AROD hits #600

[CheezWizHed]

Not sure that I care, but its news worthy... Passansums it up well.

[logan82]

I would have put that under this thread.

[CheezWizHed]

Ok, I thought of this slightly more than that thread. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Invader3K]

Despite his acknowledged PED use, it's still a pretty major accomplishment. I don't like the guy, but he's a pretty amazing player.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Never thought I'd say this about someone reaching 600 dingers.........but..........*yawn*.

[GAME05]

am i wrong, but isn't this the first time someone has hit 600 or even 500 HRs AFTER he'd admitted to steroid use? knowing that beforehand sure takes all the joy out of it for me. it has all the excitement of an intentional walk.

[Baldkin]

ARod says, "Take that, ARod!"

 

http://www.sportsofboston.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/031809_a_rod.jpg

[crewcrazy]

A lot of people seem to think this isn't getting as much media play because of his steroid admission, but honestly, he's getting more publicity than Ken Griffey, Jr. did when he was going for 600, and no one's ever accused him of anything.

[Invader3K]

All the publicity is because he's a Yankee. If he was on the Reds or Royals or something, it wouldn't have gotten this much coverage.

 

It's like when Palmeiro reached 500 homers/3,000 hits. Was a nice story mentioned around, but nowhere near the attention of A-Rod. Now if Raffy had been a Yankee, it would have been all over.

[The Truth]

Juicer

 

I'm more impressed with Omar Vizquel batting .293 at the age of 43

[TooLiveBrew]

I can't really take away from his accomplishments given that at least 75% of his competition (pitchers & hitters alike) were also PEDing it up.

[cadillacjosh]

I'm pretty sure A-Rod hits his 600th with or without PEDs. His PED-less years are 35+ homers. He really only had about a bonus year and a half of homers. I think it'd be delaying the inevitable.

[brains and braun]

I'm pretty sure A-Rod hits his 600th with or without PEDs. His PED-less years are 35+ homers. He really only had about a bonus year and a half of homers. I think it'd be delaying the inevitable.

Yeah, if you take him at his word on his use of PEDs, [blue] which we have no reason not to [/blue].

[iluvlamp]

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:poqUOfV6PSP76M:http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee302/stephen082/phoney.jpg&t=1

[ELCABALLO45]

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:poqUOfV6PSP76M:http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee302/stephen082/phoney.jpg&t=1

"Hey you know who lives in this house? A GREAT BIG PHONY!""

[rluzinski]

Juicer

 

I'm more impressed with Omar Vizquel batting .293 at the age of 43

In 212 PA. Yipee.

 

99.99999% of the population couldn't do what Arod did with any amount of drugs. Hundreds of players likely juiced and the vast majority didn't come close to 600 HRs. If you want to say it's horribly tainted, I'm with ya. But if you want to say Vizquel's accomplishment was more impressive, not even close, IMO.

[adamb100]

Whether A-rod had used roids or not he would/will still pass Bonds/Aaron for career home runs unless his numbers fall off a cliff for the next few years.

[brains and braun]

Right or wrong, that pursuit has lost much of its appeal since we got suckered into McGwire/Sosa chasing 61.

[brewmann04]

Now their 3 Juicer on the 600 list

[The Truth]

Juicer

 

I'm more impressed with Omar Vizquel batting .293 at the age of 43

In 212 PA. Yipee.

 

99.99999% of the population couldn't do what Arod did with any amount of drugs. Hundreds of players likely juiced and the vast majority didn't come close to 600 HRs. If you want to say it's horribly tainted, I'm with ya. But if you want to say Vizquel's accomplishment was more impressive, not even close, IMO.

How many humans have batted .290 + at the age of 43 in MLB history? Probably 0.001% of the population, right? Now, how many have done it with 10 Gold Gloves sitting at home? hmmmm

 

I'm more impressed with Mike Schmidtt hitting 548 than a Juicer hitting 600

[danzig6767]

I can't really take away from his accomplishments given that at least 75% of his competition (pitchers & hitters alike) were also PEDing it up.

My problem with your argument is that given the huge distortion of power numbers by hitters during the steroid era compared to past history and now what we are seeing today since drug testing, obviously the steroid usage benefited hitters more statistically. Hitting 50 home runs in a season had been a pretty rare occurrence pre-roids, but once hitters left and right were juicing, home runs were flying out of the park constantly and in the process, historical power records were getting obliterated by hulking batters juiced to the hilt with steroids, ARod among them.

 

It's kinda as if you're saying guys like Brady Anderson and Brett Boone hulking up via steroids and their power numbers obviously shooting way up as a result, that well the steroid use can't be credited for being the main reason because many pitchers were likely also on roids. Thus it was a wash and those hitters like so many others weren't really benefiting much statistically at all because some of the pitchers were juiced up also. Can you really look at the numbers of the steroid era and believe that?

 

So i personally can't share your beliefs because i simply don't believe for a second that we'd even be talking about Alex hitting his 600th home run at this time if he hadn't used steroids to increase his performance. Where he'd be home run totals wise right now is impossible to know for a variety of reasons, but it certainly wouldn't be 600.

[Invader3K]

What's really weird is the next guy who will probably hit 600: Jim Thome.

[Polish Falcons]

It's too bad. I saw this guy play for the Appleton Foxes in 1994 at age 19 or so when his arms were the size of a normal human being who is athletic. It was clear then he had the rare talent of a superstar baseball player when he was crushing the ball deep over the Goodland Field fences. I don't think he needed the Roids to achieve greatness, but he just didn't have the mind to distance himself from it. If he didn't hit the juice, my guess is he'd be at around 500 homers right now, maybe a little more. The difference is huge because if that were the case, he'd be a lot more distant from Maris' record right now. As it stands, he's pretty close to 761, and I hope he doesn't get there because we don't need to experience that sham all over again.

[Ennder]

Right or wrong, that pursuit has lost much of its appeal since we got suckered into McGwire/Sosa chasing 61.

Anyone who was being honest with themselves knew those guys were on steroids even during the chase.

[Principessa21]

Congratulations to Alexander!! He's great, but I also liked how he acted during this chase. He could have been "ALL ME" but all he talked about was the team results.