Interesting Article On Steroids and Hitting

[Taco De Muerte]

http://www.thediamondangle.com/archive/june02/steroids.html

[MrUniverse09]

steroids don't make a hitter better at hitting. They make him better at hitting it out of the park.

[ssarge]

steroids don't make a hitter better at hitting. They make him better at hitting it out of the park.

Yeah, but I wonder if that is so soley because of additional strength? It seems almost unquestionable that additional strength helps the cause, although it is almost certainly enhanced strength of the body core, not the arms.

But I would think the additional QUICKNESS made possible by anabolic use is more a factor than raw strength. The longer you can wait to initiate the swing, the more frequently the elite hitter will make optimal or near optimal contact. Game of Shadows touched on this briefly. And I think this would argue for the case that steroids actually DO make a better - not just more powerful - hitter.

And finally, the recuperative assist given by anabolics is without question a factor. 162 games (and 700 PAs) in 180 days is unbelievably grueling.

[hiddengem]

steroids don't make a hitter better at hitting. They make him better at hitting it out of the park.

They absolutely make you a better hitter. Sarge hit it perfect. The explosive power and quickness that you gain from certain drugs makes one feel superhuman.

Have you ever noticed how deep in the zone Bonds lets the ball get before exploding on it? When you lose strength and quickness, you feel the urge to go get the ball and thus don't wait as long and because of that your hitting suffers.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

The only interesting thing about that article is how off-base it is.

No less a source than Ted Williams, considered by many the greatest pure hitter of all time, cites three key elements to hitting a baseball effectively in his book, "The Science of Hitting". A good hitter must identify a pitch to hit, know enough about the pitcher and the game situation to give himself the best chance to succeed, and put hands and hips into motion to drive the pitch. Nowhere does Williams mention that muscle mass aides in any of those critical elements. Williams, himself, of course, was rail-thin, and yet, he managed to crank out 521 career homers.

On a 90 MPH pitch, the ball will get to the plate in about .4 seconds. The hitter has about .2 seconds to recognize the pitch speed, break, and location, and decide if he's going to swing or not. Then the hitter needs about .15 seconds to actually swing at the pitch.

Your vision is basically increased by being stronger and quicker to the ball, thus helping in overall hitting. The time you have to look at the pitch is longer because the time it takes you to actually swing (get to the ball) is shorter. Pretty simple.

Sure, added muscle mass may increase the distance a player is able to hit a baseball, but what negative effect does that added mass have in altering the fluidity of the player's swing and, thus, his ability to hit the ball in the first place?

This is nonsense. Fluidity? Are they swimming out there? These guy's swings are so tight and compact, it's all about getting the the ball quickly. It doesn't matter that Bonds is so bundled up that he can't probably wipe his own rear end. When he's in that batters box, it's all about quick twitch hips, torso, shoulders, and hands.

So many more things wrong with that article.

[wogdoggy]

Steroids keep you in the game longer as well...MOST of the players of Barry's age are going down in statistics.barry because of steroid use has remained in the game longer and has improving statistics.

[Goooooo]

The Article makes some good points. It makes sense that more muscle mass will impinge on bat speed, for bat speed think Ted Williams Frame, the best pull-hitter of all time.


In any event, a players peak bat speed is not affected at all by steroids, but his 'valley' bat speed, the speed that hitter can only attain when he's in a slump or hurting, that will not occur as frequently with steroids, because he'll have more stamina and strength for the long haul.


For example, if a hitter is a peak .300 hitter 60% of the time and a Valley .200hitter 40% of the time then he'll hit .260. But steroids will make the valleys less frequent, and less pronounced, such that the hitter will still hit .300 at peak and will be at peak 70% of the time, and will only valley out 30% of the time, and at .230 instead of .200.

Now the hitter is a .279 instead of .260 hitter not because his peak hitting ability has increased, but because he just slumps less often and less drastically.

Steroids also help to avoid injury, quicken time returning from injury and make you stronger if you workout.

[wogdoggy]

They absolutely make you a better hitter. Sarge hit it perfect. The explosive power and quickness that you gain from certain drugs makes one feel superhuman.

Have you ever noticed how deep in the zone Bonds lets the ball get before exploding on it? When you lose strength and quickness, you feel the urge to go get the ball and thus don't wait as long and because of that your hitting suffers.

gem if they made you a better hitter then HULK HOGAN would play pro ball.maybe helps reaction time sure.

[Sorpe]

There's a difference between being made a better hitter and becoming a hitter when you don't even play the sport. Unless I missed the pay per view event, I don't believe the Hulkster plays baseball. Might be kind of hard to adjust your posture and rotate with that big belt around your waist.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

Care to elaborate on how being stronger will decrease the bat speed of a major leaguer? Look at Bonds' swing and point out where he is "impinged" upon by being too muscular. Where he is "impinged" on, is out in the field, and in throwing, because THAT takes flexibility. Going from point A to point B with his lightning quick, torque filled, twitchy swing is musclar freedom; allowing them to bask in the HR sun.

How would only a valley be affected but not a peak? It's more than just maintaining a fresh/quick swing in the dog days. It's about being stronger in general, allowing you to rise above your non-steroid using norm. Peaks and valleys both go up, although because of stamina reasons, the valleys might go up slightly more. It's not one or the other though, it's both. That's the whole point of taking them.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

gem if they made you a better hitter then HULK HOGAN would play pro ball.maybe helps reaction time sure.

Helping reaction time and speeding up your bat DOES make you a better hitter wogdoggy. Hogan doesn't have the hand eye coordination required to hit to begin with. That would be like putting a silk hat on a pig.

[ssarge]

It doesn't matter that Bonds is so bundled up that he can't probably wipe his own rear end.

LOL.

I think he's got a guy for that. Assumedly, the Giants give the guy clubhouse access, just like they have Bonds's THREE personal trainers (strength guy, speed guy, and I don't know what the other guy does - but there were 3). What a farce.

Regards,

Scott

[Goooooo]

Helping reaction time and speeding up your bat DOES make you a better hitter wogdoggy. Hogan doesn't have the hand eye coordination required to hit to begin with. That would be like putting a silk hat on a pig.

I see, your definition of 'obvious' is based on what you want to believe is the truth.

Mine is based on reaching a conclusion after verifiable evidence and facts are analyzed for cause, effect, and correlation.

I guess we simply have different ways of arriving on what we believe is the truth.

Also, show me the evidence you have that Steroids quickens one's swing.

If anything it stands to reason that more muscle mass will impinge on range of motion and make bat speed slower.

You want proof ?

look at a ballerina, and then compare her to a huge bodybuilder. Who is more flexible and has better range of motion?

[Sultan_1895-1948]

I never used the word "obvious."

A ballerina and a body builder? You don't see anything wrong with that comparison? We're talking about a hitter here, who performs a hitting motion that takes him about .10 seconds to complete compared to the average guy being about .15. You don't think fast twitch muscles have anything to do with this? And you don't think having more stamina with that added strength means anything throughout a long, grueling season? It appears common sense has flown out the window.

[Taco De Muerte]

Sultan - Don't try to pass off your opinion as a fact. While I don't agree with everything the article states - It does make some solid points. To completely dismiss it because it didn't say that steroids are a miracle drug that can turn a hitter like alex sanchez into a hitter like mickey mantle, doesn't mean it's " totally off-base ".