Noelvi Marte

[Chip R]

I always assumed;
Late 70s - Started showing up
Late 80s - They were available for the willing
Late 90s - Full on pandemic

That sounds about right to me.

I'm pushing back on the idea that Dale Murphy lost half his career to guys on steroids, I just don't think that's accurate. I've watched most of the 1990 Reds season on YouTube, and the players were all skinny guys, and that was basically Murphy's last year.

It could be two things. Even if it was more aging than roids it certainly affected other players.

I watched Murphy a lot on WTBS in the 80's and I highly doubt he took steroids. I believe he was just one of many players who's career just fell off a cliff. Real shame too. He won two MVP's and was a dominant player for 8 years or so. Very close to being a HOFer's.

I don't think anyone is suggesting he juiced. What is being suggested is that as a clean player, while he stayed the same or declined, others cheated and got better than him.

[WrongVerb]

I always assumed;
Late 70s - Started showing up
Late 80s - They were available for the willing
Late 90s - Full on pandemic

There's speculation that Roger Maris was using anabolic steroids during the 61-62 seasons, when his home run numbers were wildly above his career norm.

[Tony Cloninger]

There's speculation that Roger Maris was using anabolic steroids during the 61-62 seasons, when his home run numbers were wildly above his career norm.

Whoever thought that was absolutely ridiculous. It was an expansion year. Jim Gentile hit 46 homers. Mantle was on line to also hit 60. Offensive numbers like in the NL expansion year in 62 went up also. Tommy Davis numbers looked like he was playing in 1930. The owners and commissioner got so worried they expanded the strike zones which led to the pitching numbers going crazy. I don’t know if they did anything to the ball. I forget it they raised the mound at all starting that year before lowering it in 1969. Steroids was not in anyone’s radar at all. These guys still drank after games. Sometimes heavily. Smoked a lot too.

[Kingspoint]

I had to look it up, because I wasn't alive then, but Murphy's last full season in the majors was 1991, doesn't that pre-date the steroid era by a few years? Like, I'm sure guys were taking stuff, but it didn't explode until after that, right? His age 30 season was in 1986 according to BR. Just not seeing it.

Guys were taking steroids in the Minors from the early '80's on, and it became rampant in the minors in the mid-80's. By the late '80's, most in the minors were taking them.

[Kingspoint]

I watched Murphy a lot on WTBS in the 80's and I highly doubt he took steroids. I believe he was just one of many players who's career just fell off a cliff. Real shame too. He won two MVP's and was a dominant player for 8 years or so. Very close to being a HOFer's.

There was a season in the mid-80's when only 2 National League players had a SLG% over .500, Murphy and Strawberry, and they were barely over .500. There were a lot of factors that kept overall SLG% down then.

[GAC]

Whoever thought that was absolutely ridiculous. It was an expansion year. Jim Gentile hit 46 homers. Mantle was on line to also hit 60. Offensive numbers like in the NL expansion year in 62 went up also. Tommy Davis numbers looked like he was playing in 1930. The owners and commissioner got so worried they expanded the strike zones which led to the pitching numbers going crazy. I don’t know if they did anything to the ball. I forget it they raised the mound at all starting that year before lowering it in 1969. Steroids was not in anyone’s radar at all. These guys still drank after games. Sometimes heavily. Smoked a lot too.

Mantle and Maris were battling that year. Man! To have been able to have watched that!

[LiferJim]

Do we really want to call up Marte this Thursday? I think I heard yesterday that he’s hitting .150 so far in AAA.


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[Slyder]

Do we really want to call up Marte this Thursday? I think I heard yesterday that he’s hitting .150 so far in AAA.


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Spring Training getting timing down. You can spend all the time in the world in the batting cage doesn't mean anything because it's not the same as taking live game abs. How's he looked, has he looked like Benson, has he been getting extremely unlucky, is he late on the fastball, swinging at junk? There's more to it than just batting average. That's what scouts and coaches are suppose to be there for.

[Marc D]

Do we really want to call up Marte this Thursday? I think I heard yesterday that he’s hitting .150 so far in AAA.


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Good news is you could plug him in the 3 hole in this lineup and not miss a beat

[westofyou]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/558...-marte-return/

But with just seven hits, 14 strikeouts and no walks in 11 games and 49 at-bats, will Marte be called up Wednesday?

Reds manager David Bell was asked on Friday about Marte’s struggles and said he didn’t know Marte’s statistics. Bell said he’s read the internal reports daily, but those aren’t focused on the results of at-bats.

“I don’t know where he stands statistically, but it’s more important what our player development people are saying, what they’re seeing,” Bell said. “We get process grades on every at-bat he has. Reading those, everything has been right on track.”

Those grades have nothing to do with the result of the at-bat, instead focusing on his swing decisions, pitch recognition and what kind of contact is made, including exit velocity.

Bell said that not only have the reports been good, but Marte has looked good physically.

“He’s doing his part to get himself ready,” Bell said. “No decision has been made yet. I know that’s coming up. He’s almost all the way through this, but over the next week we’ll be talking about that, but everything looks good so far.”

[LiferJim]

Spring Training getting timing down. You can spend all the time in the world in the batting cage doesn't mean anything because it's not the same as taking live game abs. How's he looked, has he looked like Benson, has he been getting extremely unlucky, is he late on the fastball, swinging at junk? There's more to it than just batting average. That's what scouts and coaches are suppose to be there for.

I understand all that, but he is playing in actual games and not just hitting in the batting cage. Was just curious if anyone had any information in regards to his possible anticipated arrival or if they will wait until he’s hitting better.


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[LiferJim]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/558...-marte-return/

Thank you


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[KeefeCato]

I don't know if they will call him up immediately when his suspension ends.
I think they should. His defense at 3B or 2B would be an immediate upgrade. Even if he doesn't hit well.
I thought all along there was a good chance he would struggle this year before the suspension. You can't immediately think he will hit like he did last September. Sample size was so small.

[redsfan9988]

The Reds are currently giving regular or semi-regular playing time to four players with a 0 or negative WAR. Not to mention India and Candy who are on pace for less than 2.0 WAR on the season.

Marte will come up and play immediately. Move Candy to 1B and move Steer back to LF. Benson goes to the bench or AAA. Fraley/Fairchild is a platoon. We still don’t have anyone to speak of for the DH spot, but that’s another story.

Basically, the guy Marte is replacing in terms of everyday at bats will be Benson. I think it’s all but a statistical impossibility that Marte will be less valuable than Benson has been in June.

[Kc61]

I don’t care who Marte is replacing or what he’s hitting at AAA. He showed readiness for the big leagues last year and needs to develop there.

There is no downside because the team currently is going nowhere so Marte won’t make them any worse. He’ll probably make them better.