curveball wrote:JansenFan wrote:Besides the fact that no one EVER mentioned Palmeiro's name when steroids were brought up until Jose Conseco's book thrust the spotlight on him, the main reasoning for suprise is three-fold.
Number 1, look at the guy. His physique is not on the same playing field as players such as Bonds, Soso, McGuire and the like.
Number 2, look at the numbers. He got to 500 homers by consistently hitting 30-40 homers over a long period of time. There was no freakish 70+ seasons.
Numbers 3, look at his play at age 40. Guys who use 'roids over a long period of time start to breakdown physically. Palmeiro is 40-years old, and is playing at a high level. No sneezed landing him on the DL, or knee injuries that should last an offseason, suddenly requiring a full season off to recover.
1. You can't compare his physique to other players. Compare his physique in 1991 to his physique in 1994. Guys don't put on 30 lbs on muscle in their late 20's.
2. Those factors are all relative. McGwire was a 40 homer guy before steroids. Palmeiro was a 15 homer guy. A guy like Duane Kuiper could do all the 'roids on earth an not hit 50 homers. (Kuiper was a middle infielder in the late 70's early 80's most notably for SF with the lowest hr/ab ratio of the modern era. It was said that he couldn't hit a ball out of the Astrodome fungoeing one from second base).
3. You're ingoring the fact that Palmeiro's been primarily a DH for years (unless you count his "Gold Glove" year at first, biggest joke in baseball history). It really cuts down on the wear and tear on his body.
And don't claim that no one ever suspected he used. There are probably 40-45 names that almost everyone suspects of crossing the line and he was always one of them.
I have followed Palmeiro closely since his first tenure in Baltimore. I have never heard his name and steroids in the same sentence. Further more, if there was such wide support for Palmeiro as a user, than why was the collective sports media so surprised when Palmeiro was called to testify before congress, and why was he able to push away the accusation simply by denying it.
As for the assertion that an athlete can't put on 30-pounds without steroids, that's just absurd. Roy Jones, Jr. changes weight classes more than he changes his underwear. Simple weight gainer used on a regular basis, combined with proper nutrition and exercise for someone already in good physical conditioning can put on 30 pounds in a few months, not to mention, his weight gain was hardly all muscle. He's thickened a bit, but not just in the shoulders. Started happening to me in my late 20's with out weight gain.
As for DHing being responsible for his longevity, that's a stretch. He played mostly first in Baltimore during both tenures, and even with being the designated hitter, 20 years of steroid use still takes a toll on your body, as well as your mind. Ever here of an angry Palmeiro pushing a camera man, or even being angry at someone?
I spent a few minutes this morning listening to his press conference and reading the Post and MLB's write-ups. From all accounts, he is embarrassed by the test, he fought it tooth and nail because, although he wouldn't say so, he asserted that he took a supplement from a company that he didn't know much about and he didn't take the time to verify the ingredients. I say add 10 days for stupidity, but I don't think that condemns him as a life-long steroid abuser.