Greatest home run hitter of this era

[Jim Schue]

When he was hot, he was hitting a home run every 6 plate appearances. That's pretty great - juice or no juice.

 

You don't ever wonder how many of his homers sans juice would've just been routine fly balls? Boy, I sure do. Not to mention how many he hit when he should've been on the DL nursing the normal injuries an aging veteran suffers.

[stickymitts]

You don't ever wonder how many of his homers sans juice would've just been routine fly balls? Boy, I sure do. Not to mention how many he hit when he should've been on the DL nursing the normal injuries an aging veteran suffers.

 

The last sentence holds water, the other does not, IMO.

 

However, without juice those #1 pitchers he was facing would've been on the shelf too...

[Jim Schue]

The last sentence holds water, the other does not, IMO.

 

However, without juice those #1 pitchers he was facing would've been on the shelf too...

 

His extra strength had nothing to do with helping him muscle routine fly balls out of the yard? How do you figure?

[SvFan4life]

I agree, if he even hit one homerun that went just barely over the wall, and reached the first 3 rows of the seats than steroids helped.

[SvFan4life]

I believe it should be A-Rod over Griffey as well. Yes he was a great hitter but A-Rod is better than Griffey in this era. As stated somewhere else, Griffey has missed over 400 games since coming to the NL. A-Rod has not, thus has posted better numbers. It's really up for debate considering they are different in age and came in the league at different times. I give the nod to A-Rod. He's been far more consistent recently.

[stickymitts]

His extra strength had nothing to do with helping him muscle routine fly balls out of the yard? How do you figure?

 

Because skinny Bonds was hitting bombs. He still had to have exceptional hand/eye coordination. If it was just about muscles, anyone could do it.

 

I guess my answer would be the same amount of pitches that the pitcher threw 2 mph's harder or had an extra 2" of break because of their new found strength...

[cooperstown]

Because skinny Bonds was hitting bombs. He still had to have exceptional hand/eye coordination. If it was just about muscles, anyone could do it.

 

I guess my answer would be the same amount of pitches that the pitcher threw 2 mph's harder or had an extra 2" of break because of their new found strength...

 

Skinny Bonds was no doubt a great hitter, but it would be hard to make a good case that he would have become the most prolific homerun hitter of all-time. Bonds is generally considered to have started using steroids sometime in the mid-to-late 90's. Prior to 1996, Bonds hit more than 40 HR's one time. After this time, he hit 40 or more 7 times, including 258 HR's between the ages of 35-39. Not exactly an age when most MLB players' careers are peaking. It is only logical to assume that steroids played a major role in this performance.

 

That being said, this thread was started under the caveat "steroids or not." With steroids, he is the greatest.

[stickymitts]

Skinny Bonds was no doubt a great hitter, but it would be hard to make a good case that he would have become the most prolific homerun hitter of all-time. Bonds is generally considered to have started using steroids sometime in the mid-to-late 90's. Prior to 1996, Bonds hit more than 40 HR's one time. After this time, he hit 40 or more 7 times, including 258 HR's between the ages of 35-39. Not exactly an age when most MLB players' careers are peaking. It is only logical to assume that steroids played a major role in this performance.

 

That being said, this thread was started under the caveat "steroids or not." With steroids, he is the greatest.

 

The same time guys like Clemens were using. Clemens went from great to legendary the same way Bonds did, and around the same time. Not to mention the guys that may not have made it and did because of the juice. It's a wash, IMO...

[Jim Schue]

The same time guys like Clemens were using. Clemens went from great to legendary the same way Bonds did, and around the same time. Not to mention the guys that may not have made it and did because of the juice. It's a wash, IMO...

 

I seem to recall reading or hearing that when McGwire had his record-breaking year, something like 80-85 percent of his HRs came off the opposition's No. 4 and 5 guys. I wonder if this was the case with Bonds over the past decade.

[stickymitts]

I seem to recall reading or hearing that when McGwire had his record-breaking year, something like 80-85 percent of his HRs came off the opposition's No. 4 and 5 guys. I wonder if this was the case with Bonds over the past decade.

 

Is this in his record breaking year or career?

[Jim Schue]

Is this in his record breaking year or career?

 

Just like it says: I wonder how many of Bonds' HRs over the past decade (roughly about the time it's accepted he started juicing) came against No. 4 and 5 guys in the opposition's rotation. Probably would be hard to track down, but I'd love to know.

 

The McGwire stat I heard bandied about a bunch in his record year, and after it.

Edited June 11, 2008 by Jim Schue
Oops! Didn't need 'roughly' twice ...

[stickymitts]

Just like it says: I wonder how many of Bonds' HRs over the past decade (roughly about the time it's roughly accepted he started juicing) came against No. 4 and 5 guys in the opposition's rotation. Probably would be hard to track down, but I'd love to know.

 

The McGwire stat I heard bandied about a bunch in his record year, and after it.

 

Duh...

 

My question is, why would manager's allow their 4 and 5 pitcher's to throw to the hottest guy on the planet?

[cooperstown]

The same time guys like Clemens were using. Clemens went from great to legendary the same way Bonds did, and around the same time. Not to mention the guys that may not have made it and did because of the juice. It's a wash, IMO...

 

I think it's a pretty big leap to assume that Bonds was facing a juiced up pitched most every time he stepped to the plate. We know for sure that Bonds himself was juiced on every at-bat he had during this period . . . .

[stickymitts]

I think it's a pretty big leap to assume that Bonds was facing a juiced up pitched most every time he stepped to the plate. We know for sure that Bonds himself was juiced on every at-bat he had during this period . . . .

 

That's where we differ, I don't...

[greendevil]

Jr. is very well liked around baseball still. When they see him, he's still "The Kid" that played in Seattle.

 

Jr. is the best clean HR hitter of his era. People forget that in '98 when McGwire and Sosa were putting on their juice fueled homerun race, Jr. stuck with them until July. And he was clean.

 

But if we are talking steroids or not, I don't see how you can't say Bonds. I don't find his (or Sosa's) numbers relevant. But if we are just talking about hitting the ball out of the ballpark regardless, it has to be Bonds.

 

 

I don't think Jr.'s era and ARod's era are the same...