Originally Posted by
duke98
I know there are quite a few of this on the board; other MLB fans might want to chime in too.
I look at the Mitchell Report -- which, admittedly, is not an iron-clad declaration of guilt, but that's another topic for another thread -- and I see a *lot* of names from Orioles rosters of the last 7-10 years. I'm counting five: Jay Gibbons, Miguel Tejada, Brian Roberts, Jerry Hairston Jr., and David Segui.
And while we all know that Peter Angelos is largely to blame for the downfall of this once-proud franchise (if I ever meet that guy in a dark alley...), I can't help but wonder -- did steroids also contribute to the demise of the Orioles?
I don't know enough about the goings-on of the team to know how it might affect things. But I can imagine that steroid use wouldn't exactly contribute positively to interpersonal relationships (especially involving the users; we hear a lot about 'roid rage, etc) and teamwork. If some were using, and others weren't, there was probably a lot of gossip and resentment.
The O's of the past ten years have been moderately talented teams that have always underproduced. Perhaps the X factor has been rampant steroid use and all of the problems that undoubtedly ensue from it.
Just an idea...discuss (and feel free to smack it down if you disagree).