I thought when I saw McGwire, Canseco and Bonds play, that we were all so lucky to witnessing a golden age in baseball. But the only gold was the color of certain anabolics and disigner steroids kicked out by "under the radar" laboratories like BALCO. The closest I ever got to seeing greatness was getting to watch and meet Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Willie McCovey over the years. I did get to see Micky Mantle once at the Oakland Coliseum.
I have to confess that my favorite ball player of my life time, is Orel Hershiser. Orel has a record that will be hard to beat. I have good reason to believe that his record comes with no asterisk*. His performance at the 1988 world series was legendary. His performance in that season was magic.
I never got to see Mohammad Ali other than on TV, nor did I get to see Larry Holmes. (truly the greatest) I got to see Steve Young and Jerry Rice. I met Joe Montana and Dwight Clark. I drank with many Oakland Raiders. (wish I could remember all of them)
I'm proud to have seen "The Great one" Gretzky play even if it was in L.A. I never saw Mario.
I never saw Michael Jordon, The Bird or Magic.
But the current generation will have the chance to say they saw Stephen Strasburg. I don't like to use Hyperbole but this kid has some serious stuff. When I watch him pitch, I think of Mark Prior and "what could have been". I don't just think of guys like Nolan Ryan or Tom Seaver, I think of guys like Walter "The big train" Johnson. Maybe even Cy Young. He's only 21. He's an effective machine. He's been able to block out the distractions. He has the composure of a closer and the stamina of an old school "Grover Cleveland Alexander" with a 91 mph change up.
So far, only one word describes this kid. Greatness.
WHY can't I post that great AP pic of Strasburg with the whipped cream facial and the plastic Elvis coif?
ReplyDeleteOk, I'm gonna say this. You're not a Bonds apologist, are you?
OK, fine...but do me one favor (and maybe yourself as well): go to Baseball - Reference and compare his 2001 numbers against his 2002 numbers, noting in particular the number of strikeout totals along with the increased BABIP.
He had keen depth perception, pitch recognition, and hand/eye coordination.
As far as Science knows, those are not chemically enhanceable.
Now, I'm not denying his culpability - no one in their right mind will - but there are people who want to be, above all else, entertained by these well - paid diversions from the banality of the world we live in.
And some of us don't draw the hard and fast and righteous line on how our entertainers go about it.
Perhaps he HAD assistance from my namesake in getting a ball to travel farther once he hit it, but his ability to oh - so - successfully hit the ball in the first place was with no ability but that which was given to him by Fate.
HGH has a nick name in MLB. It's called X-Ray vision. In a recent interview FP Santagelo claimed to reap the benefits of steroids twice in his career. Once when he was injured, and a second time when he was trying to keep his spot in the line up. He claims the roid users use to call the stuff X-Ray because it gave you excellent depth perception and visual acuity. Those were lies perpetrated by Steroid deniars that steroids do not help your "Batting Eye".
ReplyDeleteAnd personally, I think Bonds had a Hall of fame career before he earned the ASTERISK. Which is why I hope he, Sosa and Mac et al, don't make it into the hall. They don't belong in it with guys like Mays, Clemente, Gehrig, Ruth, Johnny Lemaster.......
Tell ya what, Ace - I'M prepared to meet you halfway on our mutual assertions...Barry was a better illegal batter than anyone else in baseball. The way he cheated was highly entertaining. I'm happy with it. Are you happy with it? No? Can't he'p ya.
ReplyDeleteVic, I'm probably only the 2nd other person that thinks that Galaraga's perfect game (and it was)should NOT be reveresed. (The others being Selig and the umpire). If I want to be entertained by massive over defined he-men with shrunken nut sacks;I'll watch the WWE.
ReplyDeleteBut sometimes you have to disallow home runs when the pine tar extends more than 18 inches up the handle of the bat.
I will agree that BLB cheated more efficiently than anyone else in the game. The real congrats go to his team of chemists. (Or was it Elk Gism)?