Per this story.
Documents: BALCO VP said Bonds used THG
How much good did they really do him?
Of course he will. Steroids won’t help you make contact, and he’s proven to be a great player when he was Tiny Barry in Pittsburgh and the first few years with the Giants. He’s also very good at the mental game of baseball.
If he stops using, I imagine there will be a dropoff in productivity. Look at Giambi and his “parasite” as well as the speculation around Sosa’s diminshed output. As for the people that keep using the argument that steroids don’t help you make contact, well, that isn’t entirely true. Chris “Mad Dog” Russo said on CNBC that steroids can improve eyesight. I know that doesn’t put the bat on the ball, but it helps. Russo also pointed out the state that prior to '99 or 2000, Bonds had only had something like six balls go longer than 450 feet. Since 2000 or '01 he has had 20+ go for more than 450 feet. Yes, I think there will be a dropoff.
He’s 41. Trust me, there’s going to be a dramatic dropoff in capability next year or the year after whether he’s juicing like crazy or not.
I never really understood the logic behind this. Nearly every major league ball player can hit the ball nearly 3 times out of ten. The steroids would help you hit those out of the park.
I agree.
It’s not like Bonds started as a replacement-level player and became one of the best players in baseball history through steroids. He went from an elite player to a super-elite. He’ll be OK.
He probably wouldn’t have been juicing this year anyway, considering the hoopla.
On the other hand, at the All-Star game, Bonds wasn’t hitting his dingers any further than Lance Berkman or Miguel Tejada or a few other guys. They can certainly hit the ball every bit as HARD as Bonds can. Bonds is doing something else they aren’t (not that those guys aren’t great players.)
As has been pointed out in other threads, there isn’t a clear relationship between size and strength and hitting prowess in the major leagues. Hank Aaron was not a very big man. Neither was Willie Mays.
This should not be taken to mean I’m sticking up for Barry Bonds. I’m frankly getting sick of pro sports.
Sure he’ll be competitive. He was before he got big. He probably won’t hit as many big ones, but frankly that’ll just make his play more interesting and (hopefully) will mean that he’ll actually put in some consistent effort in the field.
By the way, the way I understand it is that BALCO told the athletes that they were taking a legal performance enhancer. Since there probably wasn’t a law on the books about THG specifically, and not everyone is familiar with analogue laws, it makes sense that some of the athletes would get one pulled over on them like this. Although I’m not at all a Bonds (or Giants) fan, I place a lot of blame on BALCO for creating and marketing a product like this as legal basically only because it couldn’t be tested for at the time.
What makes you think that Barry used any of the funny drugs this past year? With all eyes on him and his awareness of the BALCO mess, he was probably smart enough to lay off any of the BALCO drugs. His personal trainer was not allowed in the clubhouse last year either. Still he had a pretty good (MVP) year. A lot of people aren’t aware of the very rigorous physical program that Bonds does in the off-season. The answer to your question is yes, he’ll be competitive.
I a) don’t know much about steriods, and b) don’t care for baseball. That said, I have a question about Bonds’ statements that he did not know what he was taking were steroids.
Muscle building is a tear-down and build-up process. When you work, say, biceps, you can’t work them again the next day because it takes time for the muscle to heal and rebuild. Now, from what I understand, steroids assist in the rebuilding process, making it possible for you to work the same muscle groups daily.
If this is true, then wouldn’t “not knowing” you were taking steroids confer no benefit? If you didn’t know you were taking steroids, then you would observe a standard workout routine. If you observe a standard workout routine, then what would the point of taking steroids be?