Hammerin' Hank Aaron: Was he on 'Roids?

Protrade, a sports equipment journal, suggests the unthinkable: Hank Aaron juiced during his great career that resulted in the all-time home run record now pursued by Barry Bonds.

The San Francisco Chronicle, in a May 3rd 2005 article quoted former Major League pitcher Tom House of the Atlanta Braves as saying that steroids were rampant in the game in the late '60s and throughout the '70s.

House, perhaps best known for catching Hank Aaron's 715th home run ball in 1974 in the Atlanta Braves bullpen, said he and several teammates used amphetamines, human growth hormone and 'whatever steroid' they could find in order to keep up with the competition.

"I pretty much popped everything cold turkey', House said. "We were doing steroids they wouldn't give to horses. That was the '60s when nobody knew. The good thing is, we know now. There's a lot more research and understanding."

House, 58, estimated that six or seven pitchers per team were at least experimenting with steroids or human growth hormone. He said players talked about losing to opponents using more effective drugs,

"We didn't get beat, we got out-milligrammed", he said. "And when you found out what they were taking, you started taking them".

Congress suggested that Baseball hid a steroid problem.  However, as you will read Bowie Kuhn suppressed that notion.  After the jump, Protrade's incredible argument about Aaron's juice.

According to Rep. Henry A. Waxman in his March 17,2005 opening statement before the House Government Reform Committee:

"Congress first investigated drugs and professional sports, including steroids over 30 years ago. I think perhaps the only two people in the room who will remember this are me and Commissioner Selig, because I believe he became owner in 1970".

In 1973, the year I first ran for Congress, the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce concluded a year-long investigation that found--and I quote--"drug use exists...in all sports and levels of competition...In some instances, the danger of improper drug use--primarily amphetamines and anabolic steroids--can only be described as alarming". Bowie Kuhn, and the powers that be at the time, quietly squashed the entire tawdry episode and with good reason: it would cast suspicions on an African-American slugger who was challenging one of baseball's most cherished records: The career record for home runs.

Compare Hank Aaron's stats at the beginning of his career and then notice how his HR% began to increase beginning when Hammerin' Hank was 37 years old.

HR% is defined as being the number of HRs per 100 ABs.

Age HRs HR%
33 44 7.3
34 39 6.5
35 29 4.8

Nothing unusual about these statistics; it is a typical profile of a slugger in decline as he ages. But then Hank began to undergo an 'enhancement.'

Age HRs HR%
36 44 8.0
37 38 7.4

What explains this spike at a latter age? Expansion? Perhaps. But then what happens?

Age HRs HR%
38 47 9.5
39 34 7.6

Hank...What's going on buddy? Aaron's HR% were TOPS in the NL in both 1971 and 1972. Hmm.

Age HRs HR%
40 40 10.2

Which leads us to 1973 when at age 40 in just 392 at bats, juiced 40 HR's for a HR% of 10.2. Once again TOPS in NL for the THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR and the HIGHEST HR% in the ENTIRE 23 year career of Hank Aaron.

Hank Aaron at 40 was not the only Atlanta Brave to hit 40 Hrs that season. Teammates Darrell Evans and Davey Johnson blasted 41 and 43 HRs respectively.

Darrell Evans

Year HRs HR%
1971 12 4.6
1972 19 4.5

1973 41 6.9

1974 25 4.4
1975 22 2.8

Notice a statistical anomaly? Let's see what Davey Johnson did.

Davey Johnson

Year HRs HR%
1971 18 3.5
1972 5 1.3

1973 43 7.7

1974 15 3.3
1975 Played 1 game
1976 Did not play MLB

Notice a statistical anomaly? It would be one thing for Hank Aaron to undergo an 'enhancement', but what are the odds that not one but TWO teammates would both have career years in HR's and HR% in the SAME YEAR as when a Congressional Committee issued its final report saying that anabolic steroids were rampant in the game? Why did Darrell Evans and Davey Johnson both experience career spikes in HR's only to return to earth the following year? And how did Hank finish up?

Age HRs HR%
41 20 5.9
42 12 2.6
43 10 3.7

So what happened? Enquiring minds want to know.

The 1996 Baltimore Orioles set at the time the team HR record for one season. Brady Anderson's 50 HR season was viewed suspiciously.

The manager of the 1996 Baltimore Orioles? Davey Johnson.

The only question remains: What did Bud Selig know and when did he know it?

Fay Vincent circulated a draft steroids policy in 1991. Selig knew that if the scab of steroids was picked off, the puss of the 1973 Atlanta Braves would be oozing all over the game. The scandal of Hank Aaron's HR record being tainted by steroids use would have been a PR disaster at the time and. personally, extremely painful to Bud Selig who, after all, is a long-time friend of Hank Aaron.

Hence the boardroom coup which ousted Fay Vincent and made Bud Selig 'Acting Commissioner', while still maintaining his position as the owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, a blatant conflict of interest.

So long as Bud Selig remains in charge of Major League Baseball, the American public will never get to the bottom of the steroids scandal which has sullied the game. He has too much of a personal vested interest in Hank Aaron.

Besides, after this season, Barry Lamar Bonds will BE the HR KING.

Comments

[Sean White]

Thats the stupidest thing ive ever heard..you guys are idiots. Hank Aaron NEVER hit over 50 hr's in a season. Most of the time he was a late 30 to early 40 hr guy. Bonds, Sosa, Mcgwire, Afraud, John Jaha and lots of others were belting 50 HRS and higher on a consistant basis. Why you think Hanks so pissed...he's seeing cheating a-holes breaking his records...to say he did steroid because his HR numbers went up to 47 and 44 in his later years is ridiculous and you guys have no baseball knowledge at all....morons

[JG]

I could see Hank maybe taking Greenies, but c'mon, I'm a Bonds supporter and Aaron never hit moon shots like Bonds did. No - he might have taken stuff to keep his energy up, but did he take roids? No.

[JG]

Oh GRG - weird years happen sometimes - you should spend more effort researching the 1930 season in MLB and less on this.

[JG]

You also forgot to mention Evans hit 40 HRs again in his career in 1985 with the Tigers. Johnson got hurt in 1974 and was never the same player - if you're going to accuse - don't present one side of an argument and you better not be wrong - back your mouth - or don't bother.

[Matt Smith]

In 1969, MLB lowered the pitching mound was lowered by five inches. The year before Aaron hit 29 homers, then the next year when the mound was lowered, his numbers went up until age finally caught up with him. Since the mound was lowered to help the offense, could this have anything to do with his numbers going up instead of some steroid-theory?

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I think anything that makes you play longer or harder or helps u play through pain can be and should be considered PED's. It is rumored that the babe used bull testicle extract and check out Roger maris he is rumored to have done the same thing 1960 he hits 33 homeruns 1961 the year of the alleged amphetemine and sheep testicle extract he hits 61 the following year he hit s 36 something is funny why did he stop it is said him and ruth both fell ill from the infection I dont know look it up you will see drugs have been around longer than you think.

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