Innocent Until Tested Positive

Are we too quick to judge baseball players for their record breaking performances? My colleague would have you believe that Chris Davis is using steroids for personal gains. I however believe that Davis is telling the truth when he responded “No,” to a Twitter question asking if he used steroids.

Now let’s look at his past season totals. Yes, last year was by far his most productive year with 33 home runs in 515 at bats. He also had 85 RBIs, 75 runs, and 39 walks: all career highs. But is it implausible that a man traded from a team with the sole goal of making it back to the World Series to a team just trying to make the playoffs could have such a profound turnaround? Not at all.

Davis seems to be continuing from where he left off last season. Now sure, a player who was relatively mediocre by MLB slugger standards would garner steroid rumors after having a breakout season like the one Davis is experiencing, but it is wrong to accuse the man without proof. Look back at his 2009 stats and you can see a player who had the potential to be a top slugger. The problem for Davis, like sluggers Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton, was the pressure got to him. Now with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Pujols and Hamilton struggled to get started in their respective first months with their new teams.

In my mind, the public needs to calm down on the accusation of steroids.  Testing is stricter than ever, so surely any player who is rising through the ranks would be tested more than most.  Until a player fails the test, we have no proof of juicing. Why not sit back and enjoy the ride?