What if Cal took steroids?

[TyCobb]

If Cal were proven to have taken steroids, maybe that would be the straw that finally convinced people to just accept that there was a time during which baseball did not have a normal conscience regarding these things so a lot of otherwise good people made this particular mistake. Do we really need be be devastated by this every time a new star's name is revealed? They're human. They're not heroes, they're sports stars. Many of them cheat on their wives, drive drunk, smoke weed, and yes, take whatever performance-enhancing substances they can to make their job easier. It's unfortunate that the whole sport got itself collectively caught up in this. It doesn't particularly matter which individuals did or didn't.

Because only sport stars do that.

[scOtt]

Don't shoot me, Cal was never my favorite, even strictly in just his time in the Majors. Now if Brooks was implicated....

[Left Field]

Did Cal hang out with Bigbie?????? Sry, just trying to lighten it up a bit. On a serious note, he did hang out alot with Brady who hung out alot with Renee. I would be devastated if it came out that he used but like others have said... I just dont see it....

[beaner]

Did Cal hang out with Bigbie?????? Sry, just trying to lighten it up a bit. On a serious note, he did hang out alot with Brady who hung out alot with Renee. I would be devastated if it came out that he used but like others have said... I just dont see it....

Tettleton was Canseco's teammate before he came here and discovered "Froot Loops". Just a thought.

[Bemore]

I've worked with Cal on a bunch of commercials and we actually discussed his feelings on steroids.

He said that he had a feeling that Manny and Ortiz definitely did and mentioned that people on the Mitchel report didn't suprise him.

The thing he said was that people that wear really baggy uniforms or do other things to their personal appearance are usually tell tale signs (i.e. dreads, long hair, lot's of jewelry)

This in no way says Cal didn't do roids but if you look at his body and how it changed with age...nothing points to steroid use. Also look at how his numbers and range got smaller as he progressed. It was natural age and there were no big spikes in performance.

[tccoach]

If Cal was ever tempted to use any performance enhancer outside of hard work...I am sure the thought of Cal Sr's response would have put a stop to that...

[russ snyder]

If Cal took steroids I would not be crushed or devastated. Let's face it, he played in the middle of this tainted era. Furthermore, he retired before the Mitchell Report came out, so technically he would have been playing within the rules of the game. Baseball turned a blind eye while McGwire & Sosa (Popeye & Michelan Man) were filling seats between self-medicating. Cal was and is too concerned about his image to do something like this in a reckless manner. (He wouldn't let Miguel Tejada shoot him up with B-12!)

[jcroemer]

Because only sport stars do that.

Yeah but sports stars make millions and now, they are getting BUSTED.

[Lucky Jim]

Because only sport stars do that.

That's sort-of her point. They're fallible.

[TyCobb]

That's sort-of her point. They're fallible.

I took her post as making it seem like they are more fallible than regular folks.

[Mu'ayyidSaafir]

If Cal took steroids, I would be surprised that Jose Canseco had displayed no knowledge or suspicion of it. You would think he would have at least heard rumors.

[utvolzac]

Honestly, I would probably just give up on baseball if it came out that Cal did steroids.

[Elrod]

If Cal took steroids' date=' I would be surprised that Jose Canseco had displayed no knowledge or suspicion of it. You would think he would have at least heard rumors.[/quote']

Yeah, I know Cal didn't do steroids because Jose would have FOR SURE outed him by now. Read what he says about Ripken in his first book. Canseco has this serious, grudge against Cal that makes no sense other than immature, petty jealousy.

[Boy Howdy]

I've worked with Cal on a bunch of commercials and we actually discussed his feelings on steroids.

He said that he had a feeling that Manny and Ortiz definitely did and mentioned that people on the Mitchel report didn't suprise him.

The thing he said was that people that wear really baggy uniforms or do other things to their personal appearance are usually tell tale signs (i.e. dreads, long hair, lot's of jewelry)

This in no way says Cal didn't do roids but if you look at his body and how it changed with age...nothing points to steroid use. Also look at how his numbers and range got smaller as he progressed. It was natural age and there were no big spikes in performance.

To quote former Orioles pitcher Jose Bautista, "whatthehellwtf?"

[Rockbird]

Cal is an interesting one to think about.

On one hand, one of the advantages of steroids are the recuperative function it plays in healing muscles and bones. Certainty this would cut well for Cal with the streak.

HOWEVER, a common side effect of steroid use is increased injury, especially muscle tears which if Cal was a long time user would seem hard to believe that he never sustained a muscle tear that kept him out.

So, coming from someone who is basically suspicious that almost all players took something at some point, I do not believe Cal was a long term user. If anything, I can see occasional short term use under the guise of "injury rehabilitation" (which would be legitimate use, but still shady if you're competing in a sport), but it's hard for me to imagine anything more than that.