Players Overshadowed by Steroid Users

[bluesky5]

One thing not often talked about anywhere is the players who would have been among the league leaders if the steroid users weren't allowed to thrive. I'm starting in '98 and ending in '03 since it seems like it was a peak time for use. I left out some suspicious to highly suspicious names simply to be fair since they were never caught red-handed or with their pants down.

1998
HR - McGwire, Sosa, Vaughn, Griffey, Belle, Castilla, Canseco, Ramirez, Gonzalez, Galarraga
RBI - Sosa, Gonzalez, Belle, McGwire, Griffey, Ramirez, Castilla, Kent, Burnitz, Alou
OBP - McGwire, Olerud, Walker, Bonds, Martinez, Sheffield, Bagwell, B. Williams, Thome, Kendall
SLG - McGwire, Belle, Sosa, Gonzalez, Walker, Griffey, Bonds, Ramirez, Vaughn, Galarraga
R - Sosa, McGwire, Jeter, Durham, Bagwell, Jones, Rodriguez, Biggio, Bonds, Griffey

1999
HR - McGwire, Sosa, Griffey, Palmeiro, Vaughn, Jones, Ramirez, Delgado, Guerrero, Green, Bagwell
RBI - Ramirez, Palmeiro, McGwire, Williams, Sosa, Delgado, Griffey, Bichette, Guerrero, Gonzalez
OBP - Walker, Bagwell, Martinez, Abreu, Ramirez, Jones, Jeter, B. Williams, Olerud, Fernandez
SLG - Walker, McGwire, Ramirez, Sosa, Jones, Palmeiro, Giles, Garciaparra, Gonzalez, Guerrero
R - Bagwell, Alomar, Jeter, Green, J. Bell, Ramirez, Alfonzo, Biggio, Griffey, Knoblauch

2000
HR - Sosa, Bonds, Glaus, Bagwell, Hidalgo, Guerrero, Giambi, Thomas, Sheffield, Helton, Edmonds
RBI - Helton, Martinez, Sweeney, Thomas, Sosa, Giambi, Delgado, Rodriguez, Bagwell, Ordonez
OBP - Giambi, Delgado, Helton, Ramirez, Bonds, Sheffield, Thomas, Garciaparra, Giles, Alfonzo
SLG - Helton, Ramirez, Bonds, Delgado, Guerrero, Giambi, Sheffield, Hidalgo, Sosa, Thomas
R - Bagwell, Helton, Damon, Rodriguez, Bonds, Edmonds, Jones, Erstad, Durham, Glaus

2001
HR -Bonds, Sosa, Gonzalez, Rodriguez, Helton, Thome, Green, Palmeiro, Sexson, Glaus, Ramirez
RBI - Sosa, Helton, Gonzalez, Boone, Gonzalez, Bonds, Rodriguez, Bagwell, Pujols, Berkman
OBP - Bonds, Giambi, Walker, Sosa, Helton, Berkman, Gonzalez, Jones, Martinez, Sheffield
SLG - Bonds, Sosa, Gonzalez, Helton, Walker, Giambi, Thome, Rodriguez, Berkman, Pujols
R - Sosa, Rodriguez, Helton, Bonds, Gonzalez, Suzuki, Bagwell, Floyd, Green, Boone, Abreu, Biggio

2002
HR - Rodriguez, Thome, Sosa, Bonds, Palmeiro, Berkman, Green, Giambi, Guerrero, Soriano
RBI - Rodriguez, Ordonez, Tejada, Berkman, Pujols, Anderson, Giambi, Garciaparra, Thome, Burrell
OBP - Bonds, Giles, Ramirez, Thome, Giambi, Jones, Helton, Walker, Edmonds, Guerrero
SLG - Bonds, Thome, Ramirez, Rodriguez, Giles, Walker, Giambi, Ordonez, Sosa, Guerrero
R - Soriano, Rodriguez, Jeter, Sosa, Giambi, Pujols, Damon, Bonds, Ordonez, Helton, Durham

2003
HR - Rodriguez, Thome, Bonds, Sexson, Lopez, Pujols, Delgado, Thomas, Giambi, Sosa
RBI - Delgado, Wilson, Sheffield, Thome, Sexson, Pujols, Rodriguez, Helton, Wells, Boone
OBP - Bonds, Helton, Pujols, Ramirez, Giles, Delgado, Walker, Sheffield, Berkman, Giambi
SLG - Bonds, Lopez, Pujols, Helton, Edmonds, Sheffield, Rodriguez, Delgado, Ortiz, Ramirez
R - Pujols, Helton, Furcal, Sheffield, Rodriguez, Garciaparra, Wells, Ramirez, Delgado, Soriano

[redban]

You could also look at the MVP voting per season.

Like in 2003, Delgado lost to Alex Rodriguez, 1996 Piazza lost to Ken Caminiti, etc.

Jim Thome probably got overshadowed by steroid users. By the time he got to 600 homeruns lots of people were surprised because they hardly paid attention to him. They were watching Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, and others.

Another one is Fred McGriff (Although I'm not sure if there are steroid clouds surrounding him)

[fenrir]

Greg Maddux was generally over shadowed by Roger Clemens.

Not anymore though.

[bluesky5]

You could also look at the MVP voting per season.

Like in 2003, Delgado lost to Alex Rodriguez, 1996 Piazza lost to Ken Caminiti, etc.

Jim Thome probably got overshadowed by steroid users. By the time he got to 600 homeruns lots of people were surprised because they hardly paid attention to him. They were watching Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, and others.

Another one is Fred McGriff (Although I'm not sure if there are steroid clouds surrounding him)

True, redban. The MVP's, SS's, GG's, ASG's, $'s, WS's and recognition the clean guys missed out is really non-quantifiable and really a shame. They are pushed out of the top tens at nearly a 50% clip.

[Imapotato]

Even the ones NOT highlighted, I deem suspect

Which is why I appreciate Derek Jeter, Craig Biggio and Ichiro even more now

[Imapotato]

Even the ones NOT highlighted, I deem suspect

Which is why I appreciate Derek Jeter, Craig Biggio and Ichiro even more now

[SHOELESSJOE3]

One thing not often talked about anywhere is the players who would have been among the league leaders if the steroid users weren't allowed to thrive. I'm starting in '98 and ending in '03 since it seems like it was a peak time for use. I left out some suspicious to highly suspicious names simply to be fair since they were never caught red-handed or with their pants down.

Good point, overlooked by many. Mention Barry Bonds and some come up with the "so what" others were using.
That means nothing, it's that all the users having an edge over the non users.
Same with Clemens, Mac and some others, those that benefit from use, playing with an advantage over those not using.

[John Shoemaker]

Greg Maddux was generally over shadowed by Roger Clemens.

Not anymore though.

I think Clemens was just the tip of the iceburg - I think a lot of pitchers were using steroids - probably more pitchers than hitters

[fenrir]

I think Clemens was just the tip of the iceburg - I think a lot of pitchers were using steroids - probably more pitchers than hitters

I agree to a certain extent. I don't know if more pitchers were using, but I certainly think a large amount were.

Pitchers get more of a free pass when it comes to steroids because the numbers point to hitters benefiting more. Though I would argue that this would be a hitters era regardless of steroids. One of the biggest benefits of steroids is faster recovery from injuries, workouts, etc. A pitcher who uses steroids would be able to recover much faster in between starts, which makes it easier to rest and recuperate and in turn allows them to pitch much longer at a dominant level. I also think steroids can significantly increase leg strength, which is an important factor in creating velocity, but that's just my opinion, not something I have proof of.

Here's a good article discussing why pitchers use steroids, and how they would benefit: http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3246463

[Joe33]

Looking at those lists I find it harder to find the probable non-users than I do the users, so making a case for a player that was unfairly overshadowed feels futile.

I suppose if we're to use the eye test, Jim Thome seems like the least likely power hitter to have been using. I've never seen the man with his shirt off, but he looks like someone from another era, and he's seemingly outlasting all his peers from those days. Having seen Jeter in person a number of times, he physically doesn't strike me as someone who's ever used.

[Captain Cold Nose]

Looking at those lists I find it harder to find the probable non-users than I do the users, so making a case for a player that was unfairly overshadowed feels futile.

I suppose if we're to use the eye test, Jim Thome seems like the least likely power hitter to have been using. I've never seen the man with his shirt off, but he looks like someone from another era, and he's seemingly outlasting all his peers from those days. Having seen Jeter in person a number of times, he physically doesn't strike me as someone who's ever used.

Did Matt Lawton?

[bluesky5]

Did Matt Lawton?

Are you trying to say: Do we care about only the really successful steroid users while ignoring the middle of the pack users? Very Aesopian of you. Were you told this by an anthropomorphic animal at a veterinary clinic in late '05? Was the animal looking for its boldenone?

[Joe33]

Did Matt Lawton?

Yeah, actually, he did.

[TexAg]

Even the ones NOT highlighted, I deem suspect

Which is why I appreciate Derek Jeter, Craig Biggio and Ichiro even more now

Biggio has had suspicions surrounding him as long as I can remember.

I think Jr was ever under the cloud though.

[Captain Cold Nose]

Are you trying to say: Do we care about only the really successful steroid users while ignoring the middle of the pack users? Very Aesopian of you. Were you told this by an anthropomorphic animal at a veterinary clinic in late '05? Was the animal looking for its boldenone?

It was Joey, the real Captain Cold Nose. And it was 2002. He said "Harrr. Har rar rar har". I was told he was either talking about Lawton and other positive testers who did not look the part, or that a storm was coming.

Bottom line is, with masking agents, going after the usual suspects, etc. we really can't say for certain who did or who did not use. Even Derek Jeter, who I am actually a fan of. With only suspicion I cannot condemn a player for using, personally.