Obvious Steroids User 6/22/09

Every week here on Start Wedman, we are going to have an "Obvious Steroids User" of the week. We hope to make this our weekly signature that you can come back every Monday to see. We will take a look at a player who may or may not have done steroids through statistics, personal observances, and (hopefully) pictures. There will especially be a closer eye directed towards the player's years of suspicion. Of course, all are innocent until proven guilty, Miguel Tejada, so take everything said in this undertaking with a grain of salt. Thank you.

And without further to do, we have our very first Obvious Steroids User:

FERNANDO TATIS

I figured this choice would be fitting since the Cards and Mets are kicking off a series tonight. Plus, 'Nando figures to start getting more playing time in New York's outfield since Carlos Beltran went on the DL with a bruised bone in his knee today.

Back in 1999, Tatis put up this insane (and unsurprisingly non-All Star worthy, IMHO) stat line:

G	R	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG
149	104	34	107	21	82	128	0.298	0.404	0.553

Let us also not forget that in April of 1999, Fernando hit a record two grand slams against the Dodgers in LA. I still remember jumping up and down watching both of those blasts leave the park even in my younger years.

Now, compare that to his career stat line:

G	R	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG
829	395	105	407	48	302	646	0.264	0.346	0.442

And here's that stat line without the juiced up '99 season:

G	R	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG
680	291	71	300	27	220	518	0.256	0.324	0.415

He hit an amazing 32.4% of his career home runs in 1999! (And 1.90% of his career dingers in that one game versus the Dodgers)

Of course, after that season, he went on to play another injury-plagued campaign in St. Louis before being traded to the Expos for Steve Kline and signing a ridiculous contract that paid him $13.75M over three years north of the border. Tatis managed to motivate his body to play a paltry 208 games over that time span.

However, there is one argument against Tatis taking steroids; that he was simply a great young player who couldn't over overcome the injury bug. During his time in the STL, Fernando did have one of the most trusted and respectable first basemen in the majors playing across the diamond from him...


Case closed.

But, just to beat the dead horse here's a before and after of Tatis in his time with the Expos and a recent shot of him with the Mets, with whom he won the NL Comeback Player of the Year award last year.

BEFORE


AFTER


Congratulations, Fernando Tatis, on your designation as the first member of the YSSW Obvious Steroids User Club (OSUC).