Bernie Williams Used Something...

Bernie Williams will always have a fond place in any Yankee fan's heart. He played the game hard, had a great mentaility, and seemed to always deliver the big hit in playoffs. As a young teenager (13-15 yrs old) I remember watching as Bernie's power #'s increased, along with his bulk. At the time everyone was bulking up so it wasn't all too noticeable, but when you look back with the skepticism that exsists today, I can't help but wonder if Bernie was on a little something special.

Bernie didn't get rediculously big like Mark Mcgwire or Barry Bonds. However there was a definite increase that just so happens to have occured in the thick of the "steroid era". And, of course, his power numbers increased as a result.

In 1993, Bernie weighed 180 lbs and hit 12 homeruns. In 1994, Bernie weighed 180 lbs and hit 12 homeruns in a strike shortened season. In 1995, Bernie weighed 180 lbs and hit 18 homeruns. Solid consistancy, no fluctuations in weight.

In 1996 (pictured above) he gains 15 lbs and hits 29 homers. What's noticeable about the pic above (bottom) is that not only did Bernie gain 15 lbs, but he is also more ripped and toned, with much greater vascularity. This means that he probably dropped 5 pounds of fat, and gained 20 lbs of muscle. His body fat percentage clearly dropped a great deal as well.

His homerun totals responded nicely to this new muscle. The next 6 seasons, Bernie averages 25 homeruns in 143 games (compared to averaging 14 homers in 131 games*). Then 2003 happens (note: this is the year where the MLB player union agreed to anonymous steroid testing). Bernie's homerun total dips to 15 in 119 games (on pace for 18 homeruns if he matched his 143 games average).

Bernie finishes his last 4 seasons (post steroid testing) averaging 15 homeruns in 135 games.

I understand that Bernie's numbers can easily be explained by a player doing better in his prime and slowly trailing off. But that doesn't explain a player putting on 20 lbs of muscle in half a year and morphing into a real homerun threat during the height of the "steroid era." It is a near impossibility to gain 20 lbs of muscle in 5-6 months without some help.

I'm not convinced Bernie was a steroid guy, but his gains are consistant with an andro user or other pro-hormone over-the-counter supplements that were legal and readily availble during those infamous years.

Pro-hormone drugs, such as andro, were legal and unregulated during the steroid era. They have since been banned by major league baseball, and any player who takes them today would fail a PED test and be suspended for 50 games. With that said, today's steroid testing is not very effective. If they really want to catch people using PED, they would have to test every 6 -8 weeks for the entire year. If they did that, I guarentee it would put an end to players coming back from the offseason gaining 20 lbs pure muscle.

Seriously WTF: Why the hell does football get a free pass on steroids!?! Every single guy in football is more muscley than baseball players with the exception of the kickers. Its funny because people would often say about Mcgwire "he's built like a lineman". But somehow the lineman gets a free-pass and Mcgwire is demonized shortly after being credited for saving baseball....

If Jose Canseco is correct with his assertion that 70% of major league baseball players used steroids, I would argue that at least 98% football players are users.

Ken Griffey Jr. Did Steroids (or some kind of test booster)

Ken Griffey Jr. is, and will always be, remembered as one of the greatest players of all time. He has 600+ career homeruns, has been on sportscenter making unbelievable plays my entire childhood and used to pimp the hell out of his homeruns. Something curious happens when you fully examine Jr.'s homerun numbers and compare to pictures...

Griffey starts his career averaging 22 homers in 145 games per season. Griffey then went from 27 to 45 homers and gained (what appears to be at least) 20 lbs between the 92 and 93 seasons.

Then he hit 40 hrs in 111 games in the strike shortened 94 season (on pace for 58 hrs). Has a nasty injury on maybe the best catch I've ever seen in 95, and in 96-00 averages 50 homers in 153 games a season.

Remember, this unbelieveable 50 homers a season average between 96-00 just happens to be when hitting 50 was all trendy. Albert Belle (steroids) got it started in 1995 with 50. Brady Anderson (Steroids) and Mark Mcgwire (Steroids) hit 50+ in 1996. Mcgwire (steroids) hits 58 to Griffey's (steroids?) 56 in 1997. We all remember what happened in 1998 with Sosa (steroids) and Mcgwire (steroids) but Greg Vaughn (steroids) also hit 50 and Griffey hit 56.

Believe it or not, Griffey was pretty injury free up to this point with the exception of his huge injury in 95. Then out of nowhere he starts to get consistantly injured (mostly ligimate injuries which are associated to steroid use) and averages 23 homers a season in 110 games per season.

Compare the 23 average homers in 110 games to his 40 in 111 games during steroid era. If you adjust the totals to equal his 96-00 games played average... He averaged 32 homers per 153 games during his injury prone years.

recap: Griffey in my mind is a definite HOF, and should get 100% of the vote. Call me skeptical though, that a guy gains 20 lbs in the steroid era, and jumps his average homerun per season by 210% for four seasons, then starts to get ligament injuries(common steroid injury) all while everyone elses' bodies get bigger and hit 50 homers a season. I'm not sure why he got a free pass. I think part of it was that we all liked his smile and his attitude. He was friendly to the press and fans. Let us not kid ourselves though...Griffey had his best four years during the the height of the steroid era. Here are a list of people who hit 50 homers with him during those years...Albert Belle, Brady Anderson, Mark Mcgwire, Greg Vaughn, Sammy Sosa. What do all of those players have in common? If you said "they play baseball?" you are correct :)

3 Things I Hate about the Baseball Steroid Era

There are a few things that really piss me off about this steroid era, the least of which being the players doing steroids.

1. I can't stand the pompus sportswriters and "fans" who believe because someone was under suspicion (or was caught) doing steroids, they do not belong in the Hall of Fame. Since the sportswriters get a vote and are still bitter that they were never any good at baseball and/or lifting weights, or because they are just so damn conservative they can't break out of the yester-years, they will block a big majority of players who deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.

2. I can't stand some of the players getting a free-pass on steroids because they were liked by everybody. Bernie Williams - steroids (He'll be one of my entries), Griffey - some kind of testerone booster, Jim Thome - steroids, Bagwell - steroids, Biggio for damn sure. My goal in this blog will be simple, I will show simple before and after photos, see how those correspond to homerun performance, and go from there.

3. People seem to think only good players were using steroids!!!! Full disclosure, I played minor league baseball and, on my team alone, roughly 30-50% of players admitted they had or were using either steroids, andro, or some other kind of testerorne booster. Pitchers got a free pass the first few years of steroid suspicion, but I was a pitcher and I tell you it may have been even more prevelant in them. Of all the people on my team, 1 made the majors and yes he admitted steroid use to me and no he was not on the Mitchell Report. That means that there were about 10-15 other confirmed steroid or andro users from my single A team that used but never made it to the majors. Why do you hypocrites only care about the good players who used them?

Time to start this blog.... First up Ken Griffey Jr!