Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: easymoney

I don't know, I mean, I like watching baseball, I'm trying to follow the WBC and everything, but when I hear people talking about how this is bad because they can't compare the players of yore to guys like A-Rod and Santana, I just kind of turn my ears off, because it's not really a sensible complaint.

There are a million reasons why such comparisons aren't worth a dime, in my opinion, and steroid use is one of the smaller ones. I mean, can I go around saying that Ruth's records shouldn't count because he had it easy not having to play against black players? That he played against an artificially thinned talent pool? Of course I can't. The game was different then. You can say that Ruth was the greatest player of his time, and that's about all you can say. I know that doesn't sell many volumes of the baseball encyclopedias, but that's just the way it is for me.

So given that steriods are being used anyways by most players, that they're not terribly dangerous to adult males, and they players seem, by and large, to be okay with using them, I don't really see a problem with allowing their use.


42 posted on 03/07/2006 12:34:45 PM PST by munchtipq
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies ]


To: munchtipq; All
Not so fast, Kimo Sabe. Yes, Ruth played in a segregated era, but an era when ALL THE BEST athletes played baseball. Even though baseball is long since integrated, you can validly make the argument that, with the prevalence of football and basketball, the best black athletes - and white athletes - are no longer playing baseball.

Secondly, the only valid comparison is the comparison of a player against his League competition, during his time. Crunch the numbers, and you'll find that there isn't even a close second. Ruth revolutionized the game by out-homering entire teams during much of his career. Oh, and he could pitch a little bit, too...

60 posted on 03/07/2006 6:47:58 PM PST by Al Simmons (Four-time Bush Voter 1994-2004...PROUD TO BE A BUSHBOT!!!!!!!!!!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson