Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Maris and McGwire


053101_Roger_Maris2_AP.JPGMy father always has said since the steroid era has become public that “Roger Maris is still the single season Home run king”. With players like Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa all eclipsing a once unthinkable mark of 61 in a single season. From 1961 to the early 1990’s only one player in the time was able to hit 50 home runs and that was Big Cecil Fielder. With McGwire recent admission of using steroids and HGH should that change the record books? If some one is to hit 61 home runs, clean. Then some one hits 66, 70 and 73 but while using performance enhancing steroids… then who should be the record holder? I feel that question’s answer is very obvious. If they put an asterisk on Maris's record for a short time due to the expansion of the season, then why not for the illegal usage of PEDs. Im sure the MLB and Bud Selig will fuck it up LIKE usual. The real question though is how does this change the legacy that Mr. Maris left. Roger has since passed long ago in 1985 of Hodgkins Lymphoma and obviously unable to see his long standing record fall twice*. Maris during his 12 year career was a 4x all star, 3x world series champion, 2x AL MVP (1960, 61) and also a gold glove winner. Maris also has had the honor of having his #9 retired by the New York Yankees. Over his career he averaged 30 Homeruns and 94 Rbis per season, but during the heart of his career those numbers were higher roughly at 42 HRs and 106 RBIs. Those numbers were from a 162 game per/year projection.

File:YankeesRetired9.svghttp://nbcsportsmedia2.msnbc.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/050329/050329_maris_vmed_11a.widec.jpgSo where am I going with this? I feel that it also maybe obvious. Put Roger Maris in the Hall of Fame. His numbers and statistics maybe controversial for the hall of fame but it maybe the only way that Major League Baseball can get this right. The Steroid era potentially could of ruined sports, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.




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