Fuzzy Numbers: A History of Cheating in Baseball

The Movie Geek

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/writers/john_rolfe/12/08/getting.loose/index.html

This is a very interesting article that puts today's players using the "juice" into a historical perspective of cheating in baseball and how "pure" the numbers and records of historical players are.

Member

There's always been debate over comparing the statistics/records of players/teams - i.e. comparing the stats from the 'dead ball' with the 'live ball' era.

I guess we're in the 'pharmaceutical' era now Wink

But statistics are just that - statistics. We'll never know who illegally (or legally but unethically) enhanced their performance. however, as fans we expect a sporting event to be a true competition, where the combatants get no enhancements from external agents. this would be all inclusive - amphetamines and other stimulants, steroids, etc. how about the jockey who takes legal medicines inappropriately to lose weight or the player who abuses legally prescribed pain medication? How about training at high altitudes, which may have some of the same affects as hyperbaric chambers?

I posted in another thread about a mental asterisk next to Bonds' HR record (if he supasses Aaron). MLB can't place an asterisk next to the record because it's unsure what other records were made by players illegally enhancing their performance.

Hipster Doofus

Any sport that has a murderer in its Hall of Fame has to be looked at askance. And I am talking baseball, not O.J. and football.

Fuzzy Numbers: A History of Cheating in Baseball

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