Quote:
Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
Bonds had 3 MVP awards by 1993, so you may need to go back quite a few more years.
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To be more precise, by "markedly better" I was referring to Bonds hitting more home runs after age 36. The chart that follows shows the year, the amount of at-bats, the number of home runs, and the amount of at-bats per home run:
1986 413 16 25.8
1987 551 25 22.04
1988 538 24 22.41
1989 580 19 30.52
1990 519 33 15.72
1991 510 25 20.4
1992 473 34 13.91
1993 539 46 11.71
1994 391 37 10.56
1995 506 33 15.33
1996 517 42 12.3
1997 532 40 13.3
1998 552 37 14.92
1999 355 34 10.44
2000 480 49 9.79
2001 476 73 6.52
2002 403 46 8.76
2003 390 45 8.67
Admittedly there could be other factors such as new ballparks, Pac Bell's short line down the right (although the park is a pitcher's park and right field goes out rapidly from the line), or a juiced ball. I just think his numbers at an age when most players decline or retire also suggest that it might not be the ball that's juiced.
