Was Hank Legit?

[celtsxpatsxsox]

he was clean, you could say all players have evidence against them that they did something. We could say Babe Ruth did something because he was hitting HR when some teams barely got 40 as a team. BTW I know Ruth couldnt of done steroids.

 

[NAHSTE]

Go fuck yourself. Aaron is an American hero. He was just a great hitter. Never hit over 50, but always had around 30. Consistency that you do not see with steroid users.

Not even dignifying this with a response.

 

[Youk]

He was legit, and this is coming from someone who doesn't like Hank Aaron.

I'd rather keep Bonds at the top, FWIW.

 

[kmanharris]

You can make the case as you did but unless he comes out and says it (which there is no way in hell he will) there will be no evidence on it.

Just because he never hit 50 homeruns doesn't make him automatically clean lol. From hitting 29 homeruns when you are 39 and being above that every year until your 40 and then hitting 40 homeruns when you are 39 in less than 400 at bats can raise suspicion.

 

[Senser81]

Steroids have been in use in the American sports world at least since the 1960s.

Kind of a stretch right there. Athletes didn't even start weight-training until the late-60's, and steroids didn't become somewhat prevalent in sports until the mid-1970's. Hank Aaron's career started in 1954, and he was out of baseball by the mid-70's.

Tom House pitched for the Atlanta Braves from 1971-1975, House has admitted using steroids and other PEDs when he was with the Braves, and has said that other players on the team did the same. Hank Aaron was on the Braves during that period. And . . . .

In 1968, the 34-year-old Aaron fell to 29 home runs.

In 1969, he jumped to 44.

1970--38

1971--47 in only 495 at-bats. That was the highest single-season total of his career. And he was 37 years old.

1972--34 in 449 at-bats. Not had for a 38-year old. But wait, there's more.

1973--40 in a mere 392 at-bats, the highest season home-run rate of his career, and he got to the brink of breaking Babe Ruth's record. A clean 39-year-old isn't supposed to do that, right?

At the beginning of 1974, Aaron broke the record.

1967 and 1968 were the weakest offensive years in modern baseball history. Pitchers dominated the game. After 1968, MLB lowered the mound and there was an immediate spike in offensive production. To ignore this huge league-wide change and instead speculate that Aaron's increased production in 1969 was due to steroids is ridiculous.

In addition to lowering the mound, the MLB put several new expansion teams into play in the late-60's & early-70's, diluting the pitching and making it easier for the good hitters to feast on subpar pitching. After leading the NL in HRs in 1967, Aaron never again led the league in HRs.

Remarkable performance for a graybeard. Somewhat reminiscent of the revival of Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro as they got into what ordinarily would be their declining years. And as soon as Aaron broke the record, his production fell way off. Did his age suddenly catch up to him? Or with the record in hand did he stop shooting up and hope that his jewels would return to normal size?

Plenty of evidence, I think, to at least raise suspicion that Old Number 44 was one of the Braves getting a little boost from the wonderful world of chemistry.

I don't know why a baseball player continuing to be productive in his late-30's is such a novelty to you. George Brett won his last batting title at age 37. Dave Kingman had his best years after he turned 35. Mike Schmidt won the MVP at age 36. Willie Stargell won the MVP at age 39. Darrell Evans hit 34 HRs at age 40.

 

[Len B]

Are records this important?

 

[Kuzzy Powers]

Go fuck yourself. Aaron is an American hero. He was just a great hitter. Never hit over 50, but always had around 30. Consistency that you do not see with steroid users.

Not even dignifying this with a response.

Hahahhaa you just did!

 

[dell71]

Are records this important?

To baseball fans? Yes.

 

[Kuzzy Powers]

Are records this important?

Yes, they definitely are.

 

[Leftwich]

Are records this important?

Yes because when records in baseball fall its a big thing. A lot of records are amazing feats in baseball. So if someone cheats it kinda ruins it.

 

[Senser81]

I didnt write that. I just though it was an interesting think to look at it.

Who wrote it? Although I didn't agree with it, it was an interesting thought.

 

[dell71]

I didnt write that. I just though it was an interesting think to look at it.

If you're gonna post an article you didn't write, immediately credit the person who did.