Who is the greatest right handed batter today who is clean

[TripletDaddy]

Why does everyone hate on Jeter? I don't like the Yankees but I can't name a single thing Jeter has done that bothers me. He dates hot chicks sometimes and he has a mountain of cash. He has a few rings.

About the only annoying things he does (no more annoying that any other player) is that he double taps his foot in a very pronounced manner for timing as the ball is coming at him. Also, he does that ridiculous arm extension as he gets ready in the batters box. It is as though he is trying to balance himself on a beam or something.

Grrr!...I hate Jeter!

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[RC Vikings]

Vlad and Miguel Cabrera are possibilities but I have my doubt about any Spanish slugger being clean.

[HBCoug]

It sucks we have to use the guilty until proven innocent approach with regard to steroids in baseball today, but that's the reality. The correct answer to the original question is definitely Pujols if he's clean. The interesting thing about him is he has mashed since day 1 of his professional baseball career. Not only immediately in the big leagues, but the one and only season of minor league baseball he played too. His physique today looks very similar to his rookie year. You'd have to think he was either on the juice before he came up or he's clean as his numbers look the exact same year over year over year. You can pretty much pen in .330/40/120 with 1.000+ OPS every year.

[il Padrino Ute]

It sucks we have to use the guilty until proven innocent approach with regard to steroids in baseball today, but that's the reality. The correct answer to the original question is definitely Pujols if he's clean. The interesting thing about him is he has mashed since day 1 of his professional baseball career. Not only immediately in the big leagues, but the one and only season of minor league baseball he played too. His physique today looks very similar to his rookie year. You'd have to think he was either on the juice before he came up or he's clean as his numbers look the exact same year over year over year. You can pretty much pen in .330/40/120 with 1.000+ OPS every year.

Agreed about Pujols. He's pretty much the same now as when he came into the league, so either he was juiced when he arrived or is clean.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to think that he's not clean and it's just as you pointed out... because of the entire mess, we have to treat the players like the IRS treats everyone - guilty until proven innocent.

Quick hijack - from your avatar, it would seem that Todd Bridges plays for the Lakers.

[LiveCoug]

Miguel Cabrera.

[Donuthole]

Agreed about Pujols. He's pretty much the same now as when he came into the league. . .

Up until two weeks ago, that was always the common defense of Manny's 'cleanliness'. FTR, I think Pujols is notably larger than when he entered the league. His 2001 rookie card lists him at 210 lbs. His 2009 bio on the Cards' website lists him at 230. Which means he's probably 240. Not impossible to gain 30 lbs in 8 years without roids, but still very suspicious.

[il Padrino Ute]

Up until two weeks ago, that was always the common defense of Manny's 'cleanliness'. FTR, I think Pujols is notably larger than when he entered the league. His 2001 rookie card lists him at 210 lbs. His 2009 bio on the Cards' website lists him at 230. Which means he's probably 240. Not impossible to gain 30 lbs in 8 years without roids, but still very suspicious.

I didn't realize he'd put on 30 lbs. That is awfully suspicious.

[TripletDaddy]

Up until two weeks ago, that was always the common defense of Manny's 'cleanliness'. FTR, I think Pujols is notably larger than when he entered the league. His 2001 rookie card lists him at 210 lbs. His 2009 bio on the Cards' website lists him at 230. Which means he's probably 240. Not impossible to gain 30 lbs in 8 years without roids, but still very suspicious.

The steroid era has ruined baseball's history. All these guys will forever have a cloud of suspicion over their heads. The very fact that people in this thread are trying to decide whether Pujols uses steroids is a joke.

Is there any practical reason to think that he does NOT use steroids? I mean, given that most of the greatest players of this era have been implicated in steroid usage? Since nobody here knows the guy nor his character, why would anyone possibly give him the benefit of the doubt?

The 2 most "honest" guys in the steroid era have been Ken Caminiti and Jose Canseco. Both of them indicated that steroid use was rampant. Canseco estimated that about 85% of players were juicing. Although Caminiti is dead, Jose Canseco has also been proven to be the most accurate (by a wide margin) about anything related to this scandal. Who knows what else Caminiti would have revealed had he lived longer.

If Canseco says 85% of players were juicing, I believe him. I think there is much more basis for believing Canseco than there is to give players the benefit of the doubt.

That is how crazy this whole issue has become....Jose Canseco is the most reliable, believable source we have.

[New Mexican Disaster]

The steroid era has ruined baseball's history. All these guys will forever have a cloud of suspicion over their heads. The very fact that people in this thread are trying to decide whether Pujols uses steroids is a joke.

Is there any practical reason to think that he does NOT use steroids? I mean, given that most of the greatest players of this era have been implicated in steroid usage? Since nobody here knows the guy nor his character, why would anyone possibly give him the benefit of the doubt?

The 2 most "honest" guys in the steroid era have been Ken Caminiti and Jose Canseco. Both of them indicated that steroid use was rampant. Canseco estimated that about 85% of players were juicing. Although Caminiti is dead, Jose Canseco has also been proven to be the most accurate (by a wide margin) about anything related to this scandal. Who knows what else Caminiti would have revealed had he lived longer.

If Canseco says 85% of players were juicing, I believe him. I think there is much more basis for believing Canseco than there is to give players the benefit of the doubt.

That is how crazy this whole issue has become....Jose Canseco is the most reliable, believable source we have.

And of course everyone wants to shoot the messenger.

[Guest]

And of course everyone wants to shoot the messenger.

I too can't believe they didn't trust this guy from day one.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Is that your kid? My son is a little league Angel also.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

The steroid era has ruined baseball's history.

I am sorry but how has this ruined baseball's history? I think Babe Ruth should have and asterisk by his name. He never had to face a black or latino player so none of these records really mean anything. .

Also baseball is always been about cheating, spitballs, sliding spikes up, stealing signs and more. Steroids are just the latest example of "cheating" in baseball. If you found out Joe Dimaggio got stolen signs does that invalidate his 56 game hitting streak? Do Burleigh Grimes 270 wins become invalid because he threw a spit ball? (Yes I looked that up I have no idea who that is)

This is one of the reasons that I have never been able to get into baseball, these fake hallowed records. If there is ever an era when baseball is played on an even footing by all who play it then maybe the stats and records will mean something. Until then everyone who ever played baseball played in an era when something was unfair to some other player so none of the records mean anything.

[Indy Coug]

Nobody is clean. Now that we have that out of the way, let's just concern ourselves with who is the greatest right-handed hitter?

Albert Pujols.

[TripletDaddy]

I am sorry but how has this ruined baseball's history? I think Babe Ruth should have and asterisk by his name. He never had to face a black or latino player so none of these records really mean anything. .

Also baseball is always been about cheating, spitballs, sliding spikes up, stealing signs and more. Steroids are just the latest example of "cheating" in baseball. If you found out Joe Dimaggio got stolen signs does that invalidate his 56 game hitting streak? Do Burleigh Grimes 270 wins become invalid because he threw a spit ball? (Yes I looked that up I have no idea who that is)

This is one of the reasons that I have never been able to get into baseball, these fake hallowed records. If there is ever an era when baseball is played on an even footing by all who play it then maybe the stats and records will mean something. Until then everyone who ever played baseball played in an era when something was unfair to some other player so none of the records mean anything.

It was not within Babe Ruth's control to play against black players. Since nobody was playing against black players, everyone in the league was on even footing. Also, there was no sharp surge in performance (home runs, mostly) once black players were integrated into the game. It wasn't like the introduction of black players totally shut down the white competition, so why would there be any reason to think that integration is statistically significant?

Conversely, the steroid era has already shown to artificially improve performance. 50 HR seasons have become commonplace. Look at Gagne's consecutive saves record. Then look at his performance once off the juice. Many of the top HR hitters of this era have been implicated. Clemens, allegedly the greatest pitcher of this era (or one of them) has been implicated.

If you can show that "stealing signs" and spitballs have dramatically increased key performance metrics in MLB across the league, then I would be open to that argument.

What you seem to be saying is that since Ty Cobb spiked guys when sliding into a base, that we should not be surprised when players take human growth hormone to artificially grow larger muscles and hit the ball further?

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

What you seem to be saying is that since Ty Cobb spiked guys when sliding into a base, that we should not be surprised when players take human growth hormone to artificially grow larger muscles and hit the ball further?

No what I am saying is that baseball (not the Dodgers obviously) is a sport filled with a history of illicit and sometimes illegal actions. We should not act surprised and appalled that in a game where pushing the envelope is not only allowed but encouraged and expected has gone too far.

I am saying racism, spikes up, cheating by stealing signs were the gateway to HGH. Much like you can't tell your kids lying is bad, then telling them to say they are only 11 so you can get the kids price movie ticket doesn't work.