Follow-up: Palmeiro for the Hall of Fame

Friday, August 5, 2005

So what you are saying is that steroids will not enhance a baseball players performance? They will not help them hit the ball harder or further, or run faster to beat out a throw?

Andy Griglock

andygriglock@comcast.net

John's reply: That's not what I said or meant to say if I didn't say it -- everyone thinks steroids make them hit the ball further or run faster -- including the ball players. I think steroids should be banned and the players should be punished.

But athletes were hitting home runs and were fast before steroids and will be after they're banned.

But home runs are as much or more a matter of physics -- hitting a round ball squarely. Precise timing linked with eye-hand coordination.

There are other factors -- woundly-tight baseballs, mediocre pitching, smaller ball parks.

What steroids do -- or the players think they do -- is give them the ability to hit the baseball further and have an edge over the other guy because they think the other guy's doing steroids -- which he might be.

While everyone talks about Barry Bonds' home runs, no one talks about how many walks he gets. Although some are intentional, Bonds has the keenest batting eye in the game. Steroids do nothing for your eyes.

So one has to think about this situation with the other factors involved.

And with all the talk about steroids, only Jason Giambi, Jose Canseco and Ken Caminiti have actually admitted to using steroids -- and Caminiti is dead because of them.

Sincerely yours

John J. Mesh

sports editor

McCook Daily Gazette