Ryan Howard is on fire - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Sylvanfan · 09-05-2006, 09:15 AM

With 4 homeruns in his last 10 at bats Howard sits at 53 homers and 134 RBI. Since the break Howard has something crazy like 30 home runs. The question isn't should he be NL MVP but IF Howard was to hit 62 homeruns, would you view him as the real record holder? We all know McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds were totally juiced up when they hit their big number of homers. MLB has a pretty weak drug testing policy, but they do at least have one and it is generally evidenced by players like Bonds not hitting any homers, and Sosa and Palmeiro being out of the game now. I think I'd have to say yes I'd view Howard as the all time single season HR leader if he could hit his 61st by game 156 and 62nd before the end of the season.

JiriHrdina · 09-05-2006, 09:23 AM

Unfortunately until someone breaks Bonds' record, or MLB rules those HRs as being not valid, he has the record as for as I'm concerned.

BTW - Bonds is starting to hit them out again on a pretty regular basis.

nfotiu · 09-05-2006, 09:40 AM

Why assume Howard is not on drugs. HGH is not even tested for. The MLB policy is not even as good as the NFL policy: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2563563

If you really want to believe all your sports heros (who haven't been caught) are clean, you'll only be dissappointed in the end.

Sylvanfan · 09-05-2006, 09:48 AM

^^^
Hey I said their testing policy is pretty flimbsy. But it did chase a few of the really blatent cheaters out of the game. But I will admit that some of those cheaters are still hitting a lot of homeruns like Giambi, and as Hrdina notes Bonds recently. Than again these guys were always talented players too. Certainly todays athletes have the advantage of enhancements that a Roger Maris didn't have. But that applies to the pitchers as well and the ability to document and analyze a players tendency's as far as coaching is also pretty superior too today. I'm not saying Howard is 100% clean, but I think he's cleaner than the other cheaters were. At least Howard is at an age where he should be in his athletic prime. Bonds and McGwire were at an age where most people start to fade off when they set their records.

habernac · 09-05-2006, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nfotiu

Why assume Howard is not on drugs. HGH is not even tested for. The MLB policy is not even as good as the NFL policy: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2563563

If you really want to believe all your sports heros (who haven't been caught) are clean, you'll only be dissappointed in the end.

If I remember correctly, there is no definitive test to detect HGH yet unfortunately. I wouldn't be too shocked if all the big guys were still using that.

nfotiu · 09-05-2006, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by habernac

If I remember correctly, there is no definitive test to detect HGH yet unfortunately. I wouldn't be too shocked if all the big guys were still using that.

Yeah, I wasn't really critizing baseball's policy. Just saying that they are by no means catching all the drug users, or even a significant percentage. Technology is not really there yet to catch everyone anyway. Although Track and Field seems to be doing a better job these days at catching up with people who've slipped by for years.

Baseball won't do better unless the Gov't forces them to. It is not in their best interest to catch drug users. Bad for the image of the game.

Bobblehead · 09-05-2006, 10:26 AM

Until players associations allow blood testing they will only catch the few cheaters who screw up.

Sylvanfan · 09-05-2006, 10:38 AM

So I guess Howard is on drugs and is a cheater too than. Oh well he's not the first I guess....

Bobblehead · 09-05-2006, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

So I guess Howard is on drugs and is a cheater too than. Oh well he's not the first I guess....

We don't know. That's the kicker - since a lot of players have been caught and admitted doing it for years without being caught, the public can not be sure who is and who isn't cheating.

It is sad that players like Howard or Pujols have suspicion thrown their way, but unless there is public confidence that cheaters will be caught, any record will be viewed with a jaded eye.

socalwingfan · 09-05-2006, 02:46 PM

There's a poll on ESPN.com asking if Howard surpasses 62 dingers this year will you consider him the record holder. Right now it's 52% say yes with over 100,000 votes - interesting how much hatred of Bonds there is.

Jiggy_12 · 09-05-2006, 08:50 PM

Hmm, Bonds is slowing down...I guess it couldn't be that age is taking its toll?