Do baseball players need all these days off?

[irvman21]

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I feel like a lot of the older players are taking more days off this year. Possibly because of amphetamine testing?

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I think it has more to do with the fact that there seem to be more older players now than ever before. Of the top of my head...Bonds, Clemens, Biggio, Finley, Franco, etc. All these guys are over 40 and are a fairly major factor on their respective team. (Not so fast Julio...) [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] That's just off the top of my head. I know there are probably a handful of others who are over 40.

But yeah, I think it's just more noticeable lately because there are so many of them. And the fact that they are getting extra days off is also partially why they are being able to perform at a high level into their 40's.

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Part of the reason there are more players playing at a high level into their 40s may be steroids and their career-lengthening effects.

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Sure. As does getting off days. As does the fact that a lot of players eat healthier and excercise smarter than in days of yore.

In 30 years, we'll see people consistently playing into their 40's, regardless of whether or not they are using the future equivalent of steroids today.

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It's not really a recent development to have older guys playing at a high level in their 40's. Nolan Ryan was a top pitcher into his mid 40's. Pete Rose, Dave Winfield, Dennis Eckersley, Tommy John all played well into their 40's at a fairly high level. I don't think it's really a steroids thing, though obviously medical advances can do nothing but help.

[Burdzthewurd]

I'd be interested to see how long some of these DH's like Thome, Ortiz, Hafner and Thomas last, and how effective they are post-40.