I don't know for a fact that "NO ONE" took steriods at that time. But the evidence indicates that it wasn't the PHD of choice. I believe that the true steriod era began in 1990 and continued through 2003. The Mitchell Report cites 1988 as the year it began. The statistics support this. Consider these points.

There was a tremendous explosion of HR production in the mid 1990s through the end of the 2003 season. It was in 2004 that MLB began cracking down on steriod use. I believe that widespread steriod use began in 1996 with Brady Anderson. In 1996 Brady Anderson hit 50 HRs. This was the only time in his career that he hit even 25 homers, and was one of only three seasons in which he hit as many as 20. This drew the attention of many players who wondered how he had pulled it off. Anderson is an admitted steriod user and confessed to using heavily during the 1996 season. In 1998 there were 4 players that hit 50 or more HRs (McGwire, Sosa, Griffey Jr., Greg Vaughn). That year included McGwire's 70 HR and Sosa's 66 HRs. In the 50 years prior to 1998 only 10 players hit 50 HRs in a season TOTAL and we know that only 1 guy hit more than 60 HR fron 1927 - 1961 (for the unitiated: Ruth hit 60 HRs in 1927 - a record at the time - and Maris hit 61 HRs in 1961). Amazingly, that statistical anomaly was matched again in 2001 when another 4 players hit 50 or more HRs - including Bonds' record breaking 73 HR season. Yet In 2004 - the year MLB began to crack down on steriod use - not a single player hit 50 HR. Since then 50 HR seasons have returned to the historic norm. Since 2003 only 5 men have hit 50 HRs in a season - one of them is Alex Rodriquez. Oops!

During the 70s and 80s we didn't see players gaining so much muscle mass late in their careers and we didn't see the kind of longevity that players have today. But the power exlposion that occurred between 1998 and 2004 occurred with some of the games most elder statemen. The best example is Barry Bonds. In 130 years of MLB history, only 11 times has a man aged 35 or over hit 45 or more HRs. Bonds did it five of those eleven times. Ruth did it twice; no one else did it more than once. Since turning 35, Bonds has hit 300 HRs. The next-closest is Aaron with 245. Bonds is the all-time leader for HRs at ages 36, 38 and 39, and is second all-time at ages 35, 37 and 41. At earlier ages? He doesn't exist. He's 7th all-time at age 28 (46 HRs in 1993), but doesn't even crack the top 10 at any other age. Prior to age 35, Bonds hit one HR every 15.68 at bats -- an extremely good rate. Since age 35, he has hit one every 8.77 at-bats -- almost unheard of.

These are just two examples of the clear effect that steriods have had on just the HR aspect of baseball. You just don't see these statistical anomolies prior to the 1990s. If steroids were the drug of choice during the 70s and 80s then those players clearly were not taking enough or they didn't know about it.

You be the judge.

Here is a great article talking about this subject: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0919164815.htm

 

At least "A-Roid" manned up and admitted he did it, and gave some half-assed excuse of why he did it. More than can be said for Bonds or McGwire....

 

True, but at the same time.. he wouldn't have manned up if his name wasn't leaked. Which also brings up the question... why the hell wasn't that list destroyed after those players tested back in the day? The players were promised by the union that the list would be kept anonymous, and their identity would be kept secret. By the way, I'm not excusing any of this.. just thought the Union and that idiot commissioner need to also be blamed.

 

Exactly. A-Roid is only upset that he got caught. Nothing more.

Watch his entire interview with Gammons if you have not already. It is truly sad. When asked why he lied to CBS a few years back about taking steriods - after he KNEW that he had tested positive - he said that he wasn't sure what he took and that MLB had told him that he "may" have tested positive. That is a load of crap. That didn't work for Bonds and won't work for him. Then he continuously tries to blame the MLB "culture" regarding steriods. That's BS! He knew he was crossing the line. If not, then why would he have been nervous about a potentially positive test. Steriods were taboo when I was in high school in the mid-80s. A-Roid knew what he was doing and he shouldn't need MLB or the commisioners office to act as his personal Jiminey Cricket and stroke his conscience.

I thought the strikes were bad. But this is on a whole new level. All I have now are the memories of my past heros. I don't trust anyone in the game any more.

 

I think his "admission" was weak. He said he did not know what he was taking and never heard the term premabolin before yesterday. If he was a real man he would have admitted to abusing since he was 18 which in my opinion is the real truth. Seroids have been around since before the 70's and I am sure as hell the 70's players were using them as well.

 

I think the PED of the 70s was more amphetamines than roids. I am sure many took it, but the numbers don't show the huge power surge until the 90s. Check out my post #21 for some stats on that.

His admission was INCREDIBLY weak! He kept stopping himself though and trying to get back on track and take it like a man, but he just COULDN'T DO IT. It was a constant stream of blaming others.

I'll tell you how it works. When you take a cycle of steriods you usually do 2-3 different drugs in a cocktail for 8-10 weeks. You can't just take steriods year round because you will become tolerate to them and the side effects will mess you up (man tits, shriveled balls, rage, etc.). That's why they call it a "cycle." Usually this will be 1 oral and 1 or 2 oil-based injectables. You need a good solid base drug - which is usually an injectable testosterone sypionate. You don't want to mess around with the designer stuff as your base drug. You normally take just a basic ampule of test and then build from there. Many athletes skip the testosterone now and use human growth hormone to avoid the short term side effects of test. Then you supplement that with a designer steriod like Equipoise (Bonds' drug of choice - a equine steriod), Primobolan, Deca-Durabolin or Sustanon. Orals are usually Winstrol (Ben Johnson's drug of choice), Anavar, Dianabol or a generic derivative. You start out with small dosages and then gradually increase. You peak at the middle of the cycle and then taper off. This allows for fewer side effects and for your own testosterone production to start up again at the end of the cycle.

The reason I mention this is to impress on you guys what an intricate process it is. You don't just pop a few pills here and there. The injectables are a 21 gauge needle used for intramuscular injections - the largest needle of its kind. It hurts like hell too if you shoot yourself in the leg and you can't bear it in the arm. So you almost always need someone to inject you in the ass. And it still hurts like hell. I have athlete friends who have hit nerves and lost feeling in their limbs for hours at a time with an errant injection. If you don't follow the cycle instructions carefully, all you will get are zits and be really pissed off. So A-Roid knew what he was doing. Unless his steriod buddy was with him 24-hours a day to hold his hand then he had to know what to take and when.

To anyone who knows anything about PEDs, his story - and Bonds' and all the others who claim they "didn't know" - is simply laughable.

 

I did say "half-assed excuse." It's true that he would have never said anything had he not been caught.

It is difficult to judge a man without first walking in his shoes....what would any of us have done were we in the same situation? I am not sure how I would answer that question myself? If you were one of the many players who took steroids and HGH in that era and you had not been named yet, would you now come out and admit it?

 

I am glad to see someone call out the player that I believe is the poster child for "the steroid era"- Brady Anderson!!!!

I could write at length about the impact on the game and historical significance (but I won't). It's amazing how the owners and the league are flying under the radar screen. They turned their head and let it happen. No justification but it was "accepted practice" in the MLB.

It's a tough decision for all the players, especially the fringe players. "Back to Triple A for long bus rides and low pay or the bigs?"

Our country's mindset is "we'll worry about it later" and this is another example.

 

Makes George Foster's 52 HR's for the Big Red Machine even more impressive!

 

Great article by Jayson Stark on ESPN.com about A-Rod. I agree with most of what he says - especially the first half of the article. Check it out.

Jayson Stark: Baseball's last hope gone - ESPN