Schmidt: I might have considered steroids

Started by Geowhizzer, August 05, 2005, 09:59:21 PM

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Geowhizzer

From FoxSports.com:

Quote
Schmidt: I might have considered steroids
/ Associated Press
Posted: 39 minutes ago

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Don't count Mike Schmidt among the old-timers who take shots at players who may have used steroids or other illegal drugs and supplements to rewrite baseball's record book.

After all, he says he might have been one himself if he had started his career a decade or so later.
Schmidt raised some eyebrows last month when he told HBO that he "would have taken steroids" had he played in the late 1990s. While the Hall of Fame third baseman wasn't as absolute on Friday, he acknowledged that he may not have been able to overcome the temptation to use performance-enhancing drugs.

"I'm not saying I definitely would have, but I'm not going to sit here and tell you there's no way," he said. "Who knows? I truly can't make the statement, 'I wouldn't have gotten caught up in it."'

Instead of condemnation from his former peers and fans, Schmidt said most have been appreciative of his honesty.

"I had more people come to me and say 'It was great to see a player of your caliber treat that honestly and not come out totally against the current players,"' Schmidt said before the induction of Bob Boone into the Phillies' Wall of Fame.

Schmidt hit 548 career homers, won three MVP awards and 10 Gold Gloves, and made 12 All-Star teams during a career spent entirely with Philadelphia (1972-89). But since he retired early in the 1989 season, Schmidt has been passed on the career home run list by Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro.

Palmeiro was suspended 10 days on Monday following a positive test for steroids, less than five months after he emphatically told Congress he had never used them.

Schmidt wouldn't say whether he believes Palmeiro belongs in the Hall of Fame, saying he didn't have all the facts. Still, the 1995 inductee said he wasn't surprised at the number of players flunking drug tests.

"That's just the nature of high-priced professional athletes - they think they can get away with just about anything, as I did when I played," he said.

Boone, who caught 2,225 games in a 19-year career, was harsher in his comments about Palmeiro.

"What he accomplished in his career, I don't place all on steroids," he said. "I think what happened is a pretty stupid thing and, in a lot of ways, disgusting."

PhillyGirl

Geez, he said this like 3 weeks ago. Way to be on top of the news Fox...LOL
"Oh, yeah. They'll still boo. They have to. They're born to boo. Just now, they'll only boo with two Os instead of like four." - Larry Andersen

Rome

He said that on Bob Costas's show on HBO weeks ago.

:-D

Sgt PSN

Didn't someone (maybe BigEd?) post some links to the actual interview?   

Who Dey

Damn....

I'm almost ashamed that he's a Bobcat alum now.