Davis didn't get bigger, he got better

[avdeuph]

I'm sure I speak for many of us when I say that the increasing frequency of PED talk surrounding Davis is getting bothersome. More importantly, if it reaches a fever pitch, we will probably start worrying about distraction from the team effort, a concern which may or may not be valid.

So in my opinion, here's the one thing that should be repeated to all media members and fans who are talking about Davis and PEDs (p.s., a performance-enhancing drug doesn't possess anything y'all)...

Davis got better, not bigger.

If he had recently begun juicing, I think the first expectation would be the prototypical body change...thickness, head size, etc. Well, Davis is thick for sure, but he hasn't changed.

Which leaves, instead...

He is in the first year of the generally-accepted prime age for baseball players.

He is comfortable and confident in our system.

On TOP of that, he simply got a little better. Lest we forget the possibility, players work every year to get the most out of their skills and the least from their faults.

Combine those three things and you have the great hitter we've got now. PEDs unnecessary for reconciliation.

[Frobby]

I think it's very unlikely that his improvement from 2012 to 2013 is related to PED's. He was built like an oak tree when I saw him up close in January 2012 at Fanfest. Now, whether he already was on PED's then, or still is, will always be a subject of speculation. I hope not, but I've learned that there's just no way for a fan to judge this, and most fans aren't objective about whether the players on their own teamwould do such a thing.

[Tx Oriole]

I'm sure I speak for many of us when I say that the increasing frequency of PED talk surrounding Davis is getting bothersome. More importantly, if it reaches a fever pitch, we will probably start worrying about distraction from the team effort, a concern which may or may not be valid.

So in my opinion, here's the one thing that should be repeated to all media members and fans who are talking about Davis and PEDs (p.s., a performance-enhancing drug doesn't possess anything y'all)...

Davis got better, not bigger.

If he had recently begun juicing, I think the first expectation would be the prototypical body change...thickness, head size, etc. Well, Davis is thick for sure, but he hasn't changed.

Which leaves, instead...

He is in the first year of the generally-accepted prime age for baseball players.

He is comfortable and confident in our system.

On TOP of that, he simply got a little better. Lest we forget the possibility, players work every year to get the most out of their skills and the least from their faults.

Combine those three things and you have the great hitter we've got now. PEDs unnecessary for reconciliation.

Well there will always think some player is cheating. It goes with the territory. It

is sad. Just the way it is unfortunately. IMO

[weams]

Maybe Chris was juicing when he was 15 and 16. Maybe the effects just kicked in. Sure does appear to have the backne in any of the championship belt photo's I've seen. Hardy says he's too busy for Ping Pong. He is always lifting. Seems to be a a kind, calm, and caring individual. Not an egotistical, rage prone guy like Bautista.

[avdeuph]

Well there will always think some player is cheating. It goes with the territory. It

is sad. Just the way it is unfortunately. IMO

I understand that, and I'm sure there have been some O's fans on the other side more than a few times.

Main point: the physical signs aren't there. If he is taking PEDs, then he's been taking them for years, in which case, the results this year probably have nothing to do with them.

[Mondo Trasho]

I've always been a PED skeptic. In that I don't think they matter all that much in terms of player performance. Or at least, the effects are overblown in comparison to all other modern player advantages that no one questions (personal trainers, home gyms, protein shakes, whey, youtube videos on training, etc.). I didn't care that Bonds (what bothered me about Bonds was he decided being a one dimensional player was more valuable than being a 5 tool player) probably used, I didn't care that McGwire allegedly did either. It wouldn't bother me about Davis.

Now, that said, PEDs do not effect decision making and vision. To the extent that steroids and HGH work, they turn fly ball outs into home runs. They don't make you take a walk on a 3-2 count instead of swinging at a pitch in the dirt for strike 3. They don't make you go the other way with a pitch instead of trying to pull everything. They aren't magic. The reason Davis is doing better this year is he has more patience and a better approach at the plate. PEDs do not help you with that. If they did, McGwire wouldn't have fanned 155 times in 1998. And Sosa wouldn't have led the league in strikeouts from 1997-99...

[pollaxt]

Just saying, a drastic change in physical appearance is not required for someone to be taking steroids/HGH. Size is not always indicative of strength.

Look at Ryan Braun (allegedly) or Luis Gonzalez (allegedly).

[benefactor]

Did you guys see the article on ESPN today by Reilly where he said he didn't believe Davis wasn't taking PED's?

[Ohfan67]

I understand that, and I'm sure there have been some O's fans on the other side more than a few times.

Main point: the physical signs aren't there. If he is taking PEDs, then he's been taking them for years, in which case, the results this year probably have nothing to do with them.

You can't go by this. There have been many, many major and minor league players that have been caught by testing or outed in investigations that didn't have "physical signs" that they were taking steroids. Not all PED users undergo dramatic physical transformations.

I certainly hope that Davis is not a PED user. I believe him when he says "no", so I believe that he is not a user. But I wanted to believe Lance Armstrong too. Too many athletes have been caught or outed for me not to have a somewhat jaded opinion of all of them. That's just the cost of the "steroid" era. That said, I personally willing to totally forget about PED's and enjoy Davis' year. Unfortunately PED's will continue to be discussed with regards to Davis because he is built like the Incredibly Hulk and his performance to date in 2013 is an outlier. If the discussion of this by bloggers, "media", and the like bothers you, then my advice is to learn to ignore it or otherwise deal with it. I don't mean that snarky at all...the "discussion" of it will continue because that is the realistic sports world that we live in now.

[trk001]

http://crashburnalley.com/2013/07/01/a-quick-thought-on-chris-davis/

Crediting a player’s newfound success to PED use simplifies the game of baseball so much as to call into question one’s basic understanding of it.

[Ohfan67]

You can't go by this. There have been many, many major and minor league players that have been caught by testing or outed in investigations that didn't have "physical signs" that they were taking steroids. Not all PED users undergo dramatic physical transformations.

I certainly hope that Davis is not a PED user. I believe him when he says "no", so I believe that he is not a user. But I wanted to believe Lance Armstrong too. Too many athletes have been caught or outed for me not to have a somewhat jaded opinion of all of them. That's just the cost of the "steroid" era. That said, I personally willing to totally forget about PED's and enjoy Davis' year. Unfortunately PED's will continue to be discussed with regards to Davis because he is built like the Incredibly Hulk and his performance to date in 2013 is an outlier. If the discussion of this by bloggers, "media", and the like bothers you, then my advice is to learn to ignore it or otherwise deal with it. I don't mean that snarky at all...the "discussion" of it will continue because that is the realistic sports world that we live in now.

"Incredible", not "Incredibly"!!

[Mondo Trasho]

How anyone can look at Barry Bonds career pre and post steroids (according to all reports) and say they don't matter much in player performance, is remarkable. Bonds went from a Hall of Fame outfielder to the best hitter in the history of baseball in his mid to late 30's. That is remarkable.

They don't matter in comparison to general hitter advantages today. I see no philosophical difference between using a PED and training better. If Babe Ruth had a home gym and a personal trainer, maybe he hits over 1,000 home runs. That doesn't even take into account ball park dimensions. Maybe if Bonds played at the Polo Grounds instead of AT&T Park he hits 100 fewer homers.

There are other things at play beyond PED usage that explain the rise in homeruns.

[Mondo Trasho]

I'm not sure what you mean by philosophy? PED's, from what I understand, allow you to train harder, more often, thus gaining a physical advantage over someone who doesn't use. There are other things as well. I remember the cyclist, Floyd Landis, who had the race of his life in the Tour de France, and then tested positive for testosterone after the race. So maybe some PED's can give you short term gains and others more long term. The philosophy is whether you decide to take them or not.

What I mean is what's the difference between using protein powder or whey or some other "legal" over the counter training product and using a PED? The only difference really is a pharmacy and/or a prescription. Yes, yes, I know that PEDs are better and work faster than protein shakes and whey and wheat grass. But, as far as I'm aware Roger Maris and Babe Ruth weren't able to head to a GNC for products that would help them gain muscle mass or watch youtube videos on the right way to workout. Even if Bonds had never used PEDs, he still would have had huge advantages over past players. And that's not even counting park dimensions as I mentioned, or equipment (body armor on the elbow, batting helmet).

I personally do not see the issue with PEDs. Of course, MLB can ban whatever substance it wants, it's their league not mine. But I'm not outraged by it. I won't be outraged when parents start picking genes out for their children that make them better at sports. Life will go on.

[Ohfan67]

There was a lot of smoke (anecdotal evidence) surrounding Armstrong. I have seen nothing at all on Davis. No trainer linked to PED's, name not connected to any doctors who supply, no huge physical change (McGwire/Sosa/Bonds) that we know of. Of course, I haven't seen photos of Davis from college.

I shouldn't have used Lance Armstrong as an example. I didn't mean to imply anything at all about Davis. My objective was to point out that many, many players have been caught that did not show "obvious physical signs" and many baseball players and other athletes that seemed like honest, wonderful people have been caught taking PED's. Ultimately a player can do nothing to "prove" that they are not taking PED's and, in my opinion, the obvious, widespread use of PED's by baseball players and other athletes makes skepticism regarding performance reasonable. It's not fair to individual athletes, but it is reasonable for people to wonder and speculate. That's just a result of what has happened in sports. That said, I want to reiterate that I believe Davis and am not trying to imply that he is a PED user. But I think it is naive to believe that it is not a possibility given what we now know about prolific PED use in sports.

[weams]