Numbers on Steroids is a look at baseball players during the 90s to see if anything screams out at you.
Brady Anderson looked like a player who was 180 pounds soaking wet. He was a runt leadoff-esque centerfielder for the Orioles who couldn't get the ball out of the ball park and then... 50 home runs? That seems a bit questionable so let's take a look at his numbers to see how much the rates mightily changed in his career.
Explaining It Away
Sometimes players are just late bloomers right? Maybe he never hit the gym ever in his life before 1992? Also, 1992 was the first season he got consistent at bats and was a day to day starter, perhaps that boosted his confidence and helped him get in a home run groove? And then some years you just have career years that can't be matched. So in 96 when he hit 50 home runs, it was more fluke than having any true cause.
The Verdict
In Brady Anderson's first 4 years he finished with a total of 10 home runs then all of a sudden he hit 21 home runs. And to further that even more he hit Hell he only had 53 steals in those first 4 years, the same total he had in his breakout 1992 campaign. And can anyone really believe that in a 15 year career when he finished with 210 total home runs that 50 came in one season, and that was just a complete fluke? So...
If it Walks Like a Duck and Quacks Like a Duck... Than It's Probably a Duck
Brady Anderson looked like a player who was 180 pounds soaking wet. He was a runt leadoff-esque centerfielder for the Orioles who couldn't get the ball out of the ball park and then... 50 home runs? That seems a bit questionable so let's take a look at his numbers to see how much the rates mightily changed in his career.
Averages Say: His prime didn't start until 28 and it ended at 36? Hmm, that seems odd.
At Bats Per Home Run Says: At 27 it was 1 home run per 130 at bats and then at 28 it was 1 home run per 30 at bats. Hmm...
At Bats Per Home Run Says: At 27 it was 1 home run per 130 at bats and then at 28 it was 1 home run per 30 at bats. Hmm...
Explaining It Away
Sometimes players are just late bloomers right? Maybe he never hit the gym ever in his life before 1992? Also, 1992 was the first season he got consistent at bats and was a day to day starter, perhaps that boosted his confidence and helped him get in a home run groove? And then some years you just have career years that can't be matched. So in 96 when he hit 50 home runs, it was more fluke than having any true cause.
The Verdict
In Brady Anderson's first 4 years he finished with a total of 10 home runs then all of a sudden he hit 21 home runs. And to further that even more he hit Hell he only had 53 steals in those first 4 years, the same total he had in his breakout 1992 campaign. And can anyone really believe that in a 15 year career when he finished with 210 total home runs that 50 came in one season, and that was just a complete fluke? So...
If it Walks Like a Duck and Quacks Like a Duck... Than It's Probably a Duck
Comments
When Maris went to NYY his HR went from 19 average per season to hitting 39,61,33 in his first three NYY seasons then back to 22 HR p[er season for the rest of his career so power spikes can happen. Maris wasn't a giant slugger in his days.
Everytime someone has a big season, someone cries foul.
First 8 seasons 162 game avg: 11 HR
1973: 43 Homeruns
162 game average after 1973: 15 HR
Was he juicing too?