Originally Posted by
Gadget (fmr Marine)
I have pretty strong opinions about the whole situation....and I do believe that people are innocent until proven guilty.
First: As a professional athlete, I think you are doing a disservice to your team, if you are not doing every legal thing possible to improve your physical abilities. I do not know if Barry took steroids, honestly, we all just think we know what happened.
At the time he was allegedly taking steroids, it was not illegal under the rules of MLB....correct me if I am wrong, please.
Second: No amount of steroids will increase your eye hand coordination. Putting the round bat on the round ball thrown at 90+ mph takes eye hand coordination....not necessarily strength....Hell, Barry (and Griffey) were hitting the ball 375+ when they were skinny little rookies....they both have great baseball genetics. Increasing your strength is important, though, and all athletes should do everything legal to stay in shape during their careers.
Lastly: Hitting half that many home runs is quite an accomplishment. He is a hell of an athlete. I respect him for that.
It has been illegal to take steroids for the purpose of sports enhancement since the 60s, at least. Using illegal substances to enhance one's physical ability when using such substances for that purpose is illegal is just plain wrong.
Steroids would have a GREAT effect on hitting power; which, all the hand-eye coordination in the world cannot overcome a lack of. The fact that he was hitting home runs prior to any steroid use is irrelevant to the fact that he obviously did, and more than likely still does, use controlled substances for the purpose of giving himself an unfair advantage.
He'll get his name in the record book, but in the end, it's a shallow victory because he had to cheat to win.
“When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.” Edumnd Burke