300/500/756

[mik3 1]

Personally, I wouldn't be shocked if Barry gets traded this year. They have three weeks to pull it off.

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

oh, you were calling Aaron one tool... i see.

either way, screw barry, glad we're finally on the road to getting the schmuck out of the news

[hockeyplaya97 0]

Never really was more than a one-tool player though. Power hitter, .305 career average I don't think really counts as hitting for average. Never had notable speed, never played great defense.

This is the craziest part, to me, of Aaron/Bonds

Barry: 9,774ab

Aaron: 12,364ab

I think the most IMPORTANT part, to me, of Aaron/Bonds is:

Bonds: Juiced

Aaron: Not Juiced

[mik3 1]

Cool, so that means if I take PEDs I'll be able to hit a bunch of HRs. It has nothing to do with any other factors.

[RadioGaGa 162]

Un-juiced Barry hit them very far. (Allegedly) Juiced Barry hits them even farther.

'Roids can't improve your hand/eye co-ordination...which is probably more important to a Power hitter than brute strength...He very well may have done it without the juice.

And, at the end of it all...if he's dead at 51 from years of steroid use...I guess he won't have had as long to enjoy his record as Hank did.

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

hey, he's got great hand eye, and is a good hitter. dont think anyone can take that away... but he gained an unfair power advantage. distance hit is pretty important, it's what defines HR vs not a HR. God only knows how many HRs didnt deserve to get past the warning track. Guarantee you, though, it's going to be more than whatever Bonds hits past 755

^ ummm it's not 'allegedly juiced'. its 'allegedly knowingly juiced'. but everyone knows he knew

[Datsyukiandeek 0]

Could Bacsik be any smug about giving up 756? Ive never seen so many soft pitches thrown to one player. He went out of his way to insure Balco would hit it at home tonight. "It was suppossed to be a splitting fast ball... oops dead center in the strike zone.."

[Jason Harris 31]

I just finished Canseco's book last night, which was a far more interesting read than I was expecting. He unabashedly claims to be the Godfather of Steroids in baseball, saying he's been taking them since the last two years of minors through today. He said that players came to him all the time for advice on steroids and that, for years, no one in baseball understood the effects of the various PED's available. (He also said the percentage of players on the take was VERY high.)

The most important myth he claimed to debunk was that steroids will only add to a player's power. He said the right combination of steroids, growth hormone and exercise would increase a player's speed, vision, hand-eye coordination and power.

He claims to be living proof of that. He's bitter about what happened to him at the end in baseball, and he comes across as slightly insecure, but he raises compelling arguments.

[mack 44]

Congrats, I guess, but I have a lot more than 2-3 players I'd have taken over him. Enjoy the asterisk.

[DarkStar50 679]

"The only thing I ever used was chewing gum," Aaron said.

[Wayne 0]

The recorded message Hank taped was a classy move, regardless of how anyone views the record.

[trevor13478 1]

i like how Aaron calls bonds the "career home run leader". Aaron is still the "home run king". Screw bonds*

[mrusse01 0]

The most important myth he claimed to debunk was that steroids will only add to a player's power. He said the right combination of steroids, growth hormone and exercise would increase a player's speed, vision, hand-eye coordination and power.

I think I'll believe the overwhelming LACK of any scientific data that points to that conclusion over the alleged experiences of one, fairly dim-wiited, greedy rat.

[Jason Harris 31]

He's made some dumb moves over his career, but he comes across nowhere near as dim-witted as the media portrayed him.

Regarding the lack of scientific data, his main postulation is MLB had to know about steroids because it was too rampant in the clubhouse, but they did nothing to stop it because it was too beneficial to the ticket sales. He named about 6-8 guys that he personally shot up, and another 6-8 that he heavily discussed the benefits of the different PED's. He said by the late nineties, many of the trainers would be supplying the steroids, and that guys were fairly open about it in the locker room. I've read that elsewhere, that one guy's needles would drop on the ground and others would bust up laughing.

In various ways, he claims to either know particular players indulged, assumed that particular players indulged because of their association with people he knew were taking, assumed that players indulged because of their conversations with him, or assumed that players indulged because he was like any of us who spent a lot of time in the gym -- it becomes obvious what looks natural and what doesn't.

Without spending the time to reread and put the players into the right category, he implied that many more were assumed to have taken steroids, but specifically named McGwire, Palmeiro, I-Rod, Tejada, Giambi, Clemens, Sosa, Bonds, Boone, Sheffield, Caminiti, Wilson Alvarez, Dave Martinez, Tony Saunders.

Given these names have surfaced elsewhere, and given I personally had assumed some of them were taking prior to ever reading about them in the paper, I'll assume that Canseco is not so dim-witted when it comes to this subject.

EDIT: I realize now you were referring to the hand-eye coordination, and lack of data towards that. He addressed it in the book and said his speed and bat speed increased, which makes sense, but also said his vision increased because of the steroids.

It's an easy read. I'd suggest people pick it up at the library.

[sabre09923 0]

Without spending the time to reread and put the players into the right category, he implied that many more were assumed to have taken steroids, but specifically named McGwire, Palmeiro, I-Rod, Tejada, Giambi, Clemens, Sosa, Bonds, Boone, Sheffield, Caminiti, Wilson Alvarez, Dave Martinez, Tony Saunders.

I don't know about Tejada, but otherwise, all of those guys definitely took steroids, Pudge especially... Considering he isn't so pudgy anymore.

I wonder what "dirt" Canseco has on A-Rod for the sequel...

[troy 12]

Here's an article suggesting Bonds' elbow armor may have also contributed to his HR totals, article.

There's also a follow-up with the author defending his original stance, defense.

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

so i just saw the HR... ha... i find it ironic that 756 barely made it over the fence. no juice, no 756

[mik3 1]

Barely made it over the fence? He hit that ball to the deepest part of the park and made it out by about 20ft. It was estimated as 435ft

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

without juice, 20 feet can make all the difference.

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

Remember McGwire's barely made it over the fence...

[Chadd 916]

Remember McGwire's barely made it over the fence...

It was a bullet that was never more than 20 feet off the ground either. A little different from a high fly ball that carries farther than you expect. I just think it's fitting that 756 was the perfect example of a home run produced by juice.

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

spot on chadd.

[mik3 1]

Thing is, that ball was gone off the bat, that was bat speed and pitch speed getting that ball out.

If anything the ball he pretty much poked out to left field for 755 was more questionable.

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

more like:

If anything any ball he pretty much poked out since 1999 is more questionable.

[Chadd 916]

Thing is, that ball was gone off the bat, that was bat speed and pitch speed getting that ball out.

If anything the ball he pretty much poked out to left field for 755 was more questionable.

Maybe I'm thinking of 755. I have honestly avoided watching ESPN since the whole "who's now" thing started.