Better Career, Wilson or Wright?

[Es4M11]

Wouldn't care to speculate.

Like I said, I think almost of of them were on something or another.

You don't care to speculate? You sure are quick to try and discredit him, though. Is that not speculation in itself?

[DrungoHazewood]

I'm certainly not excusing Pettite - I hate the guy. Oriole Killer!

But come on, you guys are really reaching trying to discredit this argument.

Here's Bill James' take from 2011:

Well, I hope so. I think there is, actually. Certainly Clemens was using steroids; the question is whether he was knowingly using steroids or whether McNamee was injecting him with steroids and telling him they were something else. I haven't seen anything that is definitive on that issue. McNamee wanted his clients to believe that he was this super trainer who could do wonderful things for them, and he didn't necessarily need for them to know how he was doing it. McNamee's other clients may say and will say that he told them that these were steroids, but Clemens was outspoken in condemning steroid use. But if you were a trainer and you were using steroids to bolster your career, and you had one superstar client who condemned steroid use, would you necessarily tell that client what you were doing? Or would you, perhaps--if you were not the most honest and honorable trainer in the world--string him along, let him think you were injecting him with something else?

The Andy Pettitte evidence seems likely, if Clemens' lawyer can get ahead of the topic, to work to Clemens' advantage. Pettitte's testimony is that, despite the fact that he and Roger were workout partners and close friends who saw each other almost on a daily basis in-season and out, they had only two very brief discussions touching on this issue--and in the second of those, Clemens vigorously denied that he had said what Pettitte thought he had said the other time. That's not very damaging to Clemens. Pettitte never saw or witnessed any steroid use by Clemens. If the lawyer treats Pettitte as a friend, Pettitte will probably testify that Clemens was an honest person who was dedicated to clean living, and worked exceptionally hard to stay in shape.

[Can_of_corn]

You don't care to speculate? You sure are quick to try and discredit him, though. Is that not speculation in itself?

I was preaching skepticism.

I do that a lot.

[El Gordo]

Yes, every era has good players. But there are more good players and less Ray Oylers (and pitchers batting) now than in 1965.

There were fewer MLB players then. Can you name 15 hitters from today that are comparable to those I mentioned? Is Mike Trout a tougher out than Ted Williams or Frank Robinson. On the whole the players are probably better today, but I don't think there will be as many great hitters in the present era as there were in the 60's.

[Can_of_corn]

There were fewer MLB players then. Can you name 15 hitters from today that are comparable to those I mentioned? Is Mike Trout a tougher out than Ted Williams or Frank Robinson. On the whole the players are probably better today, but I don't think there will be as many great hitters in the present era as there were in the 60's.

I think it is obvious from the non-team sports that athletes improve over time.

[DrungoHazewood]

There were fewer MLB players then. Can you name 15 hitters from today that are comparable to those I mentioned? Is Mike Trout a tougher out than Ted Williams or Frank Robinson. On the whole the players are probably better today, but I don't think there will be as many great hitters in the present era as there were in the 60's.

It's easier to stand out when the level of competition is lower. I think the top 15 hitters from today stand up very favorably to those from any other era.

[DrungoHazewood]

I think it is obvious from the non-team sports that athletes improve over time.

Baseball is pretty much the only sport (save maybe cricket) where people regularly argue that the best players of all time were from 1910, 1920 and 1955.

Unless you go down the "oh yea, if you put one-year-old Jesse Owens in a time machine and let him grow up today he'd run a 9-flat hundred meters!" rabbit hole.

[DrungoHazewood]

There were fewer MLB players then.

There was also a player pool about half the size of today, or less. And when a pitcher tore his UCL he went to work for his dad's grain silo.

[RayC]

I'll take Wilson. Wright has no command and a terrible pitching motion and follow through...falls off the mound toward first base almost every pitch. Seems like he will be a future Obaldo!

[Enjoy Terror]

Does Mike Wright look like Kenny Powers on purpose?

[Can_of_corn]

Does Mike Wright look like Kenny Powers on purpose?

Parallel evolution

[Enjoy Terror]

Parallel evolution