Why do people assume that Hank Aaron or guys from that era didn't use illegal substances like amphetamines?

Great question, and i have wondered the same thing for a long time also. Matter of factly i even wrote to various magazines (sports illustrated, ESPN the Magazine ET AL) and voiced my opinion very much like you did here. If i may, let us look a little deeper into this in 1919 The Babe (thats right Mr. George Herman Ruth) hit a somewhat mortal home run total of 29 jacks in just over 430 at bats, the next year 1920 Mr Ruth hit a total of 54 jacks in just over 450 at bats (the things that make you say hmmmmmmmmm) and get this his nearest competition hit, wow, are you ready for this stat 19 Home Runs (Mr. George Sisler). It wasnt till the following year that Mr. Ruth hit 59 home runs and his team mate Bob Meusel was second in the league with 24 home runs (FYI.....Mr. Meusel was out of baseball less then 10 years later). In the following years the Babe hit home run totals more, how should i phrase this, Mortaly, 35 in (1922), 41 in (1923), 46 in (1924) well you get the picture right ??...... but in 1927 history tells us the Babe hit 60 jacks that year, with team mates Lou Gehrig closely behind with 47 and Tony Lazzerri with (ready for this) 19. So yes absolutely do i believe that there have been performing enhancing drugs in baseball forever ?? YES !!! But do i believe we will learn anything or gain anything by proving this and keeping our hereos out of the Hall of Fame, what would the Hall of Fame be without Ruth, Gehrig, Mays, Mantle, Reggie et al.......we can continue this debate and include Mr. Maris, how about George Foster, Cecil Fielder, and my favorite of them all Brady Anderson who all some how managed to hit 50 or more home runs at least once during their careers. The media has made this our so called Steriod Age something of a mockery and have pinpointed the heros and stars of our era McGwire, Sosa, Bonds, Clemens, Palmeiro et al and now are saying they shouldnt be in the Hall of Fame because they cheated us of something. I say they didnt cheat us of nothing, they gave us a show and as fans we ate it up, who else will ever come close to the home run display that we saw in the late 90's and early 2000, when is the next time you will see a pitcher win 300 games (ok i know randy johnson will break that barier this year) how about 7 Cy Young awards ?? So guess what media, it is time you turned your backs once again and gave credit where credit is due and enshrine the heros of our time ?!!!!!!!!! The players that made us say "HMMMMMMMMMMM" !!!!!!!!!!!

Taking Steriods/HGH is illegal TODAY without a prescription. This is not a MLB rule this is a law. Unless you can prove that specific players took the amphetimenes and that these were prohibited by league rules at the time those players took them it is a moot point. Amphetimes did not become illegal until 1965 (unless presscribed - see link below)

Just because this drug (steroids) was in its infancy doesn't mean that it was widely distributed or taken. It did not become illegal until much later after the abuses by athletes in the 70s and 80s.

I agree with the others that if you look at the size of the baseball players now vs thirty years ago there is a noticeable difference. It is not hard to tell when usage was prevalent.

While there may have been isolated cases of abuses in the past it is not grounds for comparing the two eras or making or deflecting blame from the current crop of abusers.

There is an interesting thought process there, but I would argue this. Player’s form the bye-gone eras of Ruth and Aaron, did not take care of there bodies they way they do now. Strength and conditioning was not put to a premium until the late 70's. The effectiveness of this kind of work out in pro sports was first used by the players and coaches in NFL. Enter Lyle Alzaedo who was the poster-child for ainti-steroid movement in pro-sports. At that point strength and conditioning was still not a premium in MLB.

Let’s look at those guys for a moment. Ruth was never the oath of health for crying out load he would walk across the street after his at bat to have a bear and a dog, then on his way back smoke a non-filter cigarette. Aaron, Mantle, Williams were of the same ilk. Roids would have done nothing for them, as they spent little time in the gym. Players now are so cautious about what they put in there body and how its going to affect there bodies.

Though I agree with amphetamine usage being around in baseball, this really doesn't allow for any real performance enhancement. Steroids allow your body to heal faster making the amount of time you can physically spend training longer, this allows you to get stronger faster. If you’re not spending the time in the gym in the first place you’re not going to inject a drug in to your system that is going to allow you to get more out of your gym time.

I personally see the amphetamine problem on the same level as the marijuana issue in the NBA. Not a real issue, though illegal.

I agree with true fans such as this, who have an open mind to see things factually. Henry Aaron used amphetamines, Dave Kingman had "urges" to use steroids as a Met, the Pittsburgh Steelers "used" steroids during their 70's glory years and Barry Bonds plus 100's of other MLB players used steroids and PED's and HGH, but "SO WHAT"?

If you look and compare, if you see someone using an asthma inhaler on the street, at work or in school that contains steroids, you don't see the police running them down and placing them in handcuffs.....

If you see the show COPS and notice what they do to those that use, manufacture or sell amphetamines, what do they do? They pull out their tasers, firearms and sic their policedogs on the people involved with amphetamines and place them under custody.

If the fake fans seem to think if steroids are worse, just look at these comparisons noted above. They should get out of their dreamworlds and recognize Barry Bonds as the true leader in career HR's, or learn how to read a record book to see that Henry Aaron lost his record a couple of years ago.

If you look at the size of baseball players in the 1950's through the 1970's and compare them to today there isn't any way these players were on steroids! They might have been legal but the size of these guys tell me they weren't using anything! Taking amphetamines doesn't make you stronger and help you to hit more home runs!

Anyone that studies baseball history will probably agree that these guys were on drugs. Players at the top of their game will always be looking for ways to get ahead. Your casual fans on the other hand will reminisce fondly about the 'purity of the game' which never existed.

Above all, we don't care because it's history. And twenty years from now, this will be history and no one will care. It's funny how important things in the present seem, but looking back they meant nothing.

Edit: I always liked Mike Schmidt for saying "If I had known how easy it was to get steroids, I would have probably shot up too."

You make a very good point. This is probably one of the best questions I have ever read. I agree with you all the way. How could you prove that half of the player back then were on drugs or not? Back then people didn't know the long term effect of drugs or even cigarettes. We'll, never know. Great question by the way. If I could I would give you two stars. :)

I agree....people were cheating back then just like today.

Every record can be questioned even the Babe = Ask people how many Black and Latino pitchers Babe Ruth faced....but his records arent called into question....playing in an all white league doesnt really compare witht the competition todays hitters face

Athletes then are the same as today

What I find truly tragic is how WE all act like this is some bir suprise....WE knew Sosa and Big Mac were on roids, WE knew it, MLB knew it and the Cubs and the Cardinals KNEW IT!!!!! and we LOVED it.....now we act like we are innocent vicitims

Amphetamines are a performance enhancer.....you can dance around it all you want but if you took those away August would be real boring

That was one of the smartest things I have read on hear since I have been on Yahoo Answers. Really bravo! You have made an excelent point that cannot be shot down! Really I am impressed!

Steriods origanaly were invented in the 1940's people they are not a new thing!

Taking Amphetimines is like drinking coffee? Seroiusly? A Drug is a drug! You cant church it up...its a drug. Taking Greenies still gave someone a competitive edge over someone not taking them, under the rules of cheating is still qualifies!!

That's an interesting question, i don't know to be honest. It's just like when steroids became illegal a couple of years ago. You would think they would of banned them a lot earlier than that.