Strait Juiced Up

We ran this back on February 13th, but with the recent news that possibly the greatest right-handed hitter of all-time, Manny Ramirez, has tested positive for PEDs and will be suspended 50 games effective immediately, we thought we’d rehash the obvious:

With the recent steroid scandal staring A-Rod in the face, the Strait Pinkie Squad decided to put together a list of the Top 11 Individual Steroid-Aided Season of All-Time.  Everyone get out your needles.

Top Eleven All-Juiced Seasons

11. Ivan rodriguez aka Pudge Nuts (35 HR, 1999)

*Only year over 27 and only hit over 20 four times. 1999 was also only season where he had over 100 RBI.

Pudge is a 14-time All-Star and a 13-time Gold Glove winner. However, his offensive numbers in 1999 do kind of spark controversy. He hit 35 homers and knocked in 113 runs that season. His next highest totals are 27 and 91. But, Rodriguez did hit double-digit homeruns in 15 strait seasons and hit 20 or more five times. We probably could have just gone with a Top Ten and left Pudge off. But, I didn’t create the list, I just analyzed it. And I lack the brain power or intelligence to recall any conversations regarding the list, in which it was my discretion to trim the list to ten. But, I like odd numbers so we’ll keep it at 11.

10. Matt Williams (43, 1994)

*He hit 43 in only 112 games due to strikage.

Williams hit 378 homeruns in his career so needless to say he was a legit deep threat his entire career. He hit 30 or more six times, including 35 in 1999 with Arizona at the age of 33. He also knocked in 145 in 1999, which was second in the NL to Mark McGwire (147). McGwire also had 65 homers. So yeah Williams seems legit but 43 in 112 games is kind of suspicious. If he would have played 162 games that year he would have been on pace to hit 62 and break Roger Maris’ record.

9. Javy Lopez (42, 2003)

*Most ever by catcher after sucking for three seasons.

Javy Lopez hit ten or more homeruns in each of his seasons with Atlanta. But, after his injury halfway through the 1999 season he really struggled with the bat. He batted .287, .267 and .233 with 24, 17, and 11 homeruns in the next three seasons. And then in 2003 somehow Javy got his stroke back and he looked like he was back in 1998 (34 HR, 106 RBI) but even better. In 2003 he had career-high numbers in three categories (.328, 43 HR, 109 RBI). Making Lopez’s season even more worthy for this list is the fact he was a free agent and signed with the Orioles following his juiced season for 3 years and nearly $25 million.

8. Barry Bonds (73, 2001)

*The most high profile steroid season in baseball history.

The season that steroids allowed Barry Bonds to crush McGwire’s young 3-year old record of 70 homeruns. Why is it only #8 on our list? Because we all know Barry Bonds could rake, with or without steroids. But, 73 homeruns…how is that even possible? 762 career homeruns…how is that even possible? It’s almost stupid and Hank Aaron should be pissed. But, at least he was good. But 73 in a year good or 762 in a career good? Not sure.

7. Mark McGwire (70, 1998) & Sammy Sosa (66, 1998)

*The season-long HR Derby is scarred for life.  Mark, just admit you shot up.  Sammy, just Flinstones Vitamins, really?

It is sad to say that the season that supposedly brought baseball back after the strike was simply due to a needle in the butt. But, it looks like it was. Hey Mark why don’t you kick your brothers arse from ratting you out and then just come clean? Fat Sam, you went from being skinniest man alive (nearly Otis Nixon status) to a peace-sign kissing chubby dude.

6. Todd Hundley (41, 1996)

*Hit 30 the year after but never more than 24 any other year.

This is what this list is about…suckwads who never would have made a cent if it wasn’t for the use of ‘roids. Hundley’s 1996 & 1997 seasons are such outliers it isn’t even funny. The man hit 202 homeruns in his career and 71 of them came in those two seasons.

5. Mark Bellhorn (27, 2002)

*17 next highest, never in double digits again.

Mark Bellhorn couldn’t hit 27 homeruns in the Little League World Series. But he did so in 2002 and thus became the Chicago Cubs all-time leader for homeruns in a single season by a switch hitter.

4. Luis Gonzalez (57, 2001)

*Prior to his 57 homerun season at the age of 33 his previous high for a season was 31.

How does a man who never hit over 20 homeruns while in his 20′s hit 57 at the age of 33? Is it possible that he found his power-stroke at 30 or did he start having lunch dates with Jose Canseco. Starting at 30 these are the number of homeruns he hit in a season (30-23, 31-26, 32-31, 33-57, 34-28, 35-26). Yeah, he hit 354 in his career but 270 came after his 30th birthday. What do you think Luis got for his birthday present at the age of 30? I am saying black baloons full of some ‘roids. What ya think?

3. Adrian Beltre (48, 2004)

*Highest before his 48 was 23 and his highest since is 26.

The asterik above is enough really. Do you think the Mariners think that Beltre used steroids in 2004?

2. Ken Caminiti (40, 1996)

*MVP, never reached 30 in any other year and admitted steroid use.

When they admit steroid use it just isn’t as fun. Thanks A-Rod. However, Caminiti gives us a stark reminder why steroids are illegal in this country. Unfortunately, he passed away in October of 2004, almost exactly three years after he retired from the game. Caminiti is another guy, like Gonzalez, that didn’t find his power stroke until 30 for some odd reason. At the age of 31 his career-high in homers was 18. He also drove in 130 runs in 1996, which is nearly 40 RBIs greater than his second best season.

1. Brady Anderson (50, 1996)

*Seriously, you are Brady Anderson.

The number one rule of steroids should be as follows, “Don’t inflate your numbers so drastically that people think you are on ‘roids, using a corked bat and have superballs all up in the barrell”. Anderson played in the Bigs for 15 seasons. In those 15 seasons he rounded the bases 210 times, which means that nearly 25-percent of his homeruns came in that 1996 season. He hit over 20 only three times. His second highest total was 24 in 1999. He didn’t reach 50 career homeruns until his seventh season in the League, at the age of 30. Brady Anderson is the posterboy for steroid use.

And here for your viewing pleasure is quite possibly the most steroid-aided homerun in history.  Glenallen Hill finds the Roof at Wrigley…

Did we leave anyone off the list? Think someone is on here that doesn’t deserve to be? Chime in. Let’s hear your thoughts.

Tags: brady anderson, dodgers, ivan rodriguez, javy lopez, juice, ken caminiti, luis gonzalez, Manny Ramirez, mark bellhorn, mark mcgwire, matt williams, mlb, ped, pinkie, positive, season, steroids, strait, test, todd hundley

Category: Sports