Pinch hitting: John Ettinger
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Feb 07, 2010 
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Now batting in our Pinch Hitters series is John Ettinger, who wrote in appreciation of a broken record.
A sophomore economics major at Yale — “and a proud member of Saybrook College,” he wrote — John grew up in New York City and hopes to one day write public economic policy. Although he worked last summer as an intern with the Mets, John has always been a Yankees fan, counting Phil Hughes as his favorite player, “since the day he was drafted.”
“My father and grandfather inspired in me a love for both the sport and the team,” John wrote.
———
In a sport of hallowed records, there is none quite as sacred as the single-season home run mark. A home run is, in every sense, the perfect physical feat: the sweet “crack” of the bat, the eerie stillness as the ball disappears into the night, the skyward gaze of the helpless fielders. Americans hold a special reverence for the home run and for those heroes who can launch not just one or two, but dozens over the course of a season.
One such hero is an under-appreciated country boy from Fargo, North Dakota. Roger Maris did the unthinkable in 1961 by supplanting the Great Bambino (albeit given 8 more games) as America’s home run king. His 61 dingers stood for over three decades as the unrivaled pinnacle of sporting achievement. Today? The single-season home run tally looks like this:
1) Barry Bonds, 73 (2001)
2) Mark McGwire, 70 (1998)
3) Sammy Sosa, 66 (1998)
4) Mark McGwire, 65 (1999)
5) Sammy Sosa, 64 (2001)
6) Sammy Sosa, 63 (1999)
*7) Roger Maris, 61 (1961)
*8) Babe Ruth, 60 (1927)
9) Babe Ruth, 59 (1921)
T-10) Jimmie Fox, 58 (1932)
T-10) Hank Greenberg, 58 (1938)
T-10) Mark McGwire, 58 (1997)
T-10) Ryan Howard, 58 (2006)
Maris’ legacy has fallen far and fast. Once a king, he has now dropped to seventh on the all-time list. You may, however, have noticed an interesting trend among the top ten (or perhaps deduced the theme of this article). When we control for players who have tested positive for steroids, have admitted to using steroids or have heads the size of a watermelon, the list takes on a different shape:
*1) Roger Maris, 61 (1961)
*2) Babe Ruth, 60 (1927)
3) Babe Ruth, 59 (1921)
T-4) Jimmie Fox, 58 (1932)
T-4) Hank Greenberg, 58 (1938)
T-4) Ryan Howard, 58 (2006)
7) Luis Gonzalez, 57 (2001) (this is a generous inclusion)
T-8) Ken Griffey, Jr., 56 (1997)
T-8) Ken Griffey, Jr., 56 (1998)
T-8) Hack Wilson, 56 (1930)
The point here is simple. Maris’ 1961 season still stands unmatched by any clean sluggers. Despite remarkable advances in technology, training and medicine, despite the gradual shrinking of ballparks, despite the furious attempts of thousands of would-be heroes, Maris /still/ stands alone. This mark, now 49 years old, is truly one of the most treasured achievements in the history of sport.
Will Roger Maris make the Hall of Fame? No. Will he ever again wear the single-season home run crown? No. But to all true fans of sport, we will always know. We will always remember that the power of a record comes not from a silly number but from a shared memory—the memory of a boy (my father) scrambling through the morning paper to read a box score; the memory of a hero toppling baseball’s greatest giant; the memory of a legacy that will never die in the hearts of true baseball fans.
Bonds holds the records in the books but most fans still think of Maris and Aaron as the true holders of the records. Unfortunately thats probably the way it will have to stay.
It is remarkable how HR totals have trended back towards the norm since drug testing was introduced, looks like its working.
John –
Amen!
Thanks for a nice post. However, if you value his accomplishments as you say you do, then why the *? I know I know, but a season is a season, stats are stats, so IF he’s the single season king, then leave off the *.
John – well said!
Bravo ! Longlive Maris and Ruth!
it’s really not that complicated.
MLB should make a decision based on all the info out available to them and delete sosa’s , bonds, and mc guire’s records.
does anyone on the planet think they earned them fairly?
so MLB should show some guts and make a decision.
who would fight it?
the player’s union?
i think there were too many players who were clean to have that happen.
remove the Maris asterisk and add it to the druggers. Even with help those totals are mesmerizing. I don’t appreciate their records appreciation ends with Roger.
I know this will not be a popular thing to say, but, the year the Sosa and McGwire were hitting HR after HR, neck and neck going for the record, when we were all still blissfully unaware (consciously or not) of the PEDs problem, was fun.
That being said, no one needs a book or a commissioner or anything official in order to come to their own conclusions. And that is what you tell your kids. Once upon a time…
1. I’ve been impressed by the quality of the guest posts, and this one is no exception. Very nice job.
2. In response to Sam’s post from last evening, re: who will replace Johnny Damon as one of the stand-up guys in the clubhouse, I think it will be Curtis Granderson. He’s got a tremendous reputation as a solid citizen, and if you look at how he stood out in Detroit, I think it’s no-brainer that he will be quickly recognized as a solid citizen in NY.
3. Randy – I hear you, and this whole PED business soils what should be records sacred to core fans. However, if MLB were to consider that, I would have to ask – why stop there? Why cross-out those records because of what is basically cheating, while allowing the records of players who cheated by other means stand? How many games did Gaylord Perry win with his spitball? He even admitted he did it, in an article (Life Magazine?) after he retired. What about Norm Cash, and all the homers he hit with what is rumored to be a corked bat? Or Whitey Ford using a ball that Berra used to nick on his shinguards?
I think it starts to get very muddy. I’m not saying what the PED boys did was right, believe me, and as a fan I am really bothered by it all. But cheating is cheating, no matter how you do it.
I agree Doreen, it was exciting to watch the HR chase.
I also remember when Bonds broke the record there was a lot of hope (not just by Yankee fans) that Arod would be the first “clean” player to break Bonds’ record.
I’ll let the fine people of Fargo, ND have their say:
http://bleacherreport.com/arti.....rth-dakota
I don’t believe for one minute that “most” baseball fans consider Maris and Aaron to be the true record holders.
You cannot pretend what happened didn’t happen because you want to create a punishment that didn’t exist at the time for breaking a rule that didn’t exist at the time.
I’m no fan of Bonds or McGuire and find the steroid era to be regrettable. However, re-making history with some sort of ex-post-facto law and corresponding punishment makes no sense.
Sorry, the Professor nice essay won’t cut it.
I agree that the HR records of Bonds, McGwire and Sosa are tainted.
However, the Maris HR record is tainted by all of the following:
1. Widespread use of greenies and dexi-coffee in the Yankee clubhouse at the time (see Bouton’s Ball Four). These substances are now also banned by MLB.
2. The largest expansion year (by percentage) in big league history, with the greatest number of expansion-level pitchers (by perecentage).
Looking at Ruth, we see his HR records are tainted by:
1. His own use of an illegal substance throughout his hitting career (alcohol, during Prohibition).
2. The introduction of rules changing the composition of the baseball, and to change it frequently.
3. The color line.
With Maris and Ruth having both been eliminated, the HR record devolves to Gavy Cravvath, but we don’t want such a popular and famous record going to a guy who got his knickname (Gavy) for killing a bird with a line drive off his bat. No animal abusers should hold the HR record; not in this day and age.
Now I’m taking a close look at Ned Williamson, with Harry Stovery waiting in the on-deck circle, should I find anything negative to report on Mr. Williamson.
I’ll keep you posted.
John – good post.
joe from log island-
whitey and the others sometimes occasionally rolled through stop signs.
mcguire, sosa, and bonds drove 130 mph through a residential area.
Do you think alcohol is a performance enhancer?
Yeah, as long as there’s been baseball, players have always been looking for an edge, an advantage. As Ken Burns reported in his Baseball doc, when the curve ball was invented, it was regarded as an unnatural advantage. Many sought to have it banned. Should Sandy Koufax have an asterisk? For that matter, weren’t those cortisone shots to his elbow done in order to enhance his performance, and make him (in McGwire’s words) heal faster?
If we’re going to wipe away records by known or alleged PED users, why stop there? We’d have to erase anyone who played before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, anyone from the greenies era, anyone who played in the cocaine era, etc. We’re fooling ourselves if we think any era is “pure” and thus produced a “true” homerun king
I’m sure not a popular opinion but I don’t care about records and who hold them.
Watching guys chase them is fun and good for the sport but cross generational comparisons don’t thrill me.
Doreen- I think he said Ruth used alcohol which at that time was an illegal substance,(prohibition) not as a performing enhancement substance. I don’t think anyone would call alcohol, performing enhancement. Well if you believe David Wells then maybe.
as for the *, i think we can reverse it once Bonds and Sosa come clean (no pun intended) through either admission or the judicial process, then we can put the * next to their names, including Mcgwire, instead of Maris.
Randy – it’s a tough call. As someone who grew up worshipping Whitey and the others, it’s a tough having to confront all this. Certainly, Bonds, McGwire, Sosa….they pushed the baseball line of “getting away with what you can” to the breaking point.
I guess if you’re caught in the act, and you’re called on it then and there, then “you’re out”. But, once time has marched on, the next pitch is thrown, and the game continues – to use that metaphor – it’s in the record books and the play stands.
Steriods and greenies are two totally different animals. Ben Johnson didn’t blow away the competition and record books by taking amphetamines. One gives you energy and one makes you be able to do things that humans cannot do natually. Its an apples and oranges situation.
Its impossible to compare these things.. Pre Jackie Robinson players didn’t face the best competition but ball parks were much bigger. All these factors go into the discussion but can’t weigh as much as drugs that allow you to do superhuman things IMO.
Horace Clark
But the point is about cheating. While drinking alcohol during prohibition was clearly not legal, I don’t think it’s the same as using PEDs. That’s all.
joe from long island-
there is no doubt that mcguire for example went to an extreme level of using steroids to boost his performance.
i think too many people are caught up in rational nit picking and when they see something that is clearly wrong they don’t have the courage to make a decision.
i think this is one of those cases.
what”s the downside?
an injustice will be done to mc guire, bonds , and sosa ?
i would like to see them and their supporters fight for their records to be reinstated.
do i have a problem with whitey doctoring a baseball once in a while ?
nope .
on a humorous note. the most extreme use of a drug in a baseball game had to be dock ellis pitching a no hitter on LSD.
i heard the story directly from several players who played in that game and they all swear it happened.
Here herre!!!!
There will be much discussion over this for the ages; however, I believe everyone knows deep down inside that Maris and Ruth are the real deal. Someone will come along some day, a phoneme and will add him to that Duo, lets just hope its another Yankee!!!!
Randy – you’re right, sometimes you just have to make a decision. So here’s mine –
I think that the records of Bonds and company should stand. They were not disallowed at the time, play resumed, and they’re in the box scores and the books. Just like someone being accused of using a corked bat – if the umpire finds it after the swing, you’re out.
However, the taint stays with them. I think the HOF, as a museum and dedicated to the history of the game, should have a steroid exhibit. Just like the exhibits the Hall has of the Negro Leagues and segregation, this should be displayed. Generations will then learn to equate the names of Bonds, Sosa, McGwire with the dishonor they brought on themselves, and the game.
Whether they get a plaque should be left to the HOF voters. Personally, I think the only way McGwire and Sosa get mentioned in the Hall is by being named in the steroid exhibit, as they built their reputations on their enhanced slugging. Bonds appears to have the credentials pre-PED. So then it would be up to the voters, but I wouldn’t be upset if he got lumped in with the others.
This is an animated short film narrated by Doc Ellis describing his perfect game and the “circumstances” surrounding it.
Check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65HDFa_jOhM
“Steriods and greenies are two totally different animals.”
Except that many think the biggest benefit of steroids in baseball may be recovery and allowing players to be on the field everyday.
Greenies in the body have a shorter shelf life than steroids but both allowed the body to do things it naturally may not have been capable of.
Look, on Bonds and McGwire there is evidence (confessions) of steroid use.
On Sosa, there is none.
I mean that. You can infer he used steroids based on his testimony to Congress, and his physical changes, but you can’t impose this kind of punishment without real evidence. Sosa would have a good case for a lawsuit, and he’d likely win.
So, taking away the records of Bonds and McGwire doesn’t hand the mark back to Ruth and Maris, but to Sosa.
Is that really what people want?
Unless my math is wrong, the Yankees have had 6 repeats, three 3-peats, one 4-peat, and one 5-peat.
The St. Louis Cardinals would have to win 17 straight World Championships (highly unlikely) just to break even with the Yankees while during that 17-year span the Yankees were not to win a championship, also highly unlikely.
Boston would need a 3-peat just to break even with St. Louis.
Re: alcohol as a performance enhancer.
I don’t know this is so, but maybe Ruth used alcohol to “blow off some steam”. Maybe he needed it to deal with pressure. In that case, it would be an illegal substance that did improve performance, wouldn’t it?
That argument is also halfway tongue-in-cheek.
==========================================
In my opinion, people that are overly concerned with the sanctity of these records, nearly all of which occurred under special conditions conducive to their happening, are more concerned with keeping the memory of their childhood heroes, and therefore their childhood as being unique, or at least more special, than the players of the present day.
Maris was, by all accounts, an admirable man. If his accomplishment needed 8 more games, well, we’ll let that go. If it happened in an expansion year, that’s not his fault, right? If he happened to use greenies or dexi-coffee at any point during the season, well, we have no evidence of that, so we won’t consider that, either, right?
Why are we willing to overlook all the help Maris had, or may have had? Because it comes from our childhood, or was handed down to us in our childhood.
These steroid guys? They’re frauds. But Maris’ 61, now that’s real, no matter what help he had getting there (like a much better hitter, Mickey Mantle, hitting right behind him)
blake —-
You need to do some reading about amphetamines before you write that all they do is “give you energy”.
In terms of immediate impact on performance, steroids offer NONE and amphetamines offer a lot. Sure, power stats were altered by PED use, but ALL stats were wlatered by guys popping a couple of greenies when they were too exhausted to play and then went out an went 4-5 and stole two bases.
Randy —
You kill your credibility when you recall the Doc Ellis LSD story and refer to it as an “amusing note”.
Every era is tainted in one way or another and selective outrage is as hypocritical as it gets. If scuffing the ball and/or greasing up the ball and/or corking a bat and/or taking cocaine or LSD is acceptable how do you take a stand against steroids.
It’s intellectually bankrupt.
This chat on the HR record will become mute
when-est Jesus M comes. Then, as they say,
it’s a whole new ball game. Ah, Babe, Roger
…and Jesus. I am besides myself, waiting
to see Stadium records broken. We will enjoy.
Great article!
Good post. Thanks John
IMO it’s not right to single out anyone player out when the commissioner had his “head in the sand” regarding steroids. In fact by promoting the Sosa- McGuire home run chase, MLB directly profited from players using steroids. And, please do not insult anyone’s intelligence by suggesting the commissioner’s office did not know.
Put an asterisk on the whole steroid period. Or not, most fans that experienced this era will do it anyway.
Totally off-topic, so I apologize, but I need this answered:
Why have essentially all Yankee beat writers assumed that Damon coming back is just not happening. I am not a Damon lover, or hater, for that matter and don’t see his return as anything more than icing on the cake, but its troubling to me that reporters don’t seem to be asking questions.
like:
Randy Winn? Seriously? When you hear this name do you think Starting outfielder for the New York Yankees or defensive replacement/pinch runner/4th outfielder/great bench depth?
Brett Gardner? See above.
Knowing this, shouldn’t the next logical thought be: Well, if the Yankees can get Damon for the price they want, they will obviously re-sign him. Right? I mean, I cannot imagine a scenario where Damon gets an offer for $6 Million from Detroit and Boras does not call Cashman and say, “I’ve got 6 million in hand, what do you want to do?” and Cashman does not say I’ll give you $6.5.”
The quote from Cashman being used to defeat this line of reasoning, ostensibly, is something about “not wanting a disgruntled player..” Which, one you really think about it, is about the most ridiculous thing ever.
So, is that most reporters are just unimaginative, regurgitation specialists, or does Cashman have a gag order out?
I am not saying that Damon coming back is a lock. Or even a necessity. far from it. But, I do think it is much more conceivable than most of the articles I have read on the subject.
To me, Personal Ethics is the issue, not medicine or law. How far is too far, what kind of advantage is unfair? That’s the only dividing line I can find that stays consistent over the ages of baseball.
I make a distinction when it comes to league-approved or baseball-wide changes. Thus if MLB juices the ball or changes the length of the season, the players are not responsible and the effect is uniform across the sport. Similarly, a decision to shrink or grow a ballpark is going to benefit the home team – unless you’re the Mets – but also similarly constructed visiting teams. So the benefit is not so one-sided as to offend a regular sense of fair play.
The Gentleman’s Agreement barred talented African American players and in its way had a uniform, game-wide effect. But the ugliness of the ban never changes.
If individual players train harder or do a different kind of training, they are still pushing their natural advantages and that’s exactly what we want in athletes – be the best you can be.
Certain treatment modalities are agreed upon by medical professionals and those decisions are sanctioned by the League and society as a whole. Thus, use of cortisone to heal faster is sanctioned and therefore OK as it is available to all players if need arise.
Alcohol and probably marijuana are performance inhibitors, as central nervous system depressants if I remember my high school health class. Drunks and stoners are only cheating themselves.
But Greenies and PEDs are the cutting edge of the argument, IMO. They were not banned by the game at the time Bonds and Sosa and MaGwrire used them, nor was there a penalty or testing regimen agreed upon by the league. But they were illegal to possess without a proper prescription and doctors wrongly dispensing those drugs even with a prescription were acting unethically. Use of them unethically seems clearly an unfair advantage. However…
Scuffing a ball (and throwing a spitter) was tolerated, winked at, by the game unless the other side detected it and objected, almost like caveat emptor. The side taken advantage of had to police its own rights. No objection? Complaint of cheating waived by MLB custom and practice.
But it’s this “custom and practice” argument that gives me most pause re: PEDs. Selig knew or had to know. So did the Union. They decided to use a “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy because they had not constructed a better answer. But can the players who used PEDs really expect to hide behind MLB’s poor etihcs? No, they can’t. That’s where I think the PED players finally lose because the bottom line protection is the player’s ethical behavior. That’s why PEDs, not the spitter or the scuff ball, rocked the foundation of the game.
I would love someone to explain Maris’ “clean” career path:
HR’s By Season:
14
28
16
39
*61*
33
23
26
8
13
9
5
Hmmm… One thing does not look like the others…
If we are going to suspect every player with abnormal “power” seasons of drug use today, then there is no reason not to suspect Maris of cheating.
murphydog -
I was following until the last paragraph, then you lost me.
Following your reasoning on other areas where players cheated (which is just as much unethical behavior as PEDs), PEDs doesn’t really deserve to be treated any differently. Wasn’t it tacitly approved, wink-wink , nod-nod, as much as scuffed balls?
Cheating is cheating. And if the league said nothing and did nothing, and other players said nothing and did nothing, why would the cheating players ever expect to be taken to task?
Am I missing your point?
Murphy
I was with you until customs and practice.
Not sure how doctoring equipment is more ethical because it was not detected in real time than PEDs use that also wasn’t detected in real time.
Players who test positive now to me are more stupid, not less ethical.
If the customs and practices test is applied, how many players does it take to make it accepted common practice? Is 104 enough?
Great Post!
If you are taking the rest of the steroid users out of there Luis Gonzalez HAS TO come out. If you leave him in maybe your next post could be about how good a homerun hitter Brady Anderson was.
Very nice post.
Who hit the most homers off of PED-using pitchers?
I bet it was Barry Bonds. He da man!
“Cheating is cheating. And if the league said nothing and did nothing, and other players said nothing and did nothing, why would the cheating players ever expect to be taken to task?”
With the spitter or corked bat etc., there was a penalty in place and a plan for action. If the other side complained about a spitter or scuff ball, action was taken during the game and a suspension was possible. But if nothing was said, MLB let the teams play the game. And usually it was one pitcher with one pitch or one hitter with a corked bat. It just wasn’t as widespread or viral if you will and did not therefore IMO infect the game.
With PEDs, no action was taken, no action plan was in place. And there were too many players on too many teams to leave it to the teams to enforce it, like with the spitter or corked bat. PEDs was wrong on a much, much grander scale and there was no remedy until Selig used Mitchell to get Congress off his back. I don’t recall Congress getting involved in corked bats or spitballs
pat:
“If the customs and practices test is applied, how many players does it take to make it accepted common practice? Is 104 enough?”
Fair enough. But what I’m really saying is that “custom and practice” was probably the right remedy for spitters and scuffed balls and corked bats. The wrong involved was tolerated by custom and practice as long as the other team didn’t object. The league dealt with the problem by letting the teams police themselves. It more or less worked to address complaints and keep it under control.
PEDs was too widespread, had too much impact on the game. Corked bats and Spitballs didn’t re-write the record books. At least I think they didn’t.
PEDs were a horse of a different color AND there was no plan in place to police it for years despite its arguably grotesque effects on the game. It’s an issue of degree as well as neglect by MLB.
Ultimately, I wrote above that, IMO, the players could NOT hide behind “custom and practice” on PEDs because there was no self-help enforcement holding them back or controlling the use of PEDs.
“I don’t recall Congress getting involved in corked bats or spitballs”
If baseball saw a profit motive in it, you may have.
The concept of “more wrong” when it comes to cheating is like being a little bit pregnant, no? Eventually you still get the same outcome.
Sammy Sosa didn’t take any chances; he corked hit bat too.
Just to clarify the earlier post: Custom and Practice does NOT excuse PEDs, although the argument could be made. I think it fails to justify PED use ultimately because a) the effect of PEDs is so much greater than corked bats or spitters and because, unlike corked bats or spitters or scuffed balls, there was no self-help remedy to the affected team when it came to PEDs. Both teams were likely benefiting from PED use so nobody called anybody out on it and even if they did, MLB had no remedy.
Thus, individual player ethics was the only restraint on this wrong and therefore, IMO, players could NOT rely on Custom and Practice to justify PED use. Whew!
lets go yankees
February 7th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
I would love someone to explain Maris’ “clean” career path:
HR’s By Season:
14
28
16
39
*61*
33
23
26
8
13
9
5
Hmmm… One thing does not look like the others…
If we are going to suspect every player with abnormal “power” seasons of drug use today, then there is no reason not to suspect Maris of cheating.
————————————————————
There are a lot of reasons for Maris’ home run totals. Moving into Yankee Stadium was the start. He had much better hitters before and after. For half of the the 1960 season he batted behind Mantle and then moved to the #3 spot after that. They had no choice but pitch to him. They weren’t going to walk him with Berra Skowren and Howard hitting behind him with Mantle, Richardson and Kubek on base.
In 1961, He hit third in the order. He was just hitting his prime and mantle was in his and, for him, healthy. In that year and a half of hitting 3rd, he had 1 intentional walk and 0 in 1961. With Mantle out of the line-up for over 40 games in 1962, he drew 10 intentional walks during that time. They didn’t have to pitch to him.
In 1963 and ‘64, he suffered knee injuries and never that healthy. From 1965, when he broke 4 bones in his hand and tore a couple on tendons, he never recovered the power.
One other major reason for the power surge, he was taught how to pull the ball, so, the average dropped and the homers rose.
murphydog -
I understand more what you’re saying. And I see the distinction you’re making. Just don’t know if I agree. Have to think on this one.
The major factor was expansion. 22-24 pitchers hat should have been in the minors or out of baseball. Batters who were never close to those totals were hitting 20-40 homers for a one/two year period.
Look back and you will see power spikes in every expansion period. Only in 1969 were totals close to normal, but, much higher than the 2 years prior.
“The concept of “more wrong” when it comes to cheating is like being a little bit pregnant, no? Eventually you still get the same outcome.”
Yes and No. For example, there is a concept called The Just War. It is a high water mark of modern philosophy and theology, making the best of an imperfect world. In short, there are times, it holds, that killing is justified to prevent or end worse wrongs.
Yes, it is possible to have a hierarchy of wrongs.
In baseball, scuffing the ball and corking a bat or throwing a spitter are relatively minor infractions not affecting the integrity of the sport as a whole. And there are remedies if it is detected.
PEDs are a different order of magnitude and for a long time there simply was no remedy, either allowing teams to protest an opposing player’s at-bat for example, or having in place a league-wide policy of enforcement and testing.
“If we are going to suspect every player with abnormal “power” seasons of drug use today, then there is no reason not to suspect Maris of cheating.”
I suspect some tongue in cheek in there and I agree. Let’s not jump to conclusions. Still, there is no evidence or good faith basis to suspect Maris of anything other than having a break out, once-in-a lifetime achievement. Isn’t that he definition of a “record”?
I think GB7 laid out the non-PED basis for the huge delta in Maris’ output.
As far as corked bats, in 1961 and in other years, Norm Cash won a batting title using a corked bat, hitting .361 and never had a .300 season, before or after.
Murphy,
I don’t think the practice of doctoring equipment is left solely to the discovery by the opposing team. The umpires are involved as well. To say that its ok unless/until a team points it out is a gross oversimplification. And to say that its ok because no one found out doesn’t really make it any less of a wrong. No one is upset that these things occurred without anyone knowing, they are upset that it happened at all.
Doreen:
“Have to think on this one.”
We all do and will for some time to come.
dont-forget-where-you-came-from cheese mac:
Fair does not necessarily mean perfect. Nobody ever expected the game to be perfect. I’m not saying it’s OK that people corked bats or used spitters, but the level of infraction is relatively low, isn’t it? So the proper enforcement level can be low too. All I’m saying is that the remedy fit the crime so to speak when it came to corked bats and spitters.
Obviously you’d agree there is a difference in order of magnitude between the lesser infractions of spitters and scuffed balls versus PEDs, wouldn’t you?
Luis Gonzales??? A generous inclusion indeed. His next highest year was 2000, when he had 31. Admissions aside, the objective facts speak for themselves and he should not be listed. I would add that 2001 was a “curious” year as witnessed by career highs by many, including Shawn Green and Todd Helton, both of whom had 49. If one is to do a “PED Sweep”, all years from the “Brady Anderson Year” to 2005 or so, if listed, should contain an asterisk.
murphydog
Because MLB did not have a plan of action and did not police PEDS, I think you might be able to say they approved of the practice and even, perhaps, exacerbated it. It is not quite right, in my mind, to penalize players for records set during this era, as much as we don’t like it. MLB also profited from the supposed results of PED-use – higher homerun totals the most obvious. But prolonged careers of power pitchers able to still be power pitchers later in their careers also a money-maker. People come to the park to see Clemens v. Bonds.
The whole era is murky. Just because it wasn’t easy to put in a plan of action to penalize PED use doesn’t get MLB off the hook. And what is so different about not penalizing a corked bat or scuffed ball or spit ball unless someone complained about it right then and there? They’re saying if you can get away with it, more power to you. PEDs was just grander scale.
murphydog
This may be a dumb question – was it illegal to exclude blacks from MLB?
If so, how do you go about rating that level of infraction?
It’s interesting that Maris’ record is now considered so sacred when, at the time, it was the first record to get an asterisk. There were eight additional games and, more importantly, it was the first ever expansion year and offense exploded that year due to the watered down pitching staffs. In baseball, every statistic that you can name cannot be compared generation to generation straight on. For example, before 1947 there were no black players thus watering down the competition considerably. Before 1920, you could throw a spitball and balls were kept in games becoming dark, hard, misshapen rocks (they even retrieved foul balls from the stands). That all changed when Ben Chapman got killed by one of these monstrosities and new balls were routinely placed into games. Anyway, there are so many variables that unless you want to do a protracted study on any comparison of stats between generations, you’re better off taking the numbers at face value and leaving it at that.
“…for a long time there simply was no remedy”
The remedy was for the 1000’s of players who now say they were clean and were cheated to have taken a stand in real time the way an umpire or batter did when a pitcher had a ball with a foreign substance on it in their hand.
They didn’t. Maybe more were “a little bit pregnant” than they now would like to admit or maybe they were enjoying the benefits from the profits owners were making and the salaries that record breaking players were getting.
Again the if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem adage rears its head.
Thanks for the fun debate but I’ve got a CYO basketball game to get to. Enjoy your day.
I don’t see how the level of infraction is relatively low. Indeed, in light of this supposed “custom and practice” turning of a blind eye, maybe it is much more rampant than we ever knew.
I see no difference. It all boils down to players trying to get an edge. First it was spitters and corked bats, now its PED’s. Maybe it seems worse because “oooh Drugs!”, but really there is no difference.
I think the fact that spitters and corked bats get a pass is some old timey, whimsical romanticization of the game perpetuated by out of touch reporters who look back fondly on “the good old days.” As someone earlier said, cheating is cheating. Its just a matter of what you are willing to personally overlook, for whatever reason.
awesome post!!! well done.
ortforshort
February 7th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
It’s interesting that Maris’ record is now considered so sacred when, at the time, it was the first record to get an asterisk. There were eight additional games and, more importantly, it was the first ever expansion year and offense exploded that year due to the watered down pitching staffs. In baseball, every statistic that you can name cannot be compared generation to generation straight on. For example, before 1947 there were no black players thus watering down the competition considerably. Before 1920, you could throw a spitball and balls were kept in games becoming dark, hard, misshapen rocks (they even retrieved foul balls from the stands). That all changed when ***Ben Chapman*** got killed by one of these monstrosities and new balls were routinely placed into games. Anyway, there are so many variables that unless you want to do a protracted study on any comparison of stats between generations, you’re better off taking the numbers at face value and leaving it at that.
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The name was ***Ray Chapman***
“John has always been a Yankees fan, counting Phil Hughes as his favorite player, ‘”since the day he was drafted.’”
Me too!!
It’s Foxx. As his nickname stated, Double X.
Horace Clarke. With an e at the end.
Skowron.
Just saying.
The most interesting and telling statistic in this whole mess is the length of time that Ruth’s and Maris’ records stood. Even with all the so-called advantages Maris’ contemporaries had, Ruth’s record stood for 34 years. In the ensuing years with even more supposed advantages, Maris’ total stood for 37 seasons. Once steroids became rampant, Maris’ record fell 6 times in 4 seasons. Steroids clearly created the greatest enhancement power wise in the history of the game. Greenies, alcohol, and even Flintstone chew-ables, obviously weren’t remotely as effective as steroids.
My point is: if players after Ruth and before McGwire/Sosa/ Bonds had so many purported advantages, why did it take 34 and 37 years respectively to break the single season HR mark? Maybe the report of these advantages was greatly exaggerated?
Well, Maris is still the A.L. leader for a single season. Just wanted to point that out.
I apologize for changing the subject, but the remarkable thing (to me) is that Hank Aaron’s name doesn’t appear on either of the lists —
– even after you scrub from the single-season HR list the drug-using SOBs . . . who ought to be Executed, not enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
When you think about Aaron hitting all those dingers, and the fact that he’s not on the single-season list, you realize that what he provided was Consistent Excellence.
And: Isn’t that what baseball is really all about?
I apologize for adding this, which has nothing to do with the bit about Hank Aaron:
One of the things that baseball had when I was young (5 decades ago, plus)
– and when my dad (who is dead) was young, in the 1930s
– and still has, to some extent, for a smaller portion of the population —
– is that baseball players are Admired By Kids.
Many baseball players look something like other citizens. They are black and white and Hispanic (tell me how many Hispanics are in the Super Bowl). They are even Oriental (Wang and Ichiro and Godzilla!).
They are not huge, like football’s linemen. They don’t hit other people, generally speaking, to make their living (they hit baseballs to do it, or they specialize in making other players miss).
They aren’t, for the most part, Canadian (like hockey players). Other than CC Sabathia, most Yankees are not tall enough to play basketball. Perhaps The Big Unit was tall enough to play basketball, but I guarantee — he’d miss all of his foul shots in the clutch!!!
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Kids can identify with baseball players. I would think that’s a good thing, and a thing that MLB would like to encourage and, maybe, keep. It is, of course, the reason you see so much of Derek Jeter (I live in the D.C. area, not NYC metro, and we still see Derek a lot down here). They promote Jeter heavily because, thus far, he hasn’t acted like a complete and utter schmuck, he didn’t throw a broken bat at Mike Piazza, Varitek didn’t intimidate Derek at the plate, and — whaever the guy’s sex life is or isn’t, you don’t get to read about it!
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So there’s an issue with Steroids and the other performance-enhancing drugs beyond Maris and Ruth and Hank Aaron.
Kids deserve to think that CHEATERS LOSE. If they don’t lose at the moment they cheat, they should be crushed at the end — no Hall of Fame for the cheaters seems reasonable (not punishment for them, but what’s proper for the rest of us).
The issue is The Right Thing.
Saying “well, the played the games and the records were set” is not right. Humans were born with a sense of right and wrong; you already knew it wasn’t right before I typed this. Making an argument like “they played the games and didn’t suspend the players” is a Lawyer’s argument.
Good luckk with that.
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That’s reason enough to take Sosa, Giambi, McGwire, Clemens, A-Rod, and Bonds, and put them on a boat. If there’s room, fill up any empty spaces with Lawyers.
Sail the boat off into the middle of the Atlantic — and then drop a nuke on it.
Maris and greenies advantage? Please, come on.
Maris’ biggest advantage is he batted ahead of Mickey Mantle (he of 54 HRs and one of the top players of all time). Pitchers took their chance with Maris, who was an excellent player at bat, in the field and on the bases.