Kurkjian on Raffy

[Mark Carver]

Sooner or later, the HOF voters are going to have to realize that a high percentage of players were using steroids during this time.

Not only did Raffy hit HRs, he also had 3,000 hits and 3 Gold Gloves. He was an all-around player. If he tested positive in his final year, then it was because he was trying to keep his career alive, just like all of the other aging superstars doing the same thing.

Don't fault the man for trying to keep up with the level of competition.

Make that 2 Gold Gloves... getting the Gold Glove for playing 28 games at 1st and 135 games as a DH, does not do it for me. Gold Glove awards are tainted IMO, as winners usually get it on reputation.

[Orsulak4Prez]

You have some sort of evidence that Pujols has used steroids? Or, is this just garbage speculation.

I apologize if I am mistaken. I am not speculating at all. I thought he was outed somewhere along the line. I will remove his name from my post. My bad.

[waroriole]

Wasn't he in the Mitchel report? I apologize if I am mistaken. I am not speculating at all I thought he was outed.

No, he's never been connected to any PED use.

[Orsulak4Prez]

No, he's never been connected to any PED use.

Fixed it. Thanks for correcting me. I'm not sure why I thought that.

[DrungoHazewood]

No, he's never been connected to any PED use.

The only speculation I've seen about Pujols is that he was drafted low because nobody believed he was 18 or 19, they all thought he was like 22.

The only PED stuff I've heard has been of the "nobody could be that good without 'roids" idle chatter.

[CrimsonTribe]

I believe Raffy so I think he should definitely be in.

[waroriole]

Fixed it. Thanks for correcting me. I'm not sure why I thought that.

It's cool man. Sorry, I jumped at you. I just get annoyed by people who want to connect everyone to steroids.

[JamesI]

Pujols was on the original Mitchell report list of users (which turned out to be a fake list but made a lot of healdlines before it was found as false). could explain the mistake of thinking he was on the real list.

[J.D.]

Whether I believe Raffy or not is inconsequential to me. If sportswriters keep suspected and confirmed steroid users out of the hall, then they need to go back and retroactively remove guys using amphetamines from the hall. Then they need to go back and remove guys suspected and confirmed of doctoring their baseball, using corked bats, or doing anything else considered to be cheating by the rules. Unless they're willing to go back and do that, keeping guys like Raffy, Sosa, McGwire, Clemens, Bonds, and others of that type out of the hall is hypocritical and borderline ridiculous.

[Orsulak4Prez]

It's cool man. Sorry, I jumped at you. I just get annoyed by people who want to connect everyone to steroids.

Not a problem. That does get annoying.

[Jagwar]

As many or more pitchers have been caught in drug tests than position players. The exact effects on the league are unknowable, but it certainly kept run scoring and individual offensive statistics down.

For all we know an average player in the 1990s or 2000s wouldn't have seen his numbers budge without steroids. The gains from the hitters may have been fully offset by the gains from the pitchers.

In a perfect world, eligible players would be judged by voters on stats alone, and there could be some sort of disclaimer at the HOF on the entire era.

Unfortunately, the BBWA is not perfect, and will continue to punish guys like McGwire and Raffy.

[waroriole]

Whether I believe Raffy or not is inconsequential to me. If sportswriters keep suspected and confirmed steroid users out of the hall, then they need to go back and retroactively remove guys using amphetamines from the hall. Then they need to go back and remove guys suspected and confirmed of doctoring their baseball, using corked bats, or doing anything else considered to be cheating by the rules. Unless they're willing to go back and do that, keeping guys like Raffy, Sosa, McGwire, Clemens, Bonds, and others of that type out of the hall is hypocritical and borderline ridiculous.

Agreed, but we are talking about baseball writers, who see themselves as more holy than the Pope.

[CrimsonTribe]

Whether I believe Raffy or not is inconsequential to me. If sportswriters keep suspected and confirmed steroid users out of the hall, then they need to go back and retroactively remove guys using amphetamines from the hall. Then they need to go back and remove guys suspected and confirmed of doctoring their baseball, using corked bats, or doing anything else considered to be cheating by the rules. Unless they're willing to go back and do that, keeping guys like Raffy, Sosa, McGwire, Clemens, Bonds, and others of that type out of the hall is hypocritical and borderline ridiculous.

Pretty much describes a vast majority of sportswriters.

[CrimsonTribe]

Agreed, but we are talking about baseball writers, who see themselves as more holy than the Pope.

Pretty much describes a vast majority of sportswriters.

Great minds.

Now about that Auburn thing...

[crawjo]

I really believe that after a generation passes, this outrage over steroid use in the 1990s and early 2000s will cool, and all the players who performed well enough to get into the Hall of Fame will get in. And that is as it should be. (That they should be in, not that they should have to wait.)