Griffey Jr Retires: Steroid Free Star

[Swoboda4]

I noticed that Ken Griffey Jr announced his retirement. I believe him to be steroid free and it's funny that someone who was not one of my favorites from those 80's rookies ends up being with Ripken,Sandberg and Gwynn;at the top of the class. 630 steroid free home runs. Some achieved against pitchers who were on steroids. You wonder how other players would have naturally ended up without PED's,not the case with Griffey.

[gameused fan]

I'm certainly not saying Griffey did use steroids, but I've always wondered why everyone just assumes he didn't do them? Haven't we learned not to give anybody a free pass from that era? Perhaps Griffey was just smarter about doing them and didn't get caught?

When looking at his numbers, Griffey did achieve his best home run seasons right during the height of the steroid era. He had a career-high 49 homers in 1996, then topped it with 56 each of the next two years.

He also happened to play career-highs of 157, 161 and 160 games during those years. Perhaps steroids or some other substance helped him recover and play (like McGwire) before breaking him down with more injuries afterward?

Again, not saying he did do them. Just wondering why everyone just assumes he didn't while playing in an era where it seems so many did.

[cjclong]

We "assume" he didn't because there is no damn evidence that he used steroids. Griffey was famous for not weight lifting, etc. I get tired of all these people that seem to hope "everyone" used steroids.

[gameused fan]

I certainly don't "hope" he used them. I just get damn tired of people making matter of fact statements that somebody for sure didn't use a PED during a time when many of the top players (and some crappy ones, too) used them.

Especially when some of his stats certainly could at least make a case for it. For some reason, Frank Thomas and Griffey are for sure clean. And we know this why?

I don't know the true story. You don't either. You just assume you know. Which is why I'm not saying Griffey did or didn't. Because I don't know.

I'm simply making a comment about my surprise that there are people who state that he didn't use steroids as if it's a certain fact.

[cjclong]

I wasn't the one who said he didn't use steroids. But I ASSUME he didn't for the same reason I assume you are not a wanted criminal, there is no evidence I have for it. And the fact that Griffey hit home runs in the 50's, so have a lot of people over the years. So what? Roger Maris never hit 40 home runs in a season except for the 61 he hit in '61, guess we better look at him. And maybe Ruth and Aaron were just ahead of there time in Steroid use. Do you "know" Ruth or Aaron didn't use steroids. I doubt if many people would argue if we said Maris didn't use steroids (they were around while he was playing). When there is NO evidence that a player used steroids and the only "evidence" that he did was that he hit more than 50 home runs in a year and ALL the other evidence is to the contrary, that he never lifted weights and was a natural althlete, I am willing to assume he didn't . So if someone here writes a post that says Hank Aaron was a steroid free home run hitter I won't feel compelled to write a post saying how do we "know" he didn't.

[justinwc80]

When a star is as big as Griffey there is no way that someone didn't know if he used, the fact he has never been mentioned in any of the books or articles is about as much evidence as you can ask for. I think some people just hope everyone used so that whatever player they like doesn't look so bad. He didn't have injuries early on because he was young. He was blasting homeruns out of the park in 1988 right after the M's signed him. His body began to break down just like a body normally does and his numbers went down accordingly. His head is the same size its always been. I mean come on!

[Swoboda4]

He certainly doesn't "look" like he used them at all. He most assuredly would have became bigger (ala Bonds) physically but he just maintained the same body type throughout his career. Much like Hank Aaron did.

[cjclong]

I agree with you Justinwc80. When there is no evidence that a player used steroids and then people write in and say how do we know they didin't it sounds like they hope the player did. It is virtually impossible to prove a negative which is why in trials we require the prosecution to prove the person did something rather than for the defendant have to to prove he didn't do something. If I wrote that Griffey never murdered someone nobody would write in here to say how do we "know" he didn't. But with exactly the same lack of evidence as to using steroids as his murdering someone people will write in to say how do we "know" he didn't use steroids.

[gameused fan]

Now you are stretching the situation when attempting to use an analogy of murder.

Griffey played in the steroid era. Griffey achieved career numbers during the height of the steroid era. That does not mean he took them. But because of the era he played in, he and everyone else has a cloud over them and always will.

Is it fair? No. But that's the way it is. That's the fault of many of his peers who put that dark cloud over the game.

And, remember, there was a time when there was no REAL evidence that guys like Sammy Sosa or Rafael Palmerio took them, either. And if people are being honest here, there might be a good number that would admit that when Palmerio took such a passionate stance in front of congress a few years ago, that you believed him, too.

[3arod13]

Maybe he did...Maybe he didn't. We may never know for sure! I have to believe somewhere down the line, someone will open the door and we'll find out more of those players who used.

Regards, Tony