Major League Power Swing

I know this blog's title might sound like it is about hitters. It is actually about the balance of power between pitchers and hitters. It is safe to say that from the mid 90's to the mid/late 2000's, there was NO balance. What is now referred to as the "Steroid Era," was undboutedly the most prolific decade for hitters ever seen. Just from the broken records alone one can see how hitters flourished. The formerly unbreakable single season home record was shattered three different times in the span of a couple years (Sosa, McGuire, and Bonds). The second most hallowed record in all of baseball (behind perhaps Dimaggio's hit 52 game hit streak) was broken a few short years later with Bonds surpassing Hank Aaron for the ultimate home run record. All the while, these records were considered tarnish by the terrible, steroid-induced asterisk.

However, Major League Baseball finally got its act together and implemented a much stricter drug testing policy and the over-arching the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program was adopted in 2006. Since then, the balance of power has begun to shift. It is my opinion that MLB has actually achieved what it set out to do. That is, they have shifted the power back closer to even between pitchers and hitters. It is my opinion, of course, that this is a positive change. As a self-proclaimed baseball purist, I think a 3-2 pitcher's duel is baseball at its best. I agree that home runs are wonderful and a lot of fun to watch, but when baseball scores began to look as though they were achieved with 50 yard bombs to the end zone, I think everyone knew something was wrong. Thankfully, that aforementioned changed did occur, and the steroid era appears to be over. Case and point, from '95 to '07, the average number of homeruns hit by the league leaders was well above 50. In fact, 15 times in that span, a home run leader broke the 50 home run mark. Of course, there was a handful of years where the number crested 60 with others in the 50 range and culminating with Bonds' 73. However, in 2008 and 2009, the leaders hit only 37, 38, 48, and 47 respectively. Now I realize that two years is hardly a trend, but it is my belief that 2010 will show similarly lower numbers. Of course, this is good news for baseball purists near and far. For, if those numbers did not decrease, there would be little reason to believe steroids had anything to do with the power surge.

So, heres to the conclusion of the steroid age, and the dawning of a new age of balance. I look forward to the next few 20 game winners. Perhaps now, there will be more than just one or two in each league. 2009 had none and 2008 only had Webb and Lee, Mussina, Halladay and Beckett. I suspect these numbers will increase as well over the years.

Stay tuned and let's see if I'm right.

Until Next time!!