Sources: A-Rod tested positive for steroids in '03

[Wilson A2000]

There's no "tragedy." A great player is a great player for most of their career. Steroids doesn't create great players like that.

 

Barry Bonds was great before he took steroids. He was going to be in the hall. But he wasn't going to be arguably the best player to have ever played without the juice. Steroids created this Barry Bonds - the greatest player ever.

[Mephistopheles]

There's no "tragedy." A great player is a great player for most of their career. Steroids doesn't create great players like that.

 

Barry Bonds was great before he took steroids. He was going to be in the hall. But he wasn't going to be arguably the best player to have ever played without the juice. Steroids created this Barry Bonds - the greatest player ever.

 

instead he was one of the top five or ten ever to play the game.

[Sammy Sofa]

There's no "tragedy." A great player is a great player for most of their career. Steroids doesn't create great players like that.

 

Barry Bonds was great before he took steroids. He was going to be in the hall. But he wasn't going to be arguably the best player to have ever played without the juice. Steroids created this Barry Bonds - the greatest player ever.

 

Semantics. They didn't make him a great player. If you wat to argue that they made a great player greater, fine...I still don't see the "tragedy."

[The Voice of Reason]

Why would an owner want to sign a player with the promise he won't take PEDs? They want to purposely make bad signings to appease the McCarthys?

 

This fogeyism is ridiculous, all your heroes were cheaters too. I want to be the one to etch the asterisk on Aaron's plaque. I got dibs.

 

 

Good luck with that. Go for Maris while you're at it. Now those would be real "witch hunts." You can nit pick all you want but nothing in baseball history will compare to your tarnished heroes from the steroids era.

 

You sound like someone told you there is no Santa Claus.

 

maris was a good power hitter who suddenly had the best HR season in the history of baseball, but he went bald during that year and then got hurt a lot afterward and retired, never coming close to approaching that homer total.

 

fits the profile

 

Roger actually lost weight that year on his skinny frame with no increase in head size. He was protected in the lineup most of the year by a good Yankee lineup and saw a lot of fastballs down the middle and was the perfect hitter for Yankee Stadium's short porch.

 

How about comparing Aaron's career home run consistency with McGwire, Sosa, Bonds, etc? How about it Meph?

 

FYI, IMB your man Obama just said at his press conference that A-Roid and all the guilty players of the steroid era had "tarnished" baseball. I thought it was a great choice of words.

 

Now who could argue with someone as smart as Obama?

[abuck1220]

oh, in your face, imb. in your face indeed.

[manbearcub]

roger maris had no increase in head size?

[dougdescenzo]

http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/socalsportsfan/2007/06/22/The_X_Files_Hank_Aaron

 

Even Aaron probably used.

[imb]

Why would an owner want to sign a player with the promise he won't take PEDs? They want to purposely make bad signings to appease the McCarthys?

 

This fogeyism is ridiculous, all your heroes were cheaters too. I want to be the one to etch the asterisk on Aaron's plaque. I got dibs.

 

 

Good luck with that. Go for Maris while you're at it. Now those would be real "witch hunts." You can nit pick all you want but nothing in baseball history will compare to your tarnished heroes from the steroids era.

 

You sound like someone told you there is no Santa Claus.

 

maris was a good power hitter who suddenly had the best HR season in the history of baseball, but he went bald during that year and then got hurt a lot afterward and retired, never coming close to approaching that homer total.

 

fits the profile

 

Roger actually lost weight that year on his skinny frame with no increase in head size. He was protected in the lineup most of the year by a good Yankee lineup and saw a lot of fastballs down the middle and was the perfect hitter for Yankee Stadium's short porch.

 

How about comparing Aaron's career home run consistency with McGwire, Sosa, Bonds, etc? How about it Meph?

 

FYI, IMB your man Obama just said at his press conference that A-Roid and all the guilty players of the steroid era had "tarnished" baseball. I thought it was a great choice of words.

 

Now who could argue with someone as smart as Obama?

 

hank aaron hit 29 home runs in 160 games as a 34-year old, then hit 44 as a 35-year olda nd hit a career high 47 as a 37-year old. He had his best power years well past his prime. He hit 40 home runs as a 39-year old.

 

his profile fits that of a steroid user. The only reason he was able to break ruth's record was because he played longer than most players were able to, and we all already acknowledge that steroids prolonged bonds' career.

 

looks like aaron is dirty too

[RynoRules]

If the vast majority of players "cheat", is it still cheating?

 

Yes

 

I dunno about that. Let's assume the vast majority (say more than 70%) of players used PED's in any given year. Isn't the point of cheating to gain an unfair advantage? Is the advantage unfair if everyone has access to the method and no one is punished for utilizing it?

[manbearcub]

If the vast majority of players "cheat", is it still cheating?

 

Yes

 

I dunno about that. Let's assume the vast majority (say more than 70%) of players used PED's in any given year. Isn't the point of cheating to gain an unfair advantage? Is the advantage unfair if everyone has access to the method and no one is punished for utilizing it?

cheat (chēt) Pronunciation Key

v. cheat·ed, cheat·ing, cheats

 

1. To act dishonestly; practice fraud.

2. To violate rules deliberately, as in a game

[SouthSideRyan]

Why would an owner want to sign a player with the promise he won't take PEDs? They want to purposely make bad signings to appease the McCarthys?

 

This fogeyism is ridiculous, all your heroes were cheaters too. I want to be the one to etch the asterisk on Aaron's plaque. I got dibs.

 

 

Good luck with that. Go for Maris while you're at it. Now those would be real "witch hunts." You can nit pick all you want but nothing in baseball history will compare to your tarnished heroes from the steroids era.

 

You sound like someone told you there is no Santa Claus.

 

You're the one who's refusing to accept that players cheated before Barry Bonds. Why am I supposed to pretend like steroids were invented in 1994? Why am I supposed to stick my fingers in my ears and say lalala I can't hear you, I'm not listening when I hear that Aaron was on roids and greenies? Why am I supposed to turn a blind eye to the rampant coke use of the 70s-80s, and rampant greenie use for who knows how long. I'm not the one with illusions that these people are something they're not.

[Sammy Sofa]

Why would an owner want to sign a player with the promise he won't take PEDs? They want to purposely make bad signings to appease the McCarthys?

 

This fogeyism is ridiculous, all your heroes were cheaters too. I want to be the one to etch the asterisk on Aaron's plaque. I got dibs.

 

 

Good luck with that. Go for Maris while you're at it. Now those would be real "witch hunts." You can nit pick all you want but nothing in baseball history will compare to your tarnished heroes from the steroids era.

 

You sound like someone told you there is no Santa Claus.

 

maris was a good power hitter who suddenly had the best HR season in the history of baseball, but he went bald during that year and then got hurt a lot afterward and retired, never coming close to approaching that homer total.

 

fits the profile

 

Roger actually lost weight that year on his skinny frame with no increase in head size. He was protected in the lineup most of the year by a good Yankee lineup and saw a lot of fastballs down the middle and was the perfect hitter for Yankee Stadium's short porch.

 

How about comparing Aaron's career home run consistency with McGwire, Sosa, Bonds, etc? How about it Meph?

 

FYI, IMB your man Obama just said at his press conference that A-Roid and all the guilty players of the steroid era had "tarnished" baseball. I thought it was a great choice of words.

 

Now who could argue with someone as smart as Obama?

 

hank aaron hit 29 home runs in 160 games as a 34-year old, then hit 44 as a 35-year olda nd hit a career high 47 as a 37-year old. He had his best power years well past his prime. He hit 40 home runs as a 39-year old.

 

his profile fits that of a steroid user. The only reason he was able to break ruth's record was because he played longer than most players were able to, and we all already acknowledge that steroids prolonged bonds' career.

 

looks like aaron is dirty too

 

BUT

 

HEAD SIZE.

 

REASON

 

AND STUFF.

[SouthSideRyan]

Somebody get me some shovels and a tape measure, we're goin head sizin!

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I definitely don't think it's impossible that Aaron did it. His career path fits the profile perfectly, he played during baseball's first Steroid Era, and one of his ex-teammates is out as saying a lot of that team was doing it.

[Derwood]

MLB Network just posted A-Rod's numbers pre, during, and post his 2001-03 steroid use, and the difference in SLG was like .035 while the batting average stayed the same. He didn't have some insane power spike

[badnews]

What annoys me is that when it was just Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, Juan Gonzalez, and Rafael Palmeiro, people were all for and making pariahs out of them. Then it became A-Rod and Roger Clemens and people are like "Well, let's reconsider." I'd rather have Barry Bonds in the Hall of Fame than Roger Clemens, Clemens is a bigger ****head than Bonds. Who throws their wife under the bus to get out of trouble?

[Jehrico]

This fogeyism is ridiculous, all your heroes were cheaters too.

 

....green font?

 

you don't think people have cheated in pretty much every era of the game?

Players were using speed in the 70s, who knows what in the 80s. Steriods were just the latest fad 10 years ago, as far as I'm concerned. Ever since players started making big bucks, it's just gotten worse and worse. Some scientist in some lab is working on inventing the next great supplement that isn't a steroid and isn't HGH that will give its takers an unfair advantage over the non-takers.

 

That's a completely inaccurate perception of the history of steroids and PED's. They go back a lot longer than the 90's.

That's why I started in the 70s. They probably go back more than that, but I've never even heard much anecdotal dating back to the 60s though, so I didn't mention it. I'm sorry if my post didn't meet your expectations of a thorough dissertation on the history of chemical enhancements in sports.

[Wilson A2000]

There's no "tragedy." A great player is a great player for most of their career. Steroids doesn't create great players like that.

 

Barry Bonds was great before he took steroids. He was going to be in the hall. But he wasn't going to be arguably the best player to have ever played without the juice. Steroids created this Barry Bonds - the greatest player ever.

 

Semantics. They didn't make him a great player. If you wat to argue that they made a great player greater, fine...I still don't see the "tragedy."

 

Going from a top 10 all time player to the best ever and taking two of the biggest records in sports history with you is not semantics. His head, arms, chest, and legs would beg to differ with you.

[Wilson A2000]

If the vast majority of players "cheat", is it still cheating?

 

Yes

 

I dunno about that. Let's assume the vast majority (say more than 70%) of players used PED's in any given year. Isn't the point of cheating to gain an unfair advantage? Is the advantage unfair if everyone has access to the method and no one is punished for utilizing it?

 

Yes cheating is getting an unfair advantage. 30% of baseball players did not have that advantage. Your train of thought punishes some people - the people that played by the books for doing what was right and not taking advantage of a situation where the league and the player's union decided not to do anything. They are the real perpetrators here. They share about as much blame as the players who were on the juice.

 

I have never seen so many people defend illegal activity.

[imb]

man, a-rod is so full of [expletive]. just own it you pansy. all this "well i didn't even know they were steroids" stuff, give me a break. Who is this fooling. You didn't know whether or not you had actually used steroids until the reporter told you? Come on.

[Derwood]

the panel on MLBN's Hot Stove show didn't entirely convince me that they weren't taking stuff themselves. Sean Casey got all sweaty and weird when Vasgerjian was asking him about it.

[Wilson A2000]

man, a-rod is so full of Veterans Committee. just own it you pansy. all this "well i didn't even know they were steroids" stuff, give me a break. Who is this fooling. You didn't know whether or not you had actually used steroids until the reporter told you? Come on.

 

Which is why when the complete truth does come out, he will look bad. Does ARod think we are stupid? Professional athletes don't take anything trainers give them. This is the route Barry Bonds is taking, and I hope at his trial his is exposed so other athletes don't try and go this route.

[erik316wttn]

man, a-rod is so full of Veterans Committee. just own it you pansy. all this "well i didn't even know they were steroids" stuff, give me a break. Who is this fooling. You didn't know whether or not you had actually used steroids until the reporter told you? Come on.

 

Which is why when the complete truth does come out, he will look bad. Does ARod think we are stupid? Professional athletes don't take anything trainers give them. This is the route Barry Bonds is taking, and I hope at his trial his is exposed so other athletes don't try and go this route.

 

Yes. He does. A lot of people do this when backed up against the wall, though, not just athletes. There are people who lie, lie, lie, even when caught red-handed. I saw our Loss Prevention Team walk out a shoplifter once who said "THERE WAS NOTHING UNDER MY JACKET" when indeed several people saw him watch the tape of him stuffing them all in there just a few minutes before.

 

When in doubt, lie. Everyone else does it.

[17 Seconds]

I loved the part of the Gammons interview when Arod is like "I remember in 2003 laying in bed thinking, "What am I doing? Why am I being so selfish? I need to stop... this isn't right."" I guess he could have been being sincere, but it cam off as being ridiculously phony/cheesy. That and the "I'm so glad I'm finally able to do the right thing and tell the truth. It's like a huge weight has been lifted off my back". Yeah Arod, you told the truth.....after you gut busted

 

Plus am I the only one that doesn't buy the "I only used from 2001-2003" stuff? It's kind of convenient that he gets to "do the right thing" and man up to the PED use to look like he's a good guy, yet he can still say he was clean during his entire Yankees career. Plus his main excuse for doing them in the first place was the pressure due to the big contract and going to a newplace. What team in sports brings more pressure than the New York Yankees? He was so afraid of Texas that the pressure got to him, but he decided to quit using right before going to the toughest city in sports?

 

Honestly though, I don't care. I've accepted the fact that the majority of people did it. Whatever. I get it. This is a business. Not saying it's right, but whatever. When millions of dollars are at stake and seemingly everyone around you is getting and advantage that you aren't, I can see why good and honest people could be tempted into trying it. I blame the league 1000x more than I blame the players.

[treebird]

Plus am I the only one that doesn't buy the "I only used from 2001-2003" stuff? It's kind of convenient that he gets to "do the right thing" and man up to the PED use to look like he's a good guy, yet he can still say he was clean during his entire Yankees career. Plus his main excuse for doing them in the first place was the pressure due to the big contract and going to a newplace. What team in sports brings more pressure than the New York Yankees? He was so afraid of Texas that the pressure got to him, but he decided to quit using right before going to the toughest city in sports?

 

it's impossibly to say about arod in particular, but i'd say it's very likely that there are a good number of players who quit taking steroids after the 2003 season. nobody wants to get busted.