Power Outage

[Derwood]

Across baseball, home runs are WAY down:

 

AL Leaders

 

A-Rod - 54

C. Pena - 45

D. Ortiz - 35

J. Thome - 35

P. Konerko - 31

J. Morneau - 31

 

NL Leaders

 

P. Fielder - 50

R. Howard - 46

A. Dunn - 40

M. Holliday - 36

R. Braun/L. Berkman/M. Cabrera - 34

 

Only 5 players in all of MLB with 40+ this year. Only 6 in the AL with 30+

 

So, why? Crackdown on PEDs? Altered baseballs?

[witty alias]

Across baseball, home runs are WAY down:

 

AL Leaders

 

A-Rod - 54

C. Pena - 45

D. Ortiz - 35

J. Thome - 35

P. Konerko - 31

J. Morneau - 31

 

NL Leaders

 

P. Fielder - 50

R. Howard - 46

A. Dunn - 40

M. Holliday - 36

R. Braun/L. Berkman/M. Cabrera - 34

 

Only 5 players in all of MLB with 40+ this year. Only 6 in the AL with 30+

 

So, why? Crackdown on PEDs? Altered baseballs?

 

In 2000, 14 players hit 40+ HRs.

[justin23iu]

I think it's obvious that the major culprits of the steroid era (McGwire, Palmeiro, Sosa, Conseco, Bonds, et. al) are either long gone or greatly diminished now, and we're certainly not seeing any 1-year wonders any more that were clearly roided up (Brady Anderson, Bret Boone...Luis Gonzalez?). Of course the "power outage" is due to the crackdown on PEDs.

[seanimal]

I wonder if anyone (BP, Hardball Times) has looked into any sort of decline in average pitch speeds over the last few years. Slower pitches would complement the PED argument well, I would think.

[jjgman21]

I think the crackdown played a part, but oodles and oodles of players that either have hit 40 or are capable of it had stints on the DL, nagging injuries all year, or flukish runs of poor performance.

 

then again, if not for the crackdown, may of those DL stints may have been shorter and many of those injuries not so nagging.

[Outshined_One]

How about the effect some of the new parks are having on home runs? It seems like a bunch of the new stadiums are really keeping long fly balls in the park.

[BigSlick]

I for one, am extremely happy that we are ending this ridiculous offensive era of baseball.

 

The mystique of the 50 home run year has all but dissapeared, and its something I never properly experienced. (my brother always tell me how crazy it was when Cecil Fielder hit 50 and no one had done it like 25 years)

 

40 homers should be a monster year by any standard, and for a little while players hitting 35+ with decent OBP/SLG had "down" years. (Think of A-rod last year!)

[Roast]

I think it's obvious that the major culprits of the steroid era (McGwire, Palmeiro, Sosa, Conseco, Bonds, et. al) are either long gone or greatly diminished now, and we're certainly not seeing any 1-year wonders any more that were clearly roided up (Brady Anderson, Bret Boone...Luis Gonzalez?). Of course the "power outage" is due to the crackdown on PEDs.

 

Talk about looking for the easy answer to a problem. It's nonsense like this that allows for people to accuse anyone and everyone of steroids.

 

As jjgman21 pointed out earlier, there were some injuries to some of the games big HR hitters that most likely cost them quite a few HR. Sure, there was probably a small effect of the PED crackdown, but I really think it amounts to a fluke year more than anything else. If in 2 or 3 years the numbers are still this low...then we'll see.

[hawkeyecub]

I think it's obvious that the major culprits of the steroid era (McGwire, Palmeiro, Sosa, Conseco, Bonds, et. al) are either long gone or greatly diminished now, and we're certainly not seeing any 1-year wonders any more that were clearly roided up (Brady Anderson, Bret Boone...Luis Gonzalez?). Of course the "power outage" is due to the crackdown on PEDs.

 

Talk about looking for the easy answer to a problem. It's nonsense like this that allows for people to accuse anyone and everyone of steroids.

 

As jjgman21 pointed out earlier, there were some injuries to some of the games big HR hitters that most likely cost them quite a few HR. Sure, there was probably a small effect of the PED crackdown, but I really think it amounts to a fluke year more than anything else. If in 2 or 3 years the numbers are still this low...then we'll see.

 

Small effect?

 

Your head in the sand, naive attitude about the steroids issue is nonsensical.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I think it's obvious that the major culprits of the steroid era (McGwire, Palmeiro, Sosa, Conseco, Bonds, et. al) are either long gone or greatly diminished now, and we're certainly not seeing any 1-year wonders any more that were clearly roided up (Brady Anderson, Bret Boone...Luis Gonzalez?). Of course the "power outage" is due to the crackdown on PEDs.

 

Talk about looking for the easy answer to a problem. It's nonsense like this that allows for people to accuse anyone and everyone of steroids.

 

As jjgman21 pointed out earlier, there were some injuries to some of the games big HR hitters that most likely cost them quite a few HR. Sure, there was probably a small effect of the PED crackdown, but I really think it amounts to a fluke year more than anything else. If in 2 or 3 years the numbers are still this low...then we'll see.

 

Small effect?

 

Your head in the sand, naive attitude about the steroids issue is nonsensical.

 

I think it's more nonsensical to paint PED issues in terms of offense. Pitchers look for the edge just as much as hitters.

[Roast]

I think it's obvious that the major culprits of the steroid era (McGwire, Palmeiro, Sosa, Conseco, Bonds, et. al) are either long gone or greatly diminished now, and we're certainly not seeing any 1-year wonders any more that were clearly roided up (Brady Anderson, Bret Boone...Luis Gonzalez?). Of course the "power outage" is due to the crackdown on PEDs.

 

Talk about looking for the easy answer to a problem. It's nonsense like this that allows for people to accuse anyone and everyone of steroids.

 

As jjgman21 pointed out earlier, there were some injuries to some of the games big HR hitters that most likely cost them quite a few HR. Sure, there was probably a small effect of the PED crackdown, but I really think it amounts to a fluke year more than anything else. If in 2 or 3 years the numbers are still this low...then we'll see.

 

Small effect?

 

Your head in the sand, naive attitude about the steroids issue is nonsensical.

 

I have no doubt that many players took steroids for quite a while and that it has had an effect. But the fact i am arguing is how many fewer players there were who hit 40+HR. And many of those who usually hit 40 didnt due to injury or flukish bad seasons. So you can't put all the blame on steroids in this instance.

[hawkeyecub]

I think it's obvious that the major culprits of the steroid era (McGwire, Palmeiro, Sosa, Conseco, Bonds, et. al) are either long gone or greatly diminished now, and we're certainly not seeing any 1-year wonders any more that were clearly roided up (Brady Anderson, Bret Boone...Luis Gonzalez?). Of course the "power outage" is due to the crackdown on PEDs.

 

Talk about looking for the easy answer to a problem. It's nonsense like this that allows for people to accuse anyone and everyone of steroids.

 

As jjgman21 pointed out earlier, there were some injuries to some of the games big HR hitters that most likely cost them quite a few HR. Sure, there was probably a small effect of the PED crackdown, but I really think it amounts to a fluke year more than anything else. If in 2 or 3 years the numbers are still this low...then we'll see.

 

Small effect?

 

Your head in the sand, naive attitude about the steroids issue is nonsensical.

 

I think it's more nonsensical to paint PED issues in terms of offense. Pitchers look for the edge just as much as hitters.

 

This is true.

 

My point is more that a decent part of the reason the 40 HR seasons are down is that we aren't seeing the fluke power surges by guys at an older age and with little history to suggest it should happen.

Pena was certainly unexpected but not a fluke in my opinion. Other than that you have three guys with massive raw power (who aren't sculpted like a bodybuilder) and the best player in the game.

[justin23iu]

I think it's obvious that the major culprits of the steroid era (McGwire, Palmeiro, Sosa, Conseco, Bonds, et. al) are either long gone or greatly diminished now, and we're certainly not seeing any 1-year wonders any more that were clearly roided up (Brady Anderson, Bret Boone...Luis Gonzalez?). Of course the "power outage" is due to the crackdown on PEDs.

 

Talk about looking for the easy answer to a problem. It's nonsense like this that allows for people to accuse anyone and everyone of steroids.

 

As jjgman21 pointed out earlier, there were some injuries to some of the games big HR hitters that most likely cost them quite a few HR. Sure, there was probably a small effect of the PED crackdown, but I really think it amounts to a fluke year more than anything else. If in 2 or 3 years the numbers are still this low...then we'll see.

 

It's nonsense like this that allowed the years and years of unchecked steroid use that created guys like Bret Boone and Brady Anderson. Unbelievable that this attitude still even exists. Talk about naive.