Baseball and steroids

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Posted By: Cy

For what it's worth, I don't care about the steroids issue. I truly don't know if steroids has any bearing on the game. Sure people say that the muscle mass will definitely make you better. If that is true, then todays baseball players are better than past baseball players. Period. Without steroids they are bigger. They are faster. They are stronger. But what has eluded me is, does this make a better baseball player.

Extra size, strength and speed definitely enhance the football and basketball player. There is no doubt that the players today in those sports are much better than eras gone by. But baseball? I don't know.

If steroids and size make such great home run hitters, how can we explain Mays and Aaron. Neither were that big. But they both had incredible wrists for hitting a ball real far.

In golf people bring up Tiger Woods and his physique. But Tiger could smack the ball further than most when he was in college. Do you have to be big to hit it long in golf? Ask Charles Howell III. He can walk home during a rain storm and not get wet by just moving in and out of the rain drops. But he hits the ball as far as anyone and further than most.

In both of these sports, it is timing. It is timing of the release of the wrist. I don't think muscles increase that. And if they do, it is negligible. Someone brought up the fact that steroids enhance one's eyesight. If it truly does that, then steroids are a good thing. I heard an advertisement for a product that enhances your night vision. Is this a form a steroid? I don't know. But enhancing anyone's eyesight is a good thing.

Again take the comparison between golf and baseball. And there is a definite relationship between hitting each of these balls. Ask Charley Lau and his pupil George Brett. Then take a look at Freddy Couples and watch Freddy Couples swing and watch how far it goes. It is all release of the wrists; cock the wrists, move the club head down, and at the last moment, release the wrists, and follow through (Why can't I do that though?) I don't think steroids has any effect on that. Hitting the baseball is the exact same thing without trees and sand traps.

I know I went way overboard, but I wanted to call Tony Bruno's show and say these same thoughts. Now I did and it would be just as rewarding if someone would only say, "Beautiful".

My two cents, guys.

Cy