Numbers on Steroids is a look at baseball players during the 90s to see if anything screams out at you. This week it's throwing a curve ball and looking at All Time Great Yankees. Players that we know did not take steroids to see if this gives a defense to any of the players 'convicted' by Numbers on Steroids.
Time to look at my dad's favorite athlete of all time, Mickey Mantle.
Explaining As If It Was the 90s
If you take a look at the numbers there are two time frames which in the 1990s would be questioned. First would be the incredible leap he took from his first year in the big leagues to his first MVP season in 1956. His batting average jumped 50 points. His slugging percentage jumped 90 points and he hit 15 more homers than his previous high. This wouldn't merrit a conviction nowadays though because the young age he arrived in the big leagues and the entering his prime.
The biggest questionmark would be the return to a God in 1961 after his disappointing, by his standards, 1960 year. In 61 his average jumped 40 points, his slugging percentage jumped 130 points and he hit 14 more homers. Over the next three years his averages pretty much stabilized at very good but never again touched the 61 numbers.
The Verdict
I don't think the Mick would have been convicted with those numbers in the 90s. He destroyed the ball in his early prime and his biggest years came when he was in his 20s. Then in his early to mid 30s his career started to regress. The anomoly really is the dip in 59 and 60.
In reality though, with all the excessive abuse Mickey had in his life, what do you think the chances are that Mickey wouldn't have used roids if he played in the 1990s?
The Mick on Steroids Would Have Been Bonkers
Time to look at my dad's favorite athlete of all time, Mickey Mantle.
Averages Say: What's with the mysterious dip at 27 and then the uptick?
At Bats Per Home Run Says: That's a mighty jump from 22 to 24
At Bats Per Home Run Says: That's a mighty jump from 22 to 24
Explaining As If It Was the 90s
If you take a look at the numbers there are two time frames which in the 1990s would be questioned. First would be the incredible leap he took from his first year in the big leagues to his first MVP season in 1956. His batting average jumped 50 points. His slugging percentage jumped 90 points and he hit 15 more homers than his previous high. This wouldn't merrit a conviction nowadays though because the young age he arrived in the big leagues and the entering his prime.
The biggest questionmark would be the return to a God in 1961 after his disappointing, by his standards, 1960 year. In 61 his average jumped 40 points, his slugging percentage jumped 130 points and he hit 14 more homers. Over the next three years his averages pretty much stabilized at very good but never again touched the 61 numbers.
The Verdict
I don't think the Mick would have been convicted with those numbers in the 90s. He destroyed the ball in his early prime and his biggest years came when he was in his 20s. Then in his early to mid 30s his career started to regress. The anomoly really is the dip in 59 and 60.
In reality though, with all the excessive abuse Mickey had in his life, what do you think the chances are that Mickey wouldn't have used roids if he played in the 1990s?
The Mick on Steroids Would Have Been Bonkers
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