More pitchers have been caught with steroids or other PHD than hitters. How many of Bonds’s homers (or anyone else’s) came off of pitchers who were throwing 5 MPH harder than they otherwise would be?

Also, I nominate Vlad Guerrero for RF instead of Dye; J-Bay in right instead of Ludwick; perhaps Coors-inflated Holliday in left. Or Carlos Lee? Micah Owings instead of Zambrano. And CC Sabathia for the AL?

I did not pick Guerrero because he is a DH most of the time, J Bay plays left field if I remember correctly. If you check the .OPS Pay Burrell has the highest in LF the last 2 years in the NL not counting Hollidays inflated Coors stats. Zambrano is a better hitter then Owings and a switch hitter. Sabathia would be my pick too if the AL let pitchers hit on a regular basis. Almost makes a case for him to pitch in the NL next year.

I would say that the AL’s outfielders are alot better than the NL’s(offensively). But the NL’s infielders look to be better this year.

I would take Barry Bonds over Ryan Braun if he were playing still.

I thought long and hard about Braun but he clearly has not found a position. He was 3b last year if you remember. I also thought about perhaps even picking Berkman or Ryan Howard over Pujols. In the NL it was touch choices all the way around. However Bonds production at 350 ABs logged more walks and had a higher OBP then anyone at the league. Imagine those stats on a AL club would nearly double.

Actually I am from Baltimore. I did not choose any of these players by name only by performance. I calculated this year and last OPS and went with the most consistent even in limited playing time. If you look back the past few years Posada has a higher OPS and Jeter has the best in the AL the past 3 seasons. Rodriguez is a gimme.

OPS does not equal slugging.

Jeter has a high OBP and low slugging, for example.

To me OPS matters most if you are a slugger means you are feared and you get on base. A guy who hits 15 home runs and 50 doubles is more important then a guy who hits 30 home runs and 20 doubles. I would take 65 extra base hits over 50.

If we were going on pure slugging alone Russell Branyan would be in the mix certainly. Adam Dunn a pure gimme. Dan Uggla Jason Giambi so many one dimensional players its not even funny. Jorge Cantu , Mike Jacobs . Most of the Marlins LMAO.

The steroid boom started because of one man who never did steroids. Cecil Fielder! He came back into the league after a year in japan and failings with the blue jays to club 51 home runs . I am sure this is what sparked the steroid hysteria among players most notably the bash bros. Of which Jose Canseco took his knowledge and spread it to the Texas Rangers players like Juan Gonzalez and Rafael Palmeiro. They realized the home run was bigger then baseball at that moment and made a effort to top him at all costs. It was then McGwire’s power numbers along with Sosa that drove Bonds to start using as well. Do not consider this a theory but actual fact. It all Started with CECIL FIELDER. And I doubt he ever took one steroid.

I think early in their careers Canseco and McGwire did it legit. But I think that after injuries took a toll on their bodies they used steroids to keep helthy and in many ways that ruined them faster as they broke down really fast at the end of their careers. Neither one had hit 50 home runs although McGwire was close his rookie season. Still both players were one dimensional. Singles or Homers. At least Canseco got steals although he did look awkward running the bases with all those muscles.

Cecil Fielder made it possible for players like Prince Fielder, Frank Thomas, and Adam Dunn. Natural big power.