Was the era of steroids so bad?

[Simple8]

Read a post on this form earlier answering a question about McGwire just got me thinking. Let me say this first when I found out about steroids it hit me pretty hard because I am a major McGwire collector and fan. Now that some time has passed I find myself actually missing the game being played the steroids.
The steroids era was absolutely some of the best baseball I've ever seen. I would love to see players hit 450 ft. plus homeruns on a regular basis. Nelson Cruz hit one 484 foot this year and it was awesome it brought me back to some of the shots that McGwire & Sosa hit. Just a couple of weeks ago Giancarlo Stanton hit the scoreboard and it was played on ESPN and the MLB network over and over for three days. That's just one example of how much we enjoyed seeing long homeruns. Steroids definitely made the game more entertaining. I know that the game is not all about homeruns but when we're lacking high numbers in stolen bases and low numbers with ERA numbers. I would like to see some dominant players like we had in the late 90s. It was good times.

 

[HPC]

Uhhhhhhhhh

Do you really need an explanation as to why the steroid era hurt baseball?

 

[mmier118]

I thought the steroid era of baseball was pretty cool. Like you said baseball was more exciting back then. Bonds was absolutely amazing when he was roided up, and at the time I just assumed everyone knew these guys were on roids. I just figured baseball was ok with it because they needed some action to help them recover from the strike. I wonder if as time passes people are going be more forgiving of those who used during this era? I hope so as they helped create some of the most exciting times in baseball and really helped the league recover from the strike.

 

[rum151man]

Yep and it's more exiting to watch heroine, cocaine, crack, acid, and Meth addicts fight over empty cans and change too than sober people...

 

[rum151man]

Its cheating and it takes away from the way the game is supposed to played. And as a former college shortstop at only 5' 7" it is unfair to all the players that played the right way & never made it because a Roid Boy got the call over them.

 

[trevordchi]

Some of us actually like pitching and strategy as opposed to waiting for the 3-run bomb all the time.

 

[MansGame]

Yep and it's more exiting to watch heroine, cocaine, crack, acid, and Meth addicts fight over empty cans and change too than sober people...

LOL!!!!!!

 

[mmier118]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion I happened to like that era of baseball, and there was plenty of dominate pitchers during that time as well. Yes it was unfair to those players that couldn't make it or got paid less because others were using and they weren't but baseball is not here to be fair, honestly it's a business. I think it's unfair to anyone that's not rich how much they charge for tickets now days but those are the breaks. I've had conversations about it with someone that had to make the choice of using steroids to help them get into the bigs or not. So it's not like the players were in the dark. Also for these players there was/is big money involved, the pay difference for someone playing AAA and a major leaguer is signifcant. The players knew the risks and seemed ok with those risks because they wanted the rewards, some were willing to go further then others to get there, and I still think watching Bonds, Clemens, Mcgwire etc. was awesome.

 

[rum151man]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion I happened to like that era of baseball, and there was plenty of dominate pitchers during that time as well. Yes it was unfair to those players that couldn't make it or got paid less because others were using and they weren't but baseball is not here to be fair, honestly it's a business. I think it's unfair to anyone that's not rich how much they charge for tickets now days but those are the breaks. I've had conversations about it with someone that had to make the choice of using steroids to help them get into the bigs or not. So it's not like the players were in the dark. Also for these players there was/is big money involved, the pay difference for someone playing AAA and a major leaguer is signifcant. The players knew the risks and seemed ok with those risks because they wanted the rewards, some were willing to go further then others to get there, and I still think watching Bonds, Clemens, Mcgwire etc. was awesome.

and I loved to watch them crash and burn........................................

 

[scotty216brs]

There is more to baseball than home runs. If you can't appreciate that then maybe 'post steroid era' baseball is not for you.

 

[Mighty Bombjack]

I wonder if as time passes people are going be more forgiving of those who used during this era?

I think the answer to this one is yes. Known roiders are going to get into the Hall. It might take a special "PED Era Committee" 30 years from now, but I think it will most likely start to happen about five years after Arod retires. His induction will be the lynchpin.

 

[jbhofmann]

I love how the Bill James "purists" think the game has changed. It hasn't.

 

[sportscardtheory]

How come whenever someone gets busted cheating in Olympic competition, mostly everyone frowns on the offender. But in baseball and football, many don't care. You don't ever hear anyone touting Olympic cheaters. "Oh man, but look how FAST it made 'em run! Let 'em take the stuff! SO exciting!!!"

 

[schmidtfan20]

baseball got sick of pitchers dominating. Games were too short which mean ad space was limited. Its all about money. Lincy v Halladay should of been a great
playoff game, except the umps shrunk the strike zone to favor the hitters. Its all about money. Longer games make you more money. 250 wins today should
be the new 300.

Kevin

 

[Topnotchsy]

The games were exciting, interest was up and in theory if (in a parallel universe) the players had performed the same without taking steroids, people would look back at the era fondly. The issue is that for many people, the integrity of the game is hugely important. As the players pour their energies and talents into the game, we want our teams to win, but want them to win fairly and honestly, because they have performed better despite an even playing field. With baseball, there is also the historic element, that we compare eras to each other. The steroid era was a hit to the integrity of the game.

 

[jbrown]

For those compaining about the steroid era let me ask you a question; did you just not watch baseball during that time? Did you boycott the MLB because it was so bad and had no entertainment value at all? Get real and get off your horse. I understand being against the use of steroids but at the time, you didn't know anything about it. It was never an issue until later. You watched the games. You got caught up in the Mac/Sosa battle. It was fun and VERY exciting. The thing that bothers me the most is, steroids were not banned while that was going on. They were not illegal in MLB. So why are these players being punished after the fact? That would be like me getting a citation now because I drank alcohol while I was minor 15 years ago. And to compare steroids to crack and heroin is plain stupid. Crack and heroin ruin lives. Steroids ruin your chance at the HOF.

 

[Mighty Bombjack]

How come whenever someone gets busted cheating in Olympic competition, mostly everyone frowns on the offender. But in baseball and football, many don't care. You don't ever hear anyone touting Olympic cheaters. "Oh man, but look how FAST it made 'em run! Let 'em take the stuff! SO exciting!!!"

Ever seen "The All-Drug Olympics" sketch from SNL in the 80s? Damn funny, but I don't feel like looking for it or retrieving it.

Your question is a good one. One answer is that a lot people don't equate different sports simply because of the fact that they are sports/competitive. There has long been a perceived purity associated with the Olympics, which simply isn't there in competitive team sports. Baseball in specific has historically NOT had anything close to purity associated with it. It is and has been full of colorfully flawed people, whose imperfections and affectations are sometimes larger than those encountered in everyday life. This is one of the many great reasons to love the sport.

Another possible answer is that some people, like me for example, don't give a crap at all about the Olympics.

 

[DRM]

Its cheating and it takes away from the way the game is supposed to played. And as a former college shortstop at only 5' 7" it is unfair to all the players that played the right way & never made it because a Roid Boy got the call over them.

I pitched in D1 baseball (and actually threw a lot of innings, not just "on the team" or something (only saying it for sake of the rest of my argument)) , and I know people who did roids, and guess what? I didn't care at all. Honestly, it never bothered me. I would definitely never thought about doing them myself, but I wasn't ever like "oh man, maybe that guy is on roids and he wouldn't have gotten that homerun/hit/legged out a single/legged out a double if he wasn't" That's just me, but roids to me doesn't give you talent, just makes you able to better work with what you have I suppose. Just my 2 cents.

 

[rum151man]

I pitched in D1 baseball (and actually threw a lot of innings, not just "on the team" or something (only saying it for sake of the rest of my argument)) , and I know people who did roids, and guess what? I didn't care at all. Honestly, it never bothered me. I would definitely never thought about doing them myself, but I wasn't ever like "oh man, maybe that guy is on roids and he wouldn't have gotten that homerun/hit/legged out a single/legged out a double if he wasn't" That's just me, but roids to me doesn't give you talent, just makes you able to better work with what you have I suppose. Just my 2 cents.

so If these guys are so talented then why do they need the help of roids?

 

[rum151man]

Steroids do and will ruin lives.............