Way to go A-Rod....#600!

[nauticajoe]

Kudos to A-Rod & the Yankees for making history!

[sleddog]

Originally Posted by nauticajoe

Kudos to A-Rod & the Yankees for making history!

It took quite a while to hit the magic 600 Joe but a huge achievement!!

[nauticajoe]

Originally Posted by sleddog1000

It took quite a while to hit the magic 600 Joe but a huge achievement!!

It sure did Rob. The league was starting to run out of those special baseballs! I'm just glad it took place in the Bronx.

[sleddog]

Originally Posted by nauticajoe

It sure did Rob. The league was starting to run out of those special baseballs! I'm just glad it took place in the Bronx.

I thought he would do it for sure against Toronto.......

[NYC6]

SOB couldnt wait till Friday? Of course not, I'll be at the game that nite. GO YANKEES!

[joeychitwood]

Even though the vast majority of players couldn't hit 600 home runs using steroids for an entire career, A-Rod's admitted short-term use of PEDs has tainted the accomplishment to the point where most non-Yankee fans could care less. It's just one more baseball milestone made dirty by the PED era.

[mtrunner]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

Even though the vast majority of players couldn't hit 600 home runs using steroids for an entire career, A-Rod's admitted short-term use of PEDs has tainted the accomplishment to the point where most non-Yankee fans could care less. It's just one more baseball milestone made dirty by the PED era.

I do agree to an extent and the steriod era is a black eye for baseball and all sports for that matter. But one thing to consider is he has hit 600 homeruns in an era where other players were juiced as well and did not hit 600 homeruns and more importantly a lot of the pitchers were juiced as well. Sometimes baseball players accomplishments have to be taken in the context of the era they played in.

One thing I think a lot of people forget is players in sports have always tried to find an edge. Heck, pitchers have been caught with all kinds of substances to get a grip on the ball or players corking bats etc. That is cheating and the person who gets caught gets thrown out of the game and maybe a small suspension but then it is all but forgotten. But it is cheating none the less. Baseball players up until they implemented drug testing have been doing ampethamines (commonly called greenies in baseball) which allows players to be alert which is a huge advantage. Greenie usage is rampant in baseball. This has been going on since probably the 60s or early 70s. Then when drug testing was implemented suddenly a large portion of baseball players had ADD so they could get a presciption for Ritalin (7.6% of all baseball players have an exemptiopn for ritalin). Lets not forget the cocaine use in the late 80s and early 90s. This drug use seems to be ignored by most. Also steriods have been in baseball a lot longer than just the late 90s and early 00s. They have been used since the early 80s. It wasn't really discussed that much until Mark McGuire went on a rampage.

So some players like A-Rod have come forward but what about all the tainted players that were not caught. Where do you draw the line? What about the 100 other names on that list? What about players in the 80s who were definitely juiced but it really wasn't even talked about at that time? How much has stats been skewed by the use of ampethamines or any other stimulant these players have taken?

I don't think it is a clear cut answer and personally I don't think you can say his accomplishments should be discarded when you put it in context with the era he played in.

[beerformeplz]

Agree. Steroids have made all the recent records worthless.

[Art 1]

A-Roid.

[figbo]

Originally Posted by Art 1

A-Roid.

Indeed,Art,indeed!

[Ed Rooney]

Sosa
Bonds
A-Roid

I'm noticing a trend.

[nauticajoe]

I am all for putting an * behind their names when its time to make it to Cooperstown.

[Watchdog]

Originally Posted by nauticajoe

I am all for putting an * behind their names when its time to make it to Cooperstown.

Very much doubt that they will ever see induction into the Hall. Fair or not, I don't know.

[joeychitwood]

Take a look at a photo of Roger Maris (a local Fargo boy) and a photo of Sosa or McGuire. Training methods aside, the difference in body thickness and muscle mass is tremendous. Maris' achievement of 61 home runs in 1961 becomes much more impressive when considered in light of the juiced up players who accomplish the same number these days.

[JBat]

A-Fraud hit a home run. So what? He's the biggest schmuck in baseball.

[Skullring]

I prefer how Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron did it...

With a hangover.

Not steroids.

[Art 1]

Originally Posted by Skullring

I prefer how Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron did it...

With a hangover.

Not steroids.

I have seen two of those guys play in person.