Kevin Marshall's America
I used to be a pretty faithful baseball fan until about six or seven years ago. I fell out for a variety of reasons, but ultimately I became disenfranchised with the sport. It’s not just that steroids were used, but the systemic coverup on the part of Major League Baseball and the compliance news outfits who should have been on this story and investigating it from day one. Like other areas of mainstream media, sports journalists are all too eager to be self-congratulatory about their role in the scandal, but they didn’t pick up on the story until BALCO and Canseco’s tell-all autobiography, even though the prevalent use of steroids and the unwillingness of Bud Selig to adopt and pursue a stringent drug policy was a laughably open secret for the better part of the last two decades.
I was out somewhere the other night and one of the televisions was showing highlights from the day’s games. I got to talking to someone and mentioned in passing that I didn’t watch baseball. Not having really paid attention to anything beyond the Yankees (what do you want? I still have that little bat from Kevin Maas Day at Heritage Park somewhere), I was shocked at what I saw.
Everybody got fat!
Is CC Sabathia the new David Wells, or the new norm?
Okay, well not EVERYBODY. But it certainly seemed to me that there were a lot more straight-up overweight baseball players than there used to be. David Wells used to be a punchline for his paunch. But it seems compared to today’s players, he’s the norm…if not the MLB version of Ryan Gosling (cue the Schenectady Stalking Squad!).
Is it just me?
Well, yes and no. Yes because when you fall out of love with any sport, you notice things you didn’t before. But there is some evidence that baseball players are getting fatter, such as a Harvard Research Study from a few years back which purported that a record 55% of baseball players between 2000 to 2006 were considered overweight. I’ve also had several Yankees fans I’ve spoken to about this claim that A-Rod was the only guy on the team that showed up to Spring Training this year lighter than the year before.
Now, the blog post I’m linking to makes the argument that his is a direct result of the Steroid Era. I don’t think that’s arguable, though some of the excuses some of the comments come up with are worth reading for how embarrassingly naive they are.
I do, however, recognize some of these physiques in folks I know that…well, let’s just say were a bit more adventurous in their weight and performance supplements. They still want the power and strength, and the only way to do that is to put on even more mass without the ‘roids. That means eating more, and finding that balance can be a bit tough.
Then there’s some that, well, are just fat.
Either way, baseball players are bigger than ever. Or they just seem that way.
Too bad baseball itself isn’t.
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13 Responses to Is it me or are baseball players fatter than ever?
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STALK ME
Cecil Fielder resents these remarks! (And his son resembles them.)
I was just commenting at lunch about how baseball is one of the few sports where athleticism is not a firm mandate. If you have a 400lb dude who can’t run…if he can consistently hit a triple and barely leg out first or he can paint the inside corner 60% of the time, there are teams that could and would put him to use. I kinda like that about the game… :)
I think the trend started when they all began wearing the more loose-fitting uniforms. I miss the days when the players looked neat in their well-fitted uniforms rather than looking like they just rolled out of their easy chair in their rumpled, baggy sweats to throw the ball around.
Sabathia looks like Moto Moto (Madagascar 2).
http://circletrianglesquare.blogspot.com/2008/11/moto-moto.html
I can understand CC Sabathia, he doesnt really need to run, but Prince Fielder is huge! You would think he would try to lose weight to make himself quicker at first, if not just for health reasons alone
What about Tiger Woods? When his supplier stopped hangin’ by his side, he got a lot thinner.
John Goodman had to lose weight to play the Babe. Whoa!
Aren’t they also among the oldest sports players too? Hmmmmm, wth?
My husband has recently taken to watching golf. GOLF! As if baseball, hockey, tennis, and football weren’t enough. This is why I was able to finish the Fire and Ice quadrilogy in under 4 weeks.
I agree with GenWar’s assessment. I mean… Babe Ruth was kind of a fatty-fat-fat, right?
I’m betting some pro bowlers could rack up better 40 yard dash times than CC, and do it without spilling any beer.
It’s you.
Saw a recent documentary which showed Sparky Lyle and the film clips proved that pitchers in the 1970’s were lean and actually looked like regular people in good shape instead of NFL linebackers. I miss those times.
I’ve often wondered how Prince Fielder can be a vegan. What the hell does he eat to get that big??
Handfuls of Crisco.