Hate To Say I Told You So
Let me clarify myself. I am a huge Houston fan. I only root for their teams (although I was a big Titan fan for years but only because I'm so hardcore Housto-if that makes any sense) and will always hold grudges against other teams and their players. So what I'm about to say hurts. My fingers are in pain as I type. My delete button is just begging me to push him but I must be truthful.
THE HOUSTON ASTROS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A BUNCH OF CHEATERS.
There, I said it. Now let me tell you why.
The Astros franchise started in 1962 and was generally pretty sorry for years (think the Royals or Pirates of the last few years)until about 1979. They finally won their first pennant in 1986. That year will forever be remembered as the year of Mike Scott. He would clinch the division for the team with a no-hitter. That game also clinched his bid to become Houston's first Cy Young award winner.
Sadly, it was also the beginning of Houston and their cycle of cheats. Scott was routinely known to scuff the baseball and make it move in wild directions. How else to explain how a pitcher goes from nearly out of the league to the best in baseball in a couple years? Scott's cheating gave way to Billy Hatcher and the corked bat incident shortly thereafter. Hatcher had the misfortune of shattering his bat and having the cork fly everywhere and his reputation forever tarnished.
The next few years where quiet until a new group of Astros again started winning. This new incarnation were led by players like Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Caminitti, Luis Gonzalez and Steve Finley. They had many things in common-from making All Star teams to rapidly bulking up and hitting home runs more often. Some showed more bulk than others-Caminitti and Bagwell-but all started hitting home runs at an unheard of rate.
The Jeff Bagwell case is well known as is that of admitted steroids abuser Ken Caminitti. I think you know the particulars for them. But what about the others?
Well, Luis Gonzalez went from total stringbean to leading the league in homeruns years later. Sure, he had not the hulking presence of a McGwire or a Bonds but he became very muscular in his own right. How else would you explain hitting a career high of 57 homeruns one year but your next best year being only 31? His power had to come from somewhere.
Steve Finly also had a similar surge. The brother in law of the poster child for the steroids era-Brady Anderson, Finley went from a career high of 10 homeruns to 30 the next year. He went from a no power, good glove/speed guy to an unbelievable power/speed double threat.
The one iffy case would be that of Craig Biggio. One could argue that after full years of 4, 4, and 6 homeruns that then jumping to 21 would be a good argument. Then again before hitting 4 homeruns in 1990 he hit 13 in his second year of ball in 1989. While Biggio stayed about the same size, one thing he displayed was an iron man type display of hustle. And one byproduct of HGH is that your body does not wear down like normal. You can lift all day and play games at night and repeat for week after week. So his uncanny grit and hustle could be due more to pharmaceuticals than determination. Factor in the fact that Biggio has been hit by pitch more than anyone in modern history and you've got a potential case. He's been extremely durable (possibly too durable?) for 20 seasons now.
Bottom line is that Houston's success has often been buoyed by signs of cheating. And we haven't even mentioned one of the most recent developments-Roger Clemens and his absurdly gaudy stats well into his 40's. Luckily, there are a new breed of Astros that appear to be clean as a whistle. Roy Oswalt and Hunter Pence are both very thin and no more muscular than Ryan Seacrest. And Lance Berkman opts to bulk up by visiting Shipley's each morning.
Unfortunately, though, there is some kind of a code amongst Houston media members. As long as you are popular, they will not cast any doubts. If they were smart they'd take heed of the blind eye turned for McGwire and remember what they learned in Journalism 101. That reporting the news fairly and accurately leaves little room for conspirasts. And little doubt that the 86 Cy Young, the 94 and the 96 MVP's, and all those playoff games were earned legitimately.
THE HOUSTON ASTROS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A BUNCH OF CHEATERS.
There, I said it. Now let me tell you why.
The Astros franchise started in 1962 and was generally pretty sorry for years (think the Royals or Pirates of the last few years)until about 1979. They finally won their first pennant in 1986. That year will forever be remembered as the year of Mike Scott. He would clinch the division for the team with a no-hitter. That game also clinched his bid to become Houston's first Cy Young award winner.
Sadly, it was also the beginning of Houston and their cycle of cheats. Scott was routinely known to scuff the baseball and make it move in wild directions. How else to explain how a pitcher goes from nearly out of the league to the best in baseball in a couple years? Scott's cheating gave way to Billy Hatcher and the corked bat incident shortly thereafter. Hatcher had the misfortune of shattering his bat and having the cork fly everywhere and his reputation forever tarnished.
The next few years where quiet until a new group of Astros again started winning. This new incarnation were led by players like Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Caminitti, Luis Gonzalez and Steve Finley. They had many things in common-from making All Star teams to rapidly bulking up and hitting home runs more often. Some showed more bulk than others-Caminitti and Bagwell-but all started hitting home runs at an unheard of rate.
The Jeff Bagwell case is well known as is that of admitted steroids abuser Ken Caminitti. I think you know the particulars for them. But what about the others?
Well, Luis Gonzalez went from total stringbean to leading the league in homeruns years later. Sure, he had not the hulking presence of a McGwire or a Bonds but he became very muscular in his own right. How else would you explain hitting a career high of 57 homeruns one year but your next best year being only 31? His power had to come from somewhere.
Steve Finly also had a similar surge. The brother in law of the poster child for the steroids era-Brady Anderson, Finley went from a career high of 10 homeruns to 30 the next year. He went from a no power, good glove/speed guy to an unbelievable power/speed double threat.
The one iffy case would be that of Craig Biggio. One could argue that after full years of 4, 4, and 6 homeruns that then jumping to 21 would be a good argument. Then again before hitting 4 homeruns in 1990 he hit 13 in his second year of ball in 1989. While Biggio stayed about the same size, one thing he displayed was an iron man type display of hustle. And one byproduct of HGH is that your body does not wear down like normal. You can lift all day and play games at night and repeat for week after week. So his uncanny grit and hustle could be due more to pharmaceuticals than determination. Factor in the fact that Biggio has been hit by pitch more than anyone in modern history and you've got a potential case. He's been extremely durable (possibly too durable?) for 20 seasons now.
Bottom line is that Houston's success has often been buoyed by signs of cheating. And we haven't even mentioned one of the most recent developments-Roger Clemens and his absurdly gaudy stats well into his 40's. Luckily, there are a new breed of Astros that appear to be clean as a whistle. Roy Oswalt and Hunter Pence are both very thin and no more muscular than Ryan Seacrest. And Lance Berkman opts to bulk up by visiting Shipley's each morning.
Unfortunately, though, there is some kind of a code amongst Houston media members. As long as you are popular, they will not cast any doubts. If they were smart they'd take heed of the blind eye turned for McGwire and remember what they learned in Journalism 101. That reporting the news fairly and accurately leaves little room for conspirasts. And little doubt that the 86 Cy Young, the 94 and the 96 MVP's, and all those playoff games were earned legitimately.
posted by christopher at 12:11 PM
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