Yesterday I opened a pack of '88 Fleer, and one of the cards got me thinking. This card remembered the outstanding 1987 season that Eric Davis and Daryl Strawberry had. They both entered the 30-30 club in 1987 and both made a run at 40-40. As I lay awake last night I began to think about Jose Canseco and his 1988 42 HR and 40 SB season. I began going down the list of 40-40 club members: Canseco, Bonds, A-Rod, and most recently Alfonso Soriano. Did any of these guys reach 40-40 without the juice? Well we know Canseco pierced the skin with a needle, Bonds has never tested positive but the cream and the clear certainly didn't hurt his quest for membership into the club, A-Rod tested positive in 2003, so that leaves only Alfonso Soriano and his 46 bombs and 41 steals in 2006 for the Washington Nationals.
Since I believe testing started in 2004, Soriano may be the only performance enhancing drug free member of the 40-40 club. We have seen a decline in his overall production over the past few years, and the injuries and missed games are starting to pile up but at 6'1" and about 180 lbs he does not fit the template for juicer. His swing has always been a picture of violent beauty, and as of this post he does have 19 HR in 98 games but he only has 8 stolen bases. Could he have used too? Lets hope not. We may never know. Here is a list of some guys who came close to 40-40, but just fell short:
1922 Ken Williams of the St. Louis Browns
39 HR and 37 SB in 153 games
Ken was the very first member of the 30-30 club
1956 Willie Mays
36 HR and 40 SB in 152 games
1973 Bobby Bonds
39 HR and 43 SB in 160 games
1987 Eric Davis
37 HR and 50 SB in 129 games
1987 Daryl Strawberry
39 HR and 36 SB in 154 games
2002 Vlad Guerrero
39 HR and 36 SB in 161 games
2004 Carlos Beltran
38 HR and 43 SB in 159 games
The Card Addict
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