Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Steroids: what about Pete Rose?

I just received this:

tom halbrook has left a new comment on your post "Nolan Ryan: more on possible steroid use.": 

what about rose. note that suddenly his strikeout ratio went way way down. he started having half as many strikeouts. no one else has ever done that. 

Posted by tom halbrook to Radical Baseball at Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at 11:45:00 PM EDT

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Nolan Ryan: more on possible steroid use. Tuesday, August 31, 2010

The most viewed topic on this blog has been my three primary posts on whether Nolan Ryan used performance enhancing drugs (PED). Ryan is suspected far more than the main stream media either realizes or wants to admit.
Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas Pete Rose signing autographs in a sports store.
January 11, 2008 by Kjunstorm from Laguna Niguel, CA, via Wikimedia Commons
The most recent comment introduces Pete Rose into this. Who hasn't wondered about Rose in the 30 or so years since his upper body and arms became huge. Rose received immunity because he was not a home run hitter.

This summer when Rose seems close to being forgiven for his gambling on baseball games while he was the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, maybe people should ask Rose whether he used PED. Since Rose lied for 14 years about his gambling, his credibility may not be worth much.

And for all those concerned about Pete Rose being ineligible, ineligible for what? The Hall of Fame?  With his character flaws?  A coaching job? Rose was very unlikely to have been offered another job as manager. Rose was not prevented from PLAYING baseball. That would have been a big punishment. Ask Alex Rodriguez.

1 comment:

Cliff Blau said...

It's not true that no one cut his strikeouts as much as Pete Rose. I assume that Mr. Halbrook is referring to the 1976-78 period, when Rose's strikeout rate dropped by 42% (and walks by 25%). Others have reduced their strikeouts by more than that. Look at Felipe Alou for example. Ignoring the big strike zone era, in 1962 he struck out 66 times in 621 at bats, and in 1969 he struck out 23 times in 476 at bats, a drop of 55%. Look at Doc Cramer, 1935-37.

According to Bill James, 44% of long-term players reduce their strikeout rates as they age.