You know, this may be an unpopular subject, but I think it's interesting. I don't know whether or not it's true, yet here are the circumstances which would make one tend to believe he was: 1. He was a big huge dude. A few years ago, I was reading about his workout, he was doing sets with 300 lb bench presses, just ridiculous. 2. He exhibited the Giambi pattern -- normal sized, expanding to big and huge during the longball craze of the 90's with Mark (neck-acne) McGwire and Sosa, and then shrinking down again once baseball started Steroid testing. 3. Obviously, Caminiti casts a shadow here too. He also underwent a similar "supersizing" that he admitted was due to steroids, and then claimed how widespread steroid use was in the majors -- with the astros locker room necessarily being one of his primary points of reference. Anybody have any feelings? Try not to be too Astro-centric about it.
I suspect not, for Bags. But if he did, or the others, then what? Bonds is one of my least favorite players ever. However, what he does with the bat is unprecedented. He must get respected for his accomplishments since he still has to make contact, and wow, does he!
1. I've known steroid-free guys who lift like that. Went to visit my best friend from H.S. in college one weekend, and we went to the gym. He puts 225 on the bench & asks for a spot. He then proceeded to do a set of military presses. Freaked me out. 2. Bagwell "shrinking" is due to the fact that he hasn't been able to seriously lift weights in over 2 years. 3. We know he was a firm believer in creatine, and tried androstenedione but said he only used it for a couple of weeks, didn't like the way it made him feel or something. From everything I've read, and from statements by his wife, friends etc... he's fanatical about his health, and I doubt he'd use anything with the potential detrimental effects of anabolics. But I really don't know. On a related note, Giambi, Bonds and now Sosa are all having back problems this season. I'm sure it's just a coincidence.
I'm with Buck. Bagwell has perfectly valid excuses for every reason given as evidence that he is juicing. The biggest issue people point to is his drop in muscle mass recently, but funny how that coincided with his shoulder problems. I don't think he is, or ever was juicing.
Fow whatever this is worth his mother actually called WFAN a couple of months ago and told the hosts that Jeff had indeed seriously considered using steroids and had discussed the issue with her at great length but had ultimately decided against them, largely due to possible negative reproductive effects. I could go either way on the question, but if I were forced to lay any money down, I think I would probably bet that he did not juice.
I'd bet Bagwell has used "suplements" such as creatine or the like in his day, but I doubt he's hit the "hard stuff." The trademark physical changes never really manifested themselves on his features. Jesus Christ, the guy was big, though. For hitters, though, whose biggest tools are bat speed and vision, I think steroids' biggest advantage would be quicker recovery from injury. I don't really see huge muscles as being a big advantage, despite the enormous builds of guys like Bonds and McGwire.
FWIW, I met Bagwell once, around 1995 or so. My first impression of him was "Geez, he doesn't seem as big in person as he does on TV." I'm fairly tall, and I towered over him. My friend who was with me was into body building, and he was easily bigger than Bagwell. Thinking back on it now, I don't believe he was into the juice. In person, he just didn't have that "look".
Okay then.......Splain [sic] to us how come his shoulder injury refuses to heal. I am not saying he used steriods or not but the case you presented above is at best weak because being "fanantical" about your health does not tell us much. What is there is/are other stronger motives capable of pushing him into "roidery"? I bet many of the alleged Roid-maniacs are also fanatical about their health and image but that did not stop them from shooting up. The sad part about this whole streoid issue is that MLB and MLBPA may never afford us the opportunity to know the real truth.....but going but the yard stick and criterium (i.e. muscle mass) used for Sosa, Magwire, Bonds, Jiambi, Conseco, Sheffield, etc. it is safe to say Bags is also a reasonable suspect of Roid use.
I have long suspected that he was juicing. He came into the league as a much smaller player with a "little pop" in his bat. I remember him shrugging off the possiblity of being a power hitter. I will give baggy credit though. I think he had the foresight to see what was going to happen in MLB and quit the juice two seasons ago. Oh yeah, don't forget, he was best friends with Caminiti.
I don't think he used roids. He's always come off as a stocky built guy even when he was younger. I think the added weight is just due to all the long years of lifting. During the time when juicing was most apparent when people were bombing HRs left and right, his numbers stayed consistent the whole time. I mean with roids you'd think he'd be jump out with atleast a 50 HR season in the late 90's early 00's. His numbers throughout his career have always been pretty consistent with atleast 30 to 45 HRs a year with no real astronomical numbers jumping out at you, so if he did ever take roids you sure couldn't tell statistically.
I'm not certain whether Bagwell ever used steroids or not, but I know for a fact that his shoulder not healing has nothing to do with any alleged steroid use. The simple fact is that he is suffering from arthritis in his shoulder joint. Most treatments for arthritis are mere "band-aids" for the condition, and there is no true cure for most forms of arthritis. Therefore, he will likely never "heal". At best, he could possibly have surgery (much like Shaq had for his arthritic big toe), but this would only serve to lessen the pain.
I dislocated my shoulder in '98. Have rehabbed it, watched what I did / do with it, etc. I always hurt there ever since. Small workouts. Big workouts. Softball, basketball, you name it. Major joint injuries like shoulder and hip never let you forget them, and they're that much more susceptible to reinjury at the drop of a hat, especially when doing similar activity to what you were when you first injured it. I've never been on 'roids, or "juice" and I doubt Bags has either. Also, I used to be bigger, simply because pre-injry I could lift more. Honest opinion: No.
Bagwell had surgery for a torn labrum (had a screw inserted on his shoulder blade, I believe), unfortunately, that did nothing to remove the chronic arthritis that he has in his shoulder. So yes, he did have surgery, but not to remove the arthritis. Being a huge Bagwell fan, he always used to have "popeye" forearms. I think (at least it is my hope) the muscle was added after hours upon hours in the gym. FWIW, I think Bagwell sees himself as too much of a role model to juice up. I think he was one of the players to quit chewing tobacco after he found out kids are doing it b/c major leaguers were doing it.
