Taking Nominees for M’s Anti-Hall of Fame!!

[Captain 97]

Arod's average went down during his PED seasons...You could get some advantage in terms of batting average but It would be pretty incremental i would think, an 80 point jump in a season seems pretty remarkable

a physiologist discussing it in Scientific American

Why didn’t Rodriguez’s batting average improve during the years he took steroids?

There’s limited research indicating that he could actually enhance his batting average with steroids. A batting average is more indicative of performance ability such as hand-eye coordination. However, research with frogs has shown that anabolic steroids can enhance androgen receptors on nerve endings, so there’s some potential for increased reactions. Hitting in baseball is all about reaction time, whether it’s a curveball or a fastball.

The key benefit with anabolic steroids is that they can help you be consistent over an entire baseball season. That’s the reason you’re seeing those higher statistics for Rodriguez from 2001 to 2003. If you take a look at good power hitters in April and May (early in the baseball season that runs from April to September, excluding the playoffs), their numbers are going to be pretty good. But these guys aren’t able to maintain that in August and September. Take the New York Mets: If that team was on anabolic steroids the way they were in 2000, they probably would have made the playoffs the past two years instead of running out of gas late in the season. It makes a big difference when having that little extra.

Now a guy like A-Rod – he trains really hard. With the steroids, he is maximizing his potential. Would he be a great player without them? Without a doubt. Would he be as consistent? The answer to that is probably no.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/arti ... r-athlete/

I don't think we have a very good handle on what years A-Roid was taking steroids. We didn't witness the obvious change in muscle mass like we did with Bonds so its hard to draw definite conclusions. Where are you coming up with the notion that his average went down when he was taking Steroids. The article mentions 2001-2003. He hit .305 during those years. The three years prior he hit exactly the same at .305.

[Donn Beach]

they use the term "improve", there doesn't seem to be evidence of it improving as opposed to his power

During Rodriguez’s confessed era of doping, his homerun average jumped to a super-slugging 52 per season, compared with 36 during his first four seasons in the league and about 42 since. His runs-batted-in (RBI) statistics and total games played also peaked. Even so, his batting average has dipped over his career, from .315 to .305 during his steroid days to .303 over the past five seasons.

[D-train]

they use the term "improve", there doesn't seem to be evidence of it improving as opposed to his power

During Rodriguez’s confessed era of doping, his homerun average jumped to a super-slugging 52 per season, compared with 36 during his first four seasons in the league and about 42 since. His runs-batted-in (RBI) statistics and total games played also peaked. Even so, his batting average has dipped over his career, from .315 to .305 during his steroid days to .303 over the past five seasons.

His BA in the early years is bumped up by that super fluky .356 in 1996.

[Donn Beach]

sure, baseball is fluky, Boone's 80 point jump in average seems fluky to me

[Captain 97]

I am sure it didn't hurt that he went from hitting in between Ed Sprague and Wiki Gonzalez in a terrible Padres Order to hitting between Edgar Martinez and John Olerud in one of the most complete lineups the game has ever seen.

[D-train]

I put Goldsmith

Ryan Divish
@RyanDivish
·
16h
On a red eye flight with
@GaryHillJr
and
@heygoldy
... randomly changed seats at the last minute or I would’ve been sitting next to Goldsmith and his lace sleep mask and hair protection helmet

And Sims in the Announcing wing.

[Donn Beach]

I am sure it didn't hurt that he went from hitting in between Ed Sprague and Wiki Gonzalez in a terrible Padres Order to hitting between Edgar Martinez and John Olerud in one of the most complete lineups the game has ever seen.

yea, a bunch of things coming together, health, luck, the team...that is assuming he took PEDS