opportunity slipping away.

I guess this has very little to do with the hall vote, so may not even be relevant to this conversation, but I do think it deserves more attention in general.

[dgo71]

Originally Posted by itjclarke

I think many more players were kept out of the league due to steroid use.

The very first time I heard of steroid use in MLB, it was from David McCarty when he was in AAA and bemoaning the fact that the minor leaguers were tested near-daily, while the MLB guys got away with whatever they wanted scott free. There were many players who didn't get a fair shake because cheaters took their roster spot, and beyond any ridiculous records and statistics, this is what bothers me about steroids the most.

Originally Posted by ctownboy

The PROBLEM with picking out the best players from the Steroid Era is that BECAUSE of the steroids no one REALLY KNOWS WHO the best players were during that era.

A hundred times YES. It is the shadow of doubt these players cast on themselves that now hurts their case.

[packs]

To me there is no question who the best players of the steroid era are. They are Ken Griffey Jr, Frank Thomas, Jim Thome, and Albert Belle.

[novakjr]

Originally Posted by dgo71

The very first time I heard of steroid use in MLB, it was from David McCarty when he was in AAA and bemoaning the fact that the minor leaguers were tested near-daily, while the MLB guys got away with whatever they wanted scott free. There were many players who didn't get a fair shake because cheaters took their roster spot, and beyond any ridiculous records and statistics, this is what bothers me about steroids the most.

How long until these players sue the league for lost wages? Similar to the collusion suits in the 80's.