Who's more of a risk to collect?

[brianborsch]

I was just curious on people's opinions on the matter. The two players I am looking at is Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton.

Obviously Pujols has the best jump-start on anyone as he started in the MLB @ age 21 and has raked ever since. He is the best combo of plate discipline and power and in turn, his stuff is expensive. My issue is that in this steroid era, what proof or assurance do I have that he hasn't/isn't juicing? I don't want to throw down a ton of money only to find his stuff is worthless due to steroids.

Josh Hamilton on the other hand, started his MLB career late due to drug addiction. And that's just it. He is an addict and always will be. Who knows how the years of drug abuse will affect his body in the long-run. When he is playing though he is a beast (although his plate discipline is nowhere near Pujols). We know he is definitely not using any controlled substance against MLB policy as he is tested 3 times a week. So there is peace of mind there. And his stuff is typically cheaper than Pujol's stuff.

What are your thoughts?

[brianborsch]

And I guess I don't really believe or have reason to believe that pUJOLS is using steroids. Its just so many of the "good" players have been busted. It's tough...

[TriplexXxSports]

From a football fans perspective, I think that any big named baseball star is HIGH RISK at this point. These guys can't even have creatine with their raw egg shake in the morning without the worry of getting suspended.

With all the recent steroid hype, any player that is doing well will be under the spotlight.

That's just my do cents, and I must admit, I could care less about baseball. Especially because of what some of these players have done to the game.

[corsairs22]

I would advise a rotation away from home run hitters and into line drive types going forward for the next few quarters. In all seriousness, it is a sad state of affairs, but Pujols is so darn good that he invites suspicion.

[spartakid]

I have been wanting to get a Vlad bat, but I have a really hard time believing that he didn't use roids, in fact I'd probably put money on it. The only question for me is will he get caught? His decline in numbers could be more than just injury, but at least he would (hypothetically) be smart enough to stop. I've also been watching David Ortiz's numbers fall astonishingly quickly, if you get my drift. I think I'm going to steer to the newer generation that hopefully realizes that they'll get caught if they juice. Ricardo

[worldchamps]

Josh is drug tested every 5 days, not sure if that is also for steriods, but i would not be worried about him ever going back to drugs, i would be worried more about his body breaking down to damage already done. But hopefully that is not the case, there is not a better person in baseball.

[brianborsch]

That's my concern with Josh. I would imagine afew years of crack addiction has to have some effect. I read an article stating that he is indeed tested for steroids as well. So if he uses, he will get caught just like that.

Anyways, there are many players who have not been found out yet. Although I think Pujols is clean, his stuff is so expensive that it creates a huge risk. Its hard for him though. The more good he does, the more people will doubt him.

[the3lads]

Whay would you say that Vlad used drugs? Just because a player puts up good (not astounding) numbers it does not mean that he is/was using. He is around 34/35, so that is the age when players tend to loose their power. Vlad is a big guy, but not ripped like Bonds/Mac/Canseco/Sosa/Ramirez, so it would be unfair to place a cloud over him. Before you ask, I am NOT an Angels fan. Can't stand them!

Just a word on the "top" players. I think we can rule Jeter out of the steroid mix. His build has not changed over the years; just a little more puppy fat as one ages. Same with his production, which has remained steady.

One last point. We should not bemoan players who used PEDs BEFORE they were banned in baseball. They were not doing anything illegal WITHIN baseball. It is the fault of MLB for being so, well, lazy. Players caught using after the ban, should be thrown out for good. There are lifetime bans in other sports. If not lifetime, at the very least several seasons.

Just my thoughts.

[both-teams-played-hard]

Not even close:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,353998,00.html

[suicide_squeeze]

Pujols is unreal......so far and away a better hitter than ......well, anybody in the game NOT on PED's.

So yeah, there is risk.

If I were Albert and I were clean, I'd ask to be tested once weekly to remove ANY doubt, and to protect his legacy. He is so far and away the greatest hitter in this era, that he would be a fool....if he is clean......to risk any chance of having himself lowered to the "guilt by association" classification.

Josh Hamilton, because of his late start, will probably never make it to the stardom of a Hall of Famer. That said, his stuff is desireable because he for SURE is clean, and he is a major talent in the game. Plus, there is the fan-favorite part of it. You can't help but pull for a guy who has sunken to the depths of hell, only to resurect himself as a player by working hard to right his wrongs, to overcome his own deficiencies as a human being. It's a feel-good story in sports, and he has earned my respect for what he has been able to overcome. I would love to own one of his gamers (bats) somewhere down the road. Hopefully he will start pulling aside his home run bats, inscribe them, and get a marketing manager to sell them to us in the hobby.