What complete nonsense. Why? The steroid era was a joke and make a mockey of the game and it's records. Well, first of all, no it didn't. Secondly, "it's nuances and subtleties blasted away by the naked obsession with power" is what I said before, complete nonsense. What nuances and subtleties were ruined? It's romantical tripe yearning for something to return that never went away, or even worse, never existed. Well, first of all, it did. Take Brady Anderson as just one example. The graphs speak for themselves. His stats are a joke. http://simononsports.blogspot.com/2009/02/numbers-on-steroids-brady-anderson.html Brady Anderson looked like a player who was 180 pounds soaking wet. He was a runt leadoff-esque centerfielder for the Orioles who couldn't get the ball out of the ball park and then... 50 home runs? That seems a bit questionable so let's take a look at his numbers to see how much the rates mightily changed in his career. Averages Say: His prime didn't start until 28 and it ended at 36? Hmm, that seems odd. At Bats Per Home Run Says: At 27 it was 1 home run per 130 at bats and then at 28 it was 1 home run per 30 at bats. Hmm... Explaining It Away Sometimes players are just late bloomers right? Maybe he never hit the gym ever in his life before 1992? Also, 1992 was the first season he got consistent at bats and was a day to day starter, perhaps that boosted his confidence and helped him get in a home run groove? And then some years you just have career years that can't be matched. So in 96 when he hit 50 home runs, it was more fluke than having any true cause. The Verdict In Brady Anderson's first 4 years he finished with a total of 10 home runs then all of a sudden he hit 21 home runs. And to further that even more he hit Hell he only had 53 steals in those first 4 years, the same total he had in his breakout 1992 campaign. And can anyone really believe that in a 15 year career when he finished with 210 total home runs that 50 came in one season, and that was just a complete fluke? So... If it Walks Like a Duck and Quacks Like a Duck... Than It's Probably a Duck