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Give me your feedback on Baseball and Steroids

Please keep it clean and logically.

From the lens The Controversy of Baseball and Steroids.

Any good arguments, for or against, or just an opinion, will be published. What will not be published is just plain rants and raves. You don't need to be nasty! I'll get your point.

  • TwoDogHouse Apr 29, 2012 @ 6:58 pm | delete
    You've made some excellent points and I agree with most. Personally, I don't care if they do or don't use steroids, it's their body. I love the game and have been a fan since Trammel and Whitaker were playing with the Tigers.
  • Spency12 Apr 24, 2012 @ 11:04 pm | delete
    Great article! As a competitive baseball player, I look forward to a game free of cheaters!
  • SvenFletch Oct 27, 2010 @ 6:54 am | delete
    Very intresting article. I totally agree that you can't and it's unfair to compare baseball players or players in any other sports from the present with those from the past. But i don't think changes like gloves' size and shape, stadium size, mound etc can be considered issues, cheating or something bad. What is cheating? it's doing something that will put one or other team or player at an advantage. Here everyone is playing with the same gloves, on the same stadium so they are in the same condition. Why I think steroids is bad for sports? Because steroids can help your muscles recover faster after a training or any physic effort. So then you are more likely to put more effort in your next training and get better results. Lets assume that steroids are allowed in sports. Not every player will agree to take them. That means those that will use steroids will be at an advantage and that's already cheating. I'm not against using steroids as long as you are not a sportsman and this will make you happier. This is my opinion and I'm not trying to argue anyone. just thought to post it.
  • Wednesday_Elf May 10, 2010 @ 10:11 am | delete
    I love Baseball and none of the flap, about steroids or other issues, takes away from my pleasure. I agree with the points you make about steroids, the DH (which is totally silly - ALL players, including the pitchers, should have to take their turn at bat and many pitchers today in the NL are 'good' hitters), and Pete Rose. I also agree that you cannot compare past stats and player performances between 'yesterday' and today. Too many changes -- no comparison possible. Let's 'do away' with asterisks and controversy, and just 'get on with the game'! Play Ball!

    *Lensrolled to my two baseball pages.
  • mlnsports Sep 25, 2009 @ 10:59 pm | delete
    In one sense, you're right. Drugs have never been a rule of the game. The JDA is a sidebar agreement between owners and the MLBPA. It has no real force of law. You want to see what Steroids are really all about? I've spent two months poring over MLB's rules deals and testing protocols. It's all a big fat joke: http://www.mlnsports.com/baseball/affiliated/features/articles2009/09/17/01.php
  • toptips2008 Sep 9, 2009 @ 6:23 pm | delete
    very interesting post, please keep up
    Buy Steroids
  • bengriston Sep 2, 2009 @ 12:22 pm | delete
    You make some very valid points. At what point and time is something an unfair advantage. Players today do not have the same issues to contend with that those in the past did and they have way better gear. That will continue to be true so that in 100 years purest will want the steroids back because there will be something else.
  • TwoDogHouse Aug 23, 2009 @ 2:04 pm | delete
    Lots of good information, especially about lowering the pitchers mound. I've been a baseball fan for many years but what I could never understand is how Congress could spend so many hours investigating the use of steroids when there were so many other important issues to be investigating that actually related to the running of our country.
  • Adelie Aug 21, 2009 @ 12:29 am | delete
    This is probably not the right place to post this but there was no contact me button...
  • goodenov Aug 18, 2009 @ 6:35 pm | delete
    I recently posted this on yaketyyakclub.com: (excerpted)

    Sports And Drugs
    Published: 03 August 2009

    What's the long lasting effect of the ongoing discovery of usage of drugs by many major league sports figures? Will fan participation drop? Do they really care? Every other day revelations about drug usage emerge like kernels from a popcorn machine. TV news show fans lamenting, "I can't believe it, He was my hero%u2026" followed by one or two teammates demonstrating undying support.

    Sports writers, news writers, bloggers, all are blathering about the latest revelation. Fans are arguing amongst themselves whether they believe the latest story.

    Drug usage in sports has gone all the way to the US Supreme Court. But has this entire hubbub affected sports itself in any meaningful way? By that I mean has the sports industry suffered financially? If not, it shows that the public really doesn't care. They will still support their favorite teams, even without a few of their heroes.
  • askkellyforadvice Aug 18, 2009 @ 3:45 pm | delete
    I'm hardly a baseball fan, but thanks, I learned something new today...food for thought.
  • JonCucumber Aug 12, 2009 @ 2:59 pm | delete
    Well done, simple and interesting.
  • januarie Aug 7, 2009 @ 11:51 pm | delete
    Very interesting...
  • Aug 6, 2009 @ 8:02 pm | delete
    Great lense! I really enjoyed the old time videos from the past. Makes me thing of better days when bsaeball was simply and life was less complicated.
  • Donee Aug 4, 2009 @ 7:56 am | delete
    Great lens, I like the link to honer a vet. awesome.
  • fairdeals4u Aug 4, 2009 @ 7:18 am | delete
    Nice lens. You learn something new everyday.
  • EvanRoberts Aug 2, 2009 @ 1:10 am | delete
    Awesome lens. Really made me think about baseball in a different way. Also, I enjoyed all of your graphics. Great job!!!
  • HealthyLiving4U Jul 7, 2009 @ 4:54 pm | delete
    Loved the lens!
  • Kylie2 Jul 6, 2009 @ 9:15 pm | delete
    Fantastic blog- learning so much! This is such a great topic of interest as well. My boyfriend used to play baseball and he encountered so much of the information you have reported here, it was difficult to hear the stories and see the pressure sounding him. Thanks so much for sharing it.
  • daveusa59 Jul 2, 2009 @ 2:36 pm | delete
    Great lens, it is very informative. Keep up the good work.
  • LifeAdviceSite Jun 25, 2009 @ 2:13 pm | delete
    Very insightful and well-thought out!
  • PepperAnn49 Jun 24, 2009 @ 6:04 pm | delete
    I'm not into sports at all, but this is was a very interesting read. I enjoyed it very much. The only way I keep up with the sporting world is by reading articles that are informative, smartly written, short and to the point. Great Job!
  • tduenas05 Jun 22, 2009 @ 12:24 pm | delete
    Nice Work! Many changes will always call for differences in performances. As long as it in the rules then it is fair.
  • WildwindE Jun 21, 2009 @ 6:09 am | delete
    Thanks for a great lens--it brings it all back for me!

    As a sixteen year-old I befriended a new girl in school some forty years ago. We became fast friends and stay in touch even now. What I didn't know when we first became friends was that her father was a pitching coach for a major league start-up franchise. A baseball player all his life, having pitched in the world series under the tutelage of Casey Stengel, she never told potential friends about her father's history. She wanted people to like her for herself and not because of her father.

    But because of our friendship, I got to see a side of baseball most people don't.

    Baseball has a scarred history marred by its many slips and falls and growing pains, just like the rest of America, but you're right, what's the big deal about steroids, you still have to HIT THE BALL. Steroids only gave these players the ability to hit the ball farther. Not more often!
  • CCGAL Jun 20, 2009 @ 12:27 pm | delete
    This was an interesting read - I'm not a baseball fan (I actually like to play, but don't like to watch) - so I didn't know about the asterisks controversy, but I did know that the game has changed over the years. I learned a LOT about those changes from reading this lens, and it was an enjoyable journey. You absolutely deserved LOTD, and all the 5* ratings, too. Good Job!
  • build-your-business Jun 19, 2009 @ 8:04 pm | delete
    Hi Stephen,
    Very interesting to read all your lenses.I don't have to buy any book already :)

    Send my best regards to Paul.
    Best of health to you,your family and your friends.
    Have a beautiful day
  • Quaddamage Jun 19, 2009 @ 12:26 am | delete
    Before 1990 anabolics were the norm in most every game aside from the olympics. They were not illegal but decriminalized in the sense that you wouldn't get in trouble. It was a wink and a nod kind of thing. then the hysterical mass media got started and asinine politicians found something to grandstand about. And all the weenys, the hall monitors-tattletales- and basically unhappy guys started making noise..

    And Bingo! They are suddenly classified right next to cocaine and heroin. all they do is help you to recover faster, if you suck at bat, you will still suck at bat If they were as dangerous as these chicken littles keep preaching, bodybuilders would be dropping like flies all over the world.lol. The very lamest retort is the one about Lyle Alzado stating that anabolics killed him because he wouldn't admit being gay.Otherwise I defy the weenys to name anyone who has been harmed. And, hey anabolics can help you look better naked! lol Stop believing every wivestale you hear.
  • willsnews Jun 18, 2009 @ 9:42 pm | delete
    Enjoyed the information in this lens
  • kuzek Jun 18, 2009 @ 4:41 pm | delete
    Your lens are truly wonderful, it's properly organize and nicely presented. Beautiful writings with strong points and very well balanced. Very relevant links, especially the collector items photos plus the memory lane videos. I do admit that it will definitely attracts readers to read till the end.. Expecting of more to come.

    Kuzek
  • abadial Jun 18, 2009 @ 7:30 am | delete
    I love this lense. Great topic, great outline, and great writing!. Keep up the good work!
  • iflo Jun 18, 2009 @ 7:14 am | delete
    good points there. great lens
  • mukunda22 Jun 17, 2009 @ 10:38 pm | delete
    I can see why this lens got LoTD award. It asks great questions and makes great points!!

    Bravo!
  • SALZBURG Jun 16, 2009 @ 10:43 pm | delete
    IMO still unfair when group of players are playing by the rules!
    Another group choses not to play by the rules but juice up!

    The juiced up players are at a advantage with qucker recovery times and many cases are stronger.
    How about Brady Anderson hitting 50 hrs leading off.
    Many of the modern players from the 80-90 's took short cuts.
    How many players playing well into their forties could have done it with that quick fix?
    Sure the agenda was that next big contract and keeping that hot prospect at triple A.
    I don't know about that astericks but many will be denide ist entry to the hall of fame!
  • tripwire181 Jun 16, 2009 @ 9:26 pm | delete
    The lens is awsome to say the least. You make some great pointsand keep in interested in the overall lens.
  • My-Mosaic Jun 16, 2009 @ 1:50 pm | delete
    I thought your lens was great. Lots of really great points. Pardon my ignorance, but I don't know what asterisks are, apart from being punctuation. I assume this is something in baseball or sports in general, and though I watch sports, I don't keep up with the stats.
  • alghaz01 Jun 16, 2009 @ 11:23 am | delete
    StephenC your are the great!!!..look what you have done LoTD..Great!!!!...very respectful when you have visit my lens..thanks..5* just 4 u
  • freedom-debt-relief Jun 16, 2009 @ 10:59 am | delete
    WoW... i never knew thanks for the share
  • Learn1 Jun 15, 2009 @ 2:45 pm | delete
    I've been a fan for over 40 years and have seen so much happen to the game I love. I throughly enjoyed your lens! It was very, very well done. As for the steroids... the simple answer is "who's going to care 20 years from now?" Only the purists, like me. I never felt Roger Maris should've had an asterisk next to his name. Was it his fault MLB added more games to the schedule? No. Should Aaron have one? No. My take on the 'roids is MLB KNEW it was going on and did nothing about it. Shoot, had Congress not threatened to make changes to the game to control it Bud "I didn't know about it" Selig would've never done anything. Although my gut tells me the steroids users should be banished from the record books and not allowed into Cooperstown my logic still says one of the most difficult things to do is hit a baseball coming at you close to 100 mph. Should Pete Rose not be allowed in the Hall because of betting when related to knowingly "cheating" with an as yet illegal substance?
  • orrinhawkins Jun 15, 2009 @ 12:53 am | delete
    My take on all this b***s**t is that the owners are still laughing all the way to the bank. While the public sit around and debate then when the season start they(the fan) are back at the game with their season tickets.
  • Mountainside-Crochet Jun 14, 2009 @ 8:37 am | delete
    Hi Stephen - had to come back and visit to congratulate you on this terrific lens becoming LotD. Cool.
  • Troyblue Jun 13, 2009 @ 2:00 pm | delete
    Great Work! You are a true master of writing lens!
  • StephenC Jun 12, 2009 @ 3:20 pm | in reply to JoeBlack | delete
    Yeah, some very good points.
  • JoeBlack Jun 12, 2009 @ 11:16 am | delete
    Very nice lens Stephen. Great point about the mound and newer equipment. Even though I feel that Steroids don't directly improve the ability to hit a baseball squarely, it is still a substance that is banned by the league. Steroids do not increase hand-eye coordination, which is key to hitting a baseball effectively, but it can make someone stronger resulting in a faster swing that allows a split second more to target the pitch before committing. Doesn't mean it gives them the skill. I just wish the media would stop ruining the name of baseball by singling out players. Teams should handle it internally, especially because other sports have players using plus all of our impressionable kids would stop hearing about these guys using those substances. If you get a chance check out my lens about a baseball swing or my site about
  • StephenC Jun 11, 2009 @ 9:45 am | in reply to RobFonner | delete
    Good point about those pesky old wooden tennis rackets.
  • RobFonner Jun 11, 2009 @ 8:40 am | delete
    Great lens! Have to wonder if Ruth or Gehrig would have considered using steroids to get a better edge (like they really needed them!) or if a first baseman of the '20s would be ecstatic to use a glove from today. My dad used a glove from the early fifties, man they were small! I don't know how he caught line drive stingers! I think all sports evolve over the years for good or bad. Who wants to wear leather helmets in football or play with wood tennis racquets. I also got overheated agreeing with purists over steroids.My kid put it into perspective, he said "Dad get over it, it's just another era in baseball".
  • smokinghelper Jun 11, 2009 @ 3:56 am | delete
    great lens, you've given me something to aim for!
  • patbham Jun 10, 2009 @ 9:31 pm | delete
    I enjoyed your lens. ilived in Wyoming for most of my life baseball was not king. My Grand Mother was a hugde fan. She would lisen to the game on her transister radio and one ear phone, on her lap was a full blown dugout stat leger book. i looked up your article to see how it done i am pretty new to Squidoo. When you got a moment I would like you to check out my article and let me know what you think.
    Pat Patterson
  • endseparation Jun 10, 2009 @ 12:20 pm | delete
    Great lens! Lots of facts that this baseball fan wasn't aware of. Thanks!
  • eblaylock Jun 10, 2009 @ 7:05 am | delete
    Very nice Work here Just by reading this i know more about baseball then i
    every had very good content I am a big fan of baseball and there information here that
    i never knew about Good Job

    Free Online People Search
  • edwardz1978 Jun 9, 2009 @ 7:50 pm | delete
    very nice lens i tried to lensroll you to my lens but babe ruth gets in the way!!! LOL
    back from the grave so to speak.
  • ShortSaleRealtor Jun 9, 2009 @ 4:25 pm | delete
    Great lens hi 5 for you..
  • giterson Jun 9, 2009 @ 10:13 am | delete
    You make great points, baseball players have been trying to find an edge since the game started. However, steroids might not help you hit the ball it does help it go further. So, it does help the batter hit further, the pitcher throw harder. I have been in the battersbox and faced nasty stuff, and your right it is hard to hit. I did find your lens enjoyable and I do agree with you except for that small point on steroids. I'm glad I found your lens I love baseball so thank you.
  • babybuff205 Jun 9, 2009 @ 5:19 am | delete
    How do you get lense of the day ? im realy new to this and need swome help
    http://www.motherwearclothing.com/latest-maternity-fashions.php
  • Seun_Ade Jun 7, 2009 @ 5:27 pm | delete
    Wow!! Amazing lens. I'm a newbie just working on my first lens but I know the real thing when I see it. Good stuff...good stuff!!!!!
  • njchief6 Jun 7, 2009 @ 12:42 pm | delete
    Great lens very good input 5 stars!!.... rate mine www.squidoo.com/ufcundisputed www.squidoo.com/jiujitsusubmissions
  • dreamadventures Jun 6, 2009 @ 11:23 pm | delete
    a very interesting lens!
  • rean Jun 6, 2009 @ 1:58 pm | delete
    Classic American
  • Margo_Arrowsmith Jun 6, 2009 @ 8:25 am | delete
    I remember my brother moaning in high school, "When the dumb kids are getting 95 on tests because they cheat, and I get a 90 because I studied, I realize that I will have to cheat to do as well as they do"

    And of course, the real sin here, is that high school kids are realizing that to make it big they have to destroy their bodies.

    Put these guys in prison like the addicts they are.
  • usastruck Jun 6, 2009 @ 7:14 am | delete
    As a huge fan of baseball, I found your lens very entertaining and informative!
  • Seemoney Jun 6, 2009 @ 1:39 am | delete
    Awesome lens, 5 stars
  • RawBill Jun 5, 2009 @ 11:34 pm | delete
    I do not know anything about Baseball, the issus mentioned here, the players or anything, but I still managed to find this lens entertaining...Well Done!!!! :-)
  • GetBackWithEx101 Jun 5, 2009 @ 9:01 am | delete
    Super nice lens... I love it!
  • highpriestess Jun 5, 2009 @ 8:41 am | delete
    Pete Rose also had a thing or two to say....
    http://juicersshouldgetsecondchance.blogspot.com/
  • Ryan_McCullen Jun 5, 2009 @ 7:55 am | delete
    The truth of the matter is that so many guys in MLB have been taking steroids over the past few years and none of them have been able to been able to hit the number of HR's that Bonds has been able to. You've gotta give the guy more credit...it's silly that they discredit him by putting asterisks by his name (Frankly I think it's pretty insulting). I love how you pointed out all the batting skills (that aren't helped by steroids) such as excellent reflexes, bat control, eyesight, batting mechanics, and concentration. The two biggest reason that I see for more HR's are that the ball parks today are smaller and the balls are harder. There so busy trying to point the finger that they never stopped to think maybe it's not steroids.
  • Jun 5, 2009 @ 4:11 am | delete
    aww. . . i love baseball! they mustn't do stuff to ruin the sport!
  • sixthgalaxy Jun 5, 2009 @ 3:02 am | delete
    Great lens.
  • sportsbettingadvice Jun 5, 2009 @ 1:01 am | delete
    Great lens, thanks for telling a different side to the story, it's good to hear something different in this market.
  • pyle_mountain Jun 4, 2009 @ 8:14 pm | delete
    Great lens! I completely agree with you. Not sure if you mentioned it and I missed it - but chewing tobacco, snuff, etc. is a HUGE stimulant. I know because I was once addicted to the stuff. I'm not sure how things are now, but I can remember when ALL baseball players DID tobacco.

    For those of you who have never felt the rush of a lip full of tobacco - it's very powerful and I'm sure all that nicotine could be considered an "enhancing chemical".....
  • StephenC Jun 4, 2009 @ 12:34 pm | in reply to DavidVLynn | delete
    Good points, and I did see the error! Thanks!
  • DavidVLynn Jun 4, 2009 @ 9:45 am | delete
    A great lens! While I don't agree with everything, I totally agree with the premise. The saying, rules are meant to be broken, is most apparent in sports.

    What I have always wondered is why baseball is the only major sport that is ever associated with cheating? A football player takes steroids and it is on the news one day, but a baseball players pops on a test and it is on every type of newscast, at every hour for months.

    One thing I noticed was in your last paragraph you said lowering the mound instantly enhanced the ability of pitchers, but it did the opposite. Loved the read though, thank you.
  • 2Eklectik Jun 4, 2009 @ 9:21 am | delete
    Thank you for a great lens. I like hearing all sides of the story. Congrats on LOTD!!
  • chinnu301 Jun 4, 2009 @ 4:41 am | delete
    good lens revealing the information clearly great may be i do not know so much of base ball but this is helpful
  • Madnic Jun 4, 2009 @ 3:18 am | delete
    Congrats on LOTD! Great research & good arguments about a topic that is present not just in Baseball.
  • GingerAlly Jun 4, 2009 @ 3:12 am | delete
    Well done on being LOTD! Congratulations !
  • LoKackl Jun 3, 2009 @ 9:02 am | delete
    A lesson in research! Thank you. I predict you have a lens that's a real Game Changer.
  • LappiPump Jun 3, 2009 @ 4:12 am | delete
    I liked the legal cheating and the baseball gloves - amazing! You made us see the whole thing from a different point of view. Five stars!
  • jimmywilliams Jun 2, 2009 @ 4:34 pm | delete
    Great lens and very excellent points were made. I too have been one saying that the rules of the game have never been pure and I hate to hear all of the sanctity of the game bologna. You knocked this one out of the park, great job and it looked as if the lens was well researched as well.
  • janices7 Jun 2, 2009 @ 2:33 pm | delete
    Congrats on LOTD!! Your arguments are well laid out and presented.
  • Susan52 Jun 2, 2009 @ 8:23 am | delete
    Excellent analysis. Of course I agree that taking steroids is not a good thing and dangerous to one's body, but I think perhaps a lot of the issue has to do with baseball players being role models for children. That's a very hot topic these days, in case you haven't noticed, and could make a good subject for yet another analysis. Wouldn't it be interesting for the old-time baseball greats to be able to play under today's circumstances, with today's equipment, at night under lights, with a cool uniform. Ain't gonna happen, but it's interesting to think about. Enjoyed the lens. Congrats on LOTD!
  • Mustang_Molly Jun 2, 2009 @ 12:04 am | delete
    Steroids in sports is nothing new but is definitely this generation's form of "cheating." The pressure to be the best is always out there and what's frightening from a parent's standpoint is listening to the conversations being had by our youth today.

    Their view on steroid use is one that if the "big boys" are using it and becoming better ball players because of it, then it must be okay & safe for them to use.

    The cheating that has gone on from one generation to the next is nothing new. The sad part is that all of those things didn't damage a person's body. Steroids do. Facts show steroids increase muscle mass, strength, and ability to train longer and harder. But users can also become paranoid, irritable, delusional and have impaired judgment as well as high blood pressure, baldness and low sperm count.

    Steroids are a performance drug and these drugs should NOT be allowed in pro sports.

    Thanks for raising an interesting chat among our family!

    Cheers to a great article!
  • PunditP Jun 1, 2009 @ 9:27 pm | delete
    Fantastic post. People romanticize certain things sometimes and are led to get up in arms over inevitable change, baseball is yet another example as you demonstrate.

    Maybe its not the most apt comparison, but I usually draw the analogy to endangered species: Sure, I don't want to see a species go extinct, but throughout time literally millions of species of animals have gone extinct. The environment is always changing and to romanticize that it should stay the same is silly. Not to say I am in favor of humanity catalyzing this process.
  • Astrieanna Jun 1, 2009 @ 5:04 pm | delete
    congratulations on making LOTD! =D

    Very nicely organized. ^^
  • ss834 Jun 1, 2009 @ 3:43 pm | delete
    Congrats on LOTD! I don't keep up with baseball but I really enjoyed this lens! You bring up some great arguments.
  • TopStyleTravel Jun 1, 2009 @ 12:06 pm | delete
    First congrats on LOTD! I am not a huge baseball fan but the issue of Steroids (a drug) is a present day problem. If the rules state they should not be used and the players signed contracts, then the rule stands. I too learned a lot from reading your lens.
  • KarateKatGraphics Jun 1, 2009 @ 11:25 am | delete
    Thought provoking. Have 2 baseball megafans here (husband and son) who might have some thoughts on all this. Nicely researched and presented; congrats on LotD!
  • d-artist Jun 1, 2009 @ 9:43 am | delete
    Congratulations on LOTD!!!!....5*
  • kiwisoutback Jun 1, 2009 @ 6:45 am | delete
    Congratulations on LOTD!
  • Silver_Lotus May 31, 2009 @ 9:16 pm | delete
    I love baseball, and I love this lens. You've raised many good points. Thanks.
  • StephenC May 31, 2009 @ 11:54 am | in reply to supercibor | delete
    Yeah, you're right! How about George Brett and his pine tar? LOL!
  • supercibor May 31, 2009 @ 11:45 am | delete
    WOW !.I learn something new everyday. I am just waiting for Manny Ramirez to comeback and show who the boss really is. Did Sosa's "rubber' bat give him any real advantage in breaking the home run records?
    Great job!
    Hector
  • e2000advertising May 30, 2009 @ 3:31 pm | delete
    Awesume!!
  • AdriennePetersen May 30, 2009 @ 10:08 am | delete
    Excellent lens, a well-deserved LOTD! 5 Stars!
  • ROretired May 30, 2009 @ 9:11 am | delete
    great lens. yesterday, today. it's like apples and oranges. how do you compare the two? I learned a lot from this lens, Thanks. maybe we should have a new Hall of Fame every so many years to make it fair.
  • eccles1 May 30, 2009 @ 8:58 am | delete
    congratulations on your LOTD !!
  • genewolfe May 30, 2009 @ 8:17 am | delete
    Great content...well writen. Congrats!
  • kguru1979 May 30, 2009 @ 5:20 am | delete
    very nice lens I have ever visited. Keep it up.
  • jeffgoins May 29, 2009 @ 11:10 pm | delete
    Interesting read. Some decent points; however, I'm not sure that they necessarily are related to the use of steroids in baseball. Perhaps, a better title for the lens would have been "A History Lesson in Baseball for Purists." At the end of the day, using steroids is still unethical, I think, and the supposed ethics of such an act weren't really addressed. Or did I just miss something?
  • May 29, 2009 @ 9:50 pm | delete
    Congratulations and well deserved for this terrific lens. You've said so many of the things that I've wanted to say with my 50 years as an avid fan. People today are just so... programmed that they don't stop and think. I wouldn't ignore any record performances or play around with asterisks; even for the spoiled brats of today. Baseball was a "blue collar" sport for so long with the players routinely abused... they had to be playing for the love of the game. "Jimmy Dugan" had it right: "Are you CRYING?... There's no CRYING in baseball!" Great job and thanks!
  • -Judith- May 29, 2009 @ 8:49 pm | delete
    While I'm not as passionate about your chosen topic as you are, I recognize an excellent lens when I see it. Well done...very professional. Congratulations!
  • Joel_R May 29, 2009 @ 3:53 pm | delete
    This lens should win the pulitzer of the squido lenses (or the equivalent)

    Great work!
  • needatitleokc May 29, 2009 @ 3:35 pm | delete
    I really enjoyed this lens it helped me see some realistic changes have been made. You also have some good points
  • bobmarconi May 29, 2009 @ 3:15 pm | delete
    Whew, a lot do digest even for a non-baseball - well, maybe a little bit - fan!
  • purplelady May 29, 2009 @ 12:58 pm | delete
    5 well deserved baseballs and a lens roll to my Baseball Fans lens.

    You definitely do deserve the LOTD home run for an excellent exploration into a sensitive subject in the game of baseball. You certainly made your case and you didn't need an asterisk to do it.

    Great job from an avid baseball fan.
  • KeagansKorner May 29, 2009 @ 12:55 pm | delete
    I'm not a baseball fan, but this was an interesting lens! Congrats on LOTD!
  • roysumit May 29, 2009 @ 12:27 pm | delete
    You have got some good points indeed to give a thought. Of course a great lens and congrats for LOTD. Five stars from me.
  • May 29, 2009 @ 12:11 pm | delete
    Congrats on LOTD :-)
  • The_Party_Animal May 29, 2009 @ 11:40 am | delete
    Way to go on LOTD - well deserved and a great topic for sure!!!
  • Wysiwigs May 29, 2009 @ 11:18 am | delete
    Excellent lens and some very good points; congratulations on LOTD :o)
  • Frankster May 29, 2009 @ 11:17 am | delete
    Interesting info and points made. Congrats on LotD. Well deserved. Bear hugs, Frankster aka Bearmeister
  • alteredkat May 29, 2009 @ 11:15 am | delete
    congrats on LotD! :o)
  • KimGiancaterino May 29, 2009 @ 11:04 am | delete
    You make an excellent case! Congratulations on LOTD. Blessings to you...
  • Irenemaria May 29, 2009 @ 10:27 am | delete
    Even if I know nothing about base ball. Never saw it at all - this lens was interesting. All sports can be applied here or? In Sweden we have socker (call it football here) and I acually made a lens about one player Zlatan Ibrahimovich ?=
  • OhMe May 29, 2009 @ 8:46 am | delete
    Congratulations on LOTD. Super lens.
  • dtoll May 29, 2009 @ 8:36 am | delete
    Super lense !!! Right now is baseball season so perfect time to promote this !!!
  • spirituality May 29, 2009 @ 5:53 am | delete
    Congrats on a well deserved LOTD :)
  • PleasantValley May 29, 2009 @ 5:29 am | delete
    Fascinating lens. What about the infamous strike in the 1990s and its effect on the stats?
  • Luke_Bettencourt May 29, 2009 @ 2:47 am | delete
    Hm, very interesting... Nice work on presenting a different take on a controversial issue. Good to see people can still think for themselves rather than just say something is bad just because everyone else does.
  • drifter0658 May 29, 2009 @ 2:20 am | delete
    A fantastic expression of the facts. Well done.
  • TMZURVITA May 28, 2009 @ 11:33 pm | delete
    nice page
  • mbgphoto May 28, 2009 @ 8:56 pm | delete
    Excellent lens! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your arguments. Very well done. 5*
  • May 28, 2009 @ 8:54 pm | delete
    Awesome
  • GrowWear May 28, 2009 @ 7:52 pm | delete
    Congratulations on LOTD! Most excellent lens. :)
  • chefkeem May 28, 2009 @ 7:33 pm | delete
    Your lens is a work of passion, indeed. Deserves a Squid Angel Blessing. Congrats to LotD! :-)
  • jimfreeberg May 28, 2009 @ 6:54 pm | delete
    Nice lens... Well done. Thanks for sharing the information here on Squidoo. I love baseball. I too am a Dodger fan. Thanks again
  • awelldressedbullet May 28, 2009 @ 5:53 pm | delete
    Congratulations on LOTD! - Kathy
  • Mountainside-Crochet May 26, 2009 @ 7:05 am | delete
    Stephen, I don't have an opinion to express on your main subject, but just wanted to comment on your lens. I LOVE Baseball - am passionate about the sport - and despite all the hype and complaints about steroid use, too high salaries, past strikes that caused people to turn away from the sport in irritation, etc., I remain a solid fan. I get depressed every autumn following the final game of the World Series and count the days until Spring Training begins again! As they say "I Live for This". In the off-season I watch my baseball movies and read baseball books just to get my baseball 'fix'. :-).

    Just wanted to tell you I think this lens is extremely well written and well researched. I agree Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame. He paid for his mistake and it in no way diminished his baseball record and what he accomplished as a player and manager. I admire him and all baseball players for their skills as an athlete. Lensrolled to my lens baseball story & 5*
  • lefty78 May 26, 2009 @ 4:00 am | delete
    Awesome lens! You make some excellent points. Check out my group Total Baseball
  • JerryB May 17, 2009 @ 3:48 pm | delete
    Nice lens! While I don't care for any type of drug use(sports or anywhere else), I would say give them a fine or jail for illegal use but leave their records alone. If you're caught using drugs on the job you get time off or fired but that doesn't mean that the work that you've done up to that point is going to be recalled or not used. You get a five.
  • StephenC May 14, 2009 @ 3:58 pm | in reply to ChineseKitesforKids | delete
    Yeah good point. Steroid use is bad and now not legal in baseball. I just don't think it makes much difference in stats, as other things have so skewed stats before steroids.
  • ChineseKitesforKids May 14, 2009 @ 1:28 pm | delete
    This is a very interesting argument.

    Anyone who lies and abuses any substance is wrong. Plain and simple. I think some of these comparison are "apples to oranges" but you did make some good points. I'm giving you five stars for your passion. I think you made a good argument in some areas and it was definitely an unexpected turn from what I thought this was going to be about. Terrific job.

    I wanted to also thank you for rating my Chinese Kites lens. My internet was down for a week or so I was unable to reply right away. Good luck to you.
  • Janusz May 13, 2009 @ 10:14 am | delete
    Judging by all the comments here, IŽd say it would be a good idea to add a "Duel" Module. Your obviously very passionate about this subject, you have put a lot of work into this Lens. Blessed by a Squid Angel :)
  • StephenC May 10, 2009 @ 2:38 pm | in reply to Huffman | delete
    It's all about unfair advantages. If pitchers today have a dramatic disadvantage because the mound was lowered, you cannot want to dismiss that and worry about some unproven unfair advantage a steroid user has. n
  • Huffman May 10, 2009 @ 1:59 pm | delete
    I think you should only use astericks if a players is caught cheating. Sammy Sosa should be known as a steroid user and a bat corker!

    The players did not choose to ban African-Americans, plus it does not change their stats. They performed at those numbers and that's what they should be remembered for.

    You're basically wanting baseball to asterick eras in time. The game changes. It was harder to play the game back then. Baseball was a raw sport. That is called the development of the game. Baseball is not a perfect game, no sport is. It is ran by humans. Each sport (football, basketball, hockey) has changed as it has grown (helmet to helmet, shot clock, offsides). None of these sports are going to asterick because the game evolved!

    A cheater should be known as a cheater, but different eras of the game are just that!
  • StephenC May 9, 2009 @ 6:18 pm | in reply to Mark Matthews | delete
    Lowering the mound as much as they did greatly decreased the effectiveness of pitching. Also, as baseball expanded, the quality of pitchers pitching on any given night greatly diminished as well. That would also explain why batting averages and homeruns are up. As far as swinging the bat faster, you still gotta see what your swinging at.
  • mattfitz May 9, 2009 @ 3:26 pm | delete
    While your comments prove the game has changed over 100 years, it does not prove your conclusion. What makes baseball great is there is (was) no body type needed to play. Little guys played short, fat guys with power played first... now every kid growing up believes they have to juice to make it. These stats recorded over the past 10 years are ALL bogus, anyone who says Aaron and Ruth weren't the greatest home run hitters ever are clueless.

    If a juiced up golfer could be on a par 5 in one would you say its no advantage he still has to putt? All these guys were already good ballplayers they cheated to become great and sadly they got insanely rich for it. They can not be rewarded with immortality with Mays and Dimaggio. Pete Rose would get my vote 1000 times before ANY of these guys. If Griffey Jr or Pujols come up positive the TV set turns off forever!
  • tk May 9, 2009 @ 2:54 pm | delete
    Horrible argument!! Do steroids help get the bat through the zone quicker? Of course they do. Do they make you run faster? Of course they do. Both of which would increase your batting average immensely. Using steroids is flat out cheating and destroying the game. Kids in high schools and colleges all over the country are using just to keep up with the big leaguers. It's sad to see someone condoning steroid use.
  • Mark Matthews May 9, 2009 @ 10:28 am | delete
    No, all I propose is that with each rule change, an asterisk be given to denote a player who has broken that rule IF breaking that rule enhanced his performance. There are very few rules or regulations that prevent players from enhancing their performance. But for example, if there were some secret way to throw a spitball without an umpire noticing, and it was found later that a player did this, his name and the crazy stats would all have to have asterisks because what he did was against the rules and enhanced his performance.
  • StephenC May 9, 2009 @ 9:03 am | in reply to Chris | delete
    I think you need to do better research. Homeruns have gone up since the mound was lowered, the DH, and a reconfiguration of the baseball to make it more "live" as opposed to the "dead ball" era. And that newer "live" ball is not even mentioned here! But it is one more reason for a asterisk*
  • Chris May 9, 2009 @ 7:47 am | delete
    Do you follow baseball and the statistics? Have you seen the home run totals since steriods have been banned? Of course they help hit home runs.You need to do better research
  • greg May 8, 2009 @ 7:51 pm | delete
    Very interesting story with a lot of good points.
    But it doesn't change the fact that steroids are a bad thing to mainstream in any sport. Putting aspiring athletes
    in a position of cheat-or-fail-to-make-it is wrong.
    The idea that steroids don't help baseball players is ludicrous. They wouldn't have been taking them for 20 years if they had no effect.
  • StephenC May 8, 2009 @ 4:26 pm | in reply to Mark Matthews | delete
    I have seen no evidence on making you see better. I see evidence of it affecting your brain and diminished memory and learning. That alone would affect your batting for the worse.
  • StephenC May 8, 2009 @ 4:22 pm | in reply to Mark Matthews | delete
    Then let's keep separate records for each stat after each rule change to be fair.
  • Mark Matthews May 8, 2009 @ 3:25 pm | delete
    I disagree with part of this argument. I feel that astericks denoting statistics and feats predating certain rule changes are completely different from asterisks denoting a player who has blatantly and definitively broken a rule. Anyone who has tested positive for steroids (since regulations were put into place) has broken an MLB rule and potentially enhanced their performance in the sport. I agree with everything you said about negro league players not being allowed in - I think it was an incredibly sad rule. But my opinion remains that an asterisk need not be given in that case because nobody was breaking any rules. Just my opinion, thanks for the read.
  • Mike May 8, 2009 @ 2:17 pm | delete
    Your crazy, steroids allows the body to heal faster and it does improve your eyesight/hand-eye coordination for those batters. Like anything else, if you did steroids prior to the ban then its ok because it was on a level playing field. But once it is banned then those using it had an unfair advantage. However, it's pretty funny reading about Roger Clemens' man boobs.
  • Joe Brochin May 8, 2009 @ 12:51 pm | delete
    I think your argument holds some merit, but it can be argued that increased strength can improve bat speed. Bat speed is more important than power, as you stated, power plays very little in homeruns. Just look at skinny guys like Strawberry.

    It was said Satchel Paige would hold most pitching records to this day if he was allowed into the Majors in his youth. Sad era indeed.

    The one thing I miss about baseball and haven't really seen since Pete Rose, is good hard hustle and play on a regular basis. Dont even get me started on my feelings about Rose. You can see my lens on that.

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StephenC

Baseball and steroids

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