Comments on: Back for more … http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/ledger/2007/10/24/back-for-more/ RON LEDGARD, the Beacon Journal deputy sports editor, ON SPORTS ... AND OTHER STUFF Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:49:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: larry d. http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/ledger/2007/10/24/back-for-more/#comment-1681 larry d. Sat, 27 Oct 2007 23:35:39 +0000 http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/ledger/2007/10/24/back-for-more/#comment-1681 Maybe you're right about Hafner, Alan, I don't know. But sports writers have always been disengenuous concerning steroids. They act shocked and self righteous about guys like Canseco and McGwire, when it was plain as day to any high schooler, even in the '80s. Now, they're turning a blind eye again because it's easier that way. And that's not even taking pro football into consideration. Maybe you're right about Hafner, Alan, I don't know.

But sports writers have always been disengenuous concerning steroids. They act shocked and self righteous about guys like Canseco and McGwire, when it was plain as day to any high schooler, even in the '80s.

Now, they're turning a blind eye again because it's easier that way. And that's not even taking pro football into consideration.

]]> By: alan t. http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/ledger/2007/10/24/back-for-more/#comment-1650 alan t. Fri, 26 Oct 2007 06:13:52 +0000 http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/ledger/2007/10/24/back-for-more/#comment-1650 It has to be reiterated that there is absolutely no question that Hafner was on something last year, and was off of it this year. Perhaps his new wife gave the order, who knows. But it is simply impossible for a healthy guy who didn't turn 30 until June to naturally nosedive from a .659 slugging percentage to a .451 slugging percentage in a single season. Impossible. There is only one plausible explanation, and it's the one that nobody around Cleveland wants to hear. After all, we were treated to this nauseating Pluto sentence back in July: "Indians designated hitter Travis Hafner grew up on a North Dakota farm where his mother cut his hair until he left home to go to college." Yep, just a hard-working down-home blue-collar type of guy that made something of himself. The classic white athlete that's a hero to every white sportswriter within a 75-mile radius of town. In fact, I'd love to know if the Elias Sports Bureau has any records in this regard. They must, they maintain records on everything else. I will bet that nobody in the history of baseball, at the age of 30 or younger and in good health, has ever dropped this much in slugging percentage in the span of one single season. Ever. It has to be reiterated that there is absolutely no question that Hafner was on something last year, and was off of it this year. Perhaps his new wife gave the order, who knows. But it is simply impossible for a healthy guy who didn't turn 30 until June to naturally nosedive from a .659 slugging percentage to a .451 slugging percentage in a single season. Impossible. There is only one plausible explanation, and it's the one that nobody around Cleveland wants to hear. After all, we were treated to this nauseating Pluto sentence back in July: "Indians designated hitter Travis Hafner grew up on a North Dakota farm where his mother cut his hair until he left home to go to college." Yep, just a hard-working down-home blue-collar type of guy that made something of himself. The classic white athlete that's a hero to every white sportswriter within a 75-mile radius of town.

In fact, I'd love to know if the Elias Sports Bureau has any records in this regard. They must, they maintain records on everything else. I will bet that nobody in the history of baseball, at the age of 30 or younger and in good health, has ever dropped this much in slugging percentage in the span of one single season. Ever.

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