Big Mac FINALLLY Comes clean on the use of 'roids

[Anaxogoras]

They should legalize steroids for professional athletes and create a new baseball league.  Leave the American and National leagues for those who remain clean, and have the 'roid users join the new league.  That way the public can have the circus-freak show they truly desire and the classic game might just survive.

[lowZX14]

I'm not condoning what McGwire or any other user of performance enhancing substances has done.  Being a High School baseball coach, we know the dangers and preach them.  I can take one of the other coaches that I grew up playing with as an example.  He was a pretty good player in college and was signed to a minor league contract by the Padres.  He never openly admitted to using them but has in a round about way even after he was done with baseball.  A facial injury from a 93 mph fastball to the nose ended up costing him any shot he had, and he now sees what effects steroids had on his body, but I digress.

The question I pose to you other baseball fans is this.  If McGwire is kept out of Cooperstown for the use of pes's, what about Gaylord Perry who admitted that he cheated by throwing a spitball, Rogers Hornsby who is probably the greatest second baseman of all time who also admitted cheating, and many other Hall of Famers who have cheated, docotored balls while pitching etc.?  Should they still be kept in the Hall of Fame, or booted out?

[Shuffler]

Out..... if any are let in that cheat then the Hall Of Fame is no more than a Hall Of Shame.

[crazyivan]

How did congress get invovled in baseball steroids testing anyway? I liked the guy but gezz. 5 years just to say, yeah I did it. Nah, say it ain't so! (sarcasm). The man could still hit though. my 2 cents

[lowZX14]

See below.  Had to rewrite that.

[Anaxogoras]

The man could still hit though. my 2 cents

He had the longest swing in baseball.

[greens]

Lets see if they pummel little mac like they did barry bonds, i doubt it. theyll praise little mac for this keep his records they legit anyway, but bonds nope nope.

[Stoney]

How was it cheating if it wasn't against the rules?  I say that partially in jest, but I don't think its right to blame the players and let the owners and league off the hook.  They knew it was going on and tacitly allowed it.  If it hadn't been for Bonds and BALCO, we might still be talking about rumors...

[crazyivan]

Lets see if they pummel little mac like they did barry bonds, i doubt it. theyll praise little mac for this keep his records they legit anyway, but bonds nope nope.

If  I'm not mistaken Bonds still holds the All time Homeruns  record. 

[greens]

yes bonds does. both these guys need to be wiped of their records. all steroid users should not be allowed to play ever again and keep their records. using roids in baseball is like dale jr using a regular nascar car against jimmie johnson using a toy cart for racing in nascar. think thats fair? don't think so.

[lowZX14]

How was it cheating if it wasn't against the rules?  I say that partially in jest, but I don't think its right to blame the players and let the owners and league off the hook.  They knew it was going on and tacitly allowed it.  If it hadn't been for Bonds and BALCO, we might still be talking about rumors...

You know, most people believe that it wasn't against the rules, but that's false.  In 1991 then commissioner Faye Vincent issued a policy labeling steroids illegal when taken for the purpose of enhancing performance.  The problem was that there was really no form of testing established so players continued to use them.  The players, owners, and league did all know that it was going on and allowed it because it brought in revenue for everyone.  It wasn't until the public started an outcry about it in the early part of the decade that they started forcing more stringent testing procedures.  

I have read many many arguments as to why steroids is considered cheating and why it shouldn't be and I could bore you to death with the case for both.  To me, there has hardly ever been one pure era in baseball to consider for statistical recognition.  Take Babe Ruth for example.  I'll ruffle some feathers here because the Babe is an icon and part of my argument may be considered wrong by some but it's objective.  Ok, we all know that Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's record, and Bonds broke Hank's, leaving pes's out of it.  Ok, well would Babe Ruth have hit as many home runs during his career if the league's weren't segregated?  There were many great pitchers in the Negro League's such as Satchel Paige at the time who may have had an influence on Ruth's statistics.  You cannot compare statistics from different "eras" of baseball because the times are not the same, so comparing Ruth's era to Aaron's to the "Steriod Era" of Bonds, McGwire, Canseco, etc. is crazy.

[crazyivan]

Well Pete Rose will have afew new bar buddies. So what about Alex Rodriguez. Has he ever been suspended yet. Nah, he's money to baseball. Watched baseball all my childhood. For the last few years though. I turn the channel to basket weaving with Martha Stewart.

Still watch the World Series even though its a 5 hour game nowadays. Don't forget instant replay is coming( yawn).

[Stoney]

The players, owners, and league did all know that it was going on and allowed it because it brought in revenue for everyone.  It wasn't until the public started an outcry about it in the early part of the decade that they started forcing more stringent testing procedures.  

I have read many many arguments as to why steroids is considered cheating and why it shouldn't be and I could bore you to death with the case for both.

An unenforced rule is no rule at all.  The league and the owners are just as culpable as the players--maybe more so.  And yes, I know they're bad; I'm certainly not trying to white-wash their use, just trying to argue that we shouldn't bash the players only here.  As for Bonds, all he needs to do is come out and tell the truth, fess up like Mac did, and I'd have the same regard for him.

[bj229r]

Congress put him on the spot by injecting themselves into this crap, and you can't expect someone to go on the stand and incriminate himself. It's been enough years that he can't be prosecuted now, though it has to be tough to teach kids hitting, with EVERYONE knowing how he got so many of those dingers

[crazyivan]

Around 2002 I was trying to put weight on. HGH was all over GNC stores like it was  the new wonder pill. Same with that ephedrin hydroxcut weight loss crap now! Theres a pill for everything and anything these days. Can't be to carefull. Next they'll tell me  green tea causes loss of bladder control.