Chris Davis is the real Home Run King
July 13, 2013 by Andy Greenberg · 4 Comments
After hitting his 36th home run on Saturday Davis has reached a pace to put him at 61 by the end of the season. This continues to be the number by which baseball fans use to denote a record setting campaign. We brush aside Bonds, McGwire and Sosa because of the steroid allegations (and admittance) and look back at those seasons feeling like they were fake. Bonds didn’t hit 73 all by himself, the alleged steroids inside of Bonds hit 73 home runs. Chris Davis is a different animal. He even responded to a fan on twitter who asked him if he was on the juice with a simple “No.” He’s quietly become the best power hitter in the game today right next to Miguel Cabrera, and is the only real threat to Miggy not repeating as a Triple Crown winner.
One of the reasons I’m a Davis fan is because of his often heralded potential. He isn’t somebody who came from nowhere to be somebody like Bret Boone in the early 2000’s, somebody who was also an alleged steroid user, and he isn’t a superstar having a career year. Though that last statement may change over the next year or two. Davis was a Rangers prospect with a ton of power potential, so much that they felt they could trade away budding prospect Justin Smoak and use Davis at first base. Dumping Smoak worked out very well for Texas but they made a mistake sending him off to Baltimore with Tommy Hunter for Koji Uehara. What a lopsided deal that ended up being. Davis has already topped last season’s home run and RBI numbers and is well on his way to finishing in the top three of MVP voting. His fantastic season is the result of hard work, persistence and some Buck Showalter magic. I don’t know what he’s doing with the guys in Baltimore but as I’ve said in previous articles, Buck has completely changed the culture there and is giving Davis consistent playing time to allow him to come into his own as a hitter.
If he hits 61 home runs it will be historic. He’ll be the first since Ken Griffey, Jr. in 1998 to come anywhere close to Maris’ mark clean of any steroid allegations. He’ll be looked at by fans and even writers and other media as the real home run record holder, one free of any asterisks. It’s going to be one hell of a ride through the rest of the summer and Chris Davis is holding the reins of the Orioles bandwagon, so jump on now and watch the show, because it may never come back again.
So, you don’t have to actually have steroids inside of you to hit a lot of home runs. You can do it with “alleged steroids” inside of you.
Why do you believe Chris Davis’ denial? Didn’t Bonds also deny taking steroids? Didn’t Bonds pass every drug test he was given? Davis has exceeded his season high in home runs in slightly more than half a season. That’s pretty much coming out of nowhere (assuming he continues to perform at this level) in my book. He’s certainly having a career year.
For that matter, how do you know Maris was clean? Steroids have been around since the late 1930s and athletes are notorious for seeking any advantage that they can find. Maris’ home run totals spiked in 1960-1962, with totals of 39, 61, and 33. He never reached 30 in the rest of his career.
Understand, I’m not accusing Davis or Maris. I’m just pointing out that things are not as black and white as you seem to think, and your willingness to decide that this guy is clean and this other guy isn’t is pretty sanctimonious.
This comment is in response to Hank G. Chris Davis has already said he wants to be a role model for kids. He also said that Roger Maris has the record he wants to break. That’s a pretty good indication he’s not “juiced up” don’t you think? This is as black and white as is gets!
@Don Hoover – If he wants to be a role model for kids, he should stop chewing tobacco or STFU.
There’s a huge difference between chewing tobacco and steroids. It’s sad that in this era everybody just assumes that success from a previously not-well-known player equals some kind of synthetic performance enhancement. I look at the game with a childish enthusiasm and an American judicial mindset, innocent until proven guilty. Until he gets suspended or tests positive for any sort of banned substance he’s clean and he’s an All-Star.