PED's in Baseball

[Bruce_T_Laney]

Another Baseball Player busted for PED usage and this time it was his second failed test...

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/02/s...pended-162-games-for-drug-violation.html?_r=0

During the 1990's through the mid-2000's PED usage was part of the sport ( and even before that ) but since the mid-2000's Baseball has attempted to bring the usage under control while handing out strict punishments, and sports writers keeping players like Bonds, Sosa, and Clemens out of the Hall of Fame.

With Byrd being the latest player to be suspended ( again this is his second suspension ) it make me wonder if their should be only a one strike rule and what I mean if busted using PED's the player should be banned from Baseball or any other professional sport for life?

I believe in today time players, owners and fans know enough about the dangers of PED's and I believe it is time to just say one dirty test give you a lifetime ban and you can appeal it after five years if you meet certain requirements.

So what do you say?

 

[Manonthestreet]

I want to see 120mph fastballs sail the length of 2 modern stadiums and still be rising as it leaves the park.

 

[DGS49]

Maybe MLB should get on top of this and sanction a finite set of supplements and drugs that are medically safe, and yet effective to maximize performance. Such drugs do exist.

If they would do this, it could revolutionize amateur sports by giving amateurs guidelines on how to optimize their performance without permanent health side-effects.

 

[Paulie]

It's getting a bit ridiculous with these writers keeping these guys out of the hall. The hall is a history museum at the end of the day and these players were part of that history. It was an entire era where any number of players were on the juice including the pitchers so I really don't see any reason to say these guys don't belong in the hall. The hall tells the story of baseball so put these guys in the hall and then TELL THE STORY. These writers need to get off their high horse, like every single one of them has used absolutely zero substances of any kind in their own lives or something. It's fucking ridiculous

 

[TheOldSchool]

I think "PED's" should be perfectly acceptable when healing injuries. But once you're healthy and ready to go... if you're abusing PED's then lengthy bans that forfeit pay are fine by me.

No sport wants their best players out because of injury, or even marginal players out because of injury. If the technology exists to heal you, then you should use it. But if you abuse it like the A-Rod and Barry Bonds types have, then the hammer should come down on you hard.

It will be an absolute travesty when A-Rod the cheater hits numbers 714 and 715.

 

[Paulie]

Everyone just wants to point the finger at bonds and Sosa like they were just a select few that were juicing. It can't be proven of course, but it's pretty well understood that at least half the league was juiced if not more. That seems pretty evident just by examining their physiques and looking for the tell tale signs, plus the fact that even today with the crack down there's still guys getting caught. So imagine how many must've been using back then when there was impunity. You have to look at that time as an era and stop holding it against certain individuals. Any real baseball fan knows how valuable that time period was for the sport. Baseball was quickly becoming what hockey is now.. A forgotten and ignored sport. The steroid era breathed new life into it. Give these guys a break.

And Btw, a rod can still smash the shit out of the ball. He was doing it before roids and he's doing it after. Same as bonds. In fact I can really only think of maybe 1 or 2 guys that actually BECAME something because of it, and that's Sosa and palmeiro. Sosa was NOTHING until the juice. Just about everyone else was already an all star

 

[TheOldSchool]

Everyone just wants to point the finger at bonds and Sosa like they were just a select few that were juicing. It can't be proven of course, but it's pretty well understood that at least half the league was juiced if not more. That seems pretty evident just by examining their physiques and looking for the tell tale signs, plus the fact that even today with the crack down there's still guys getting caught. So imagine how many must've been using back then when there was impunity. You have to look at that time as an era and stop holding it against certain individuals. Any real baseball fan knows how valuable that time period was for the sport. Baseball was quickly becoming what hockey is now.. A forgotten and ignored sport. The steroid era breathed new life into it. Give these guys a break.

And Btw, a rod can still smash the shit out of the ball. He was doing it before roids and he's doing it after. Same as bonds. In fact I can really only think of maybe 1 or 2 guys that actually BECAME something because of it, and that's Sosa and palmeiro. Sosa was NOTHING until the juice. Just about everyone else was already an all star

"The steroid era breathed new life into" the sport?! Wow. Actually, it completely destroyed it. Prior to the 1994 strike baseball was the #1 sport in America. After that, supposedly baseball won people back with fake, cheating all stars? And then that cheating was exposed. And now baseball is in a state of post-steroids rebuilding.

A-Rod was NOT a 50 home run guy before steroids.
Sosa was NOT a 60 home run guy before steroids.
Bonds was NOT a 70 home run guy before steroids.

Paulie, I doubt you have much care at all for Baseball.

 

[Paulie]

Exactly, prior to the strike. The sport took a huge hit after that and the steroid era saved it. And I never said bonds and a rod had the same home run numbers before roids. All I meant was they were still fucking amazing ball
Players before roids. Bonds and a rod would've hit 500 home runs without roids. So they took roids and hit 700. Who the fuck cares? So did most other players. There's not a single big name player that won a ring though. They may have personal great stats but unless you count Clemens, none of these guys cheated their ball clubs to a World Series win. I'm sorry but I don't buy the "not fair" routine. They took a supplement that made them stronger. SO...FUCKING...WHAT

 

[DGS49]

The BBHofF is a place where players are given their place in "history" based on their career-long performance. The players who dramatically improved their numbers due to PED's are ineligible because they - to be completely honest - CHEATED history.

To put Bonds in would be tantamount to acknowledging that he was a greater home run hitter than Ruth or Aaron, which is not actually the case. It is unfortunate because his performance before PED's was easily good enough to ensure his enshrinement, even if he was an ass-hole.

I think Pete Rose has a better argument for getting in. His transgressions didn't impact his own personal stats; they just proved him a dirtbag - like many others who are enshrined at Cooperstown.