PED Users and Hall of Fame Consideration
Morgan claimed that his opinion represented his only his own thoughts. But the fact that he signed it as the Vice Chairman of the Hall of Fame, used a Hall of Fame email address, and sent it to an email list only the Hall had led many to believe that Morgan was speaking on behalf of the Hall itself. Sportswriters also argued that Morgan's letter represented an attempt to counter the rising support Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens have enjoyed, both having received over 50% of the vote last year.
Morgan's letter erupted a firestorm of debate. Some, like Intentional Talk host Chris Rose, criticized Morgan's letter as sanctimonious. Others wholeheartedly agreed, calling for known PED users to be excluded from the Hall.
The letter has sparked a debate over how much of a role character plays in Hall of Fame election. The Hall encourages voters to consider the character of the players on the ballot as a factor in deciding for whom to vote. Character has been cited as the main reason why the hit king, Pete Rose, is ineligible for Hall of Fame consideration, due to his gambling on baseball. Character has also been cited as one reason why Curt Schilling, an outspoken conservative voice, has not yet gained sufficient support to be elected to the Hall of Fame.
Of course character is a slippery slope, especially considering some of the men already inducted into the Hall of Fame. Chief among the inductees whose character has been questioned is Cap Anson, a known racist who is blamed for the exclusion of African Americans from the major leagues until Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. Anson also married a thirteen year old girl, and has been accused of betting on his own team. Some have even begun calling for Anson's removal from the Hall.
But steroid use presents a particularly difficult problem for baseball in general, and the Hall of Fame in particular. Steroid use has tainted records once thought of as sacrosanct among baseball fans. Chief among the records tainted are the career home run record and the single season home run record, both currently held by Barry Bonds. PED use spoiled the integrity of the game in that regard.
Yet, on the other hand, to some degree, the fans and baseball executives were complicit in the widespread use of PEDs in the 1990s. Recall back in 1998, when Mark and McGwire and Sammy Sosa battled each other in the chase of Roger Maris' single season home run record. That competition was vital for the continued health of baseball. Having just experienced a players' strike that cancelled the World Series, baseball waned in popularity. McGwire and Sosa made baseball exciting again. So when the story broke that McGwire was using Andro, a supplement known as a precursor to steroid production in the body, it was largely pooh-poohed by the baseball world. Andro use was not against the rules at the time. People wanted to see Maris' record broken. The result was that the writer and the story received more criticism than McGwire did. McGwire went on to become the single season home run king, albeit temporarily, among great fanfare.
It was fanfare that did not go unnoticed by Barry Bonds. At the time, Bonds was already a feared hitter, garnering many intentional walks out of respect for his dangerous offensive talent. But Bonds was not a power hitter. Seeing the attention that McGwire and Sosa received for chasing the home run record, Bonds recreated himself, with the help of PEDs.
Indeed, that is one of the arguments posed in support of the Hall of Fame candidacy of Bonds and Clemens. Both were Hall of Fame caliber players before their steroid use. They should be recognized for that talent.
But that is the exact reason why Bonds and Clemens must be forever excluded from the Hall of Fame. They both had the talent to be baseball legends without steroids. Yet both were greedy. Being a legend was not good enough. They had to be uber legends. Along the way of giving in to their vanity and extending their careers, Bonds and Clemens wreaked havoc on the statistics and records that baseball fans hold dear. Home run records can no longer be trusted. The achievement of seven Cy Young Awards must be questioned. All because two players thought more of their own glory, than of the good of the sport.
Bonds and Clemens are certainly not alone in their complicity. Baseball executives encouraged players to turn to steroids to extend their career. Commissioner Bud Selig, whom the baseball world rushed to place in the Hall of Fame immediately after his retirement, dragged his feet for years on the steroid issue. And the fans wanted to see more home runs.
Nonetheless, by the time Bonds and Clemens were using steroids, it was against the rules. They knew what they were doing, and that what they were doing was wrong. Breaking the rules so brazenly, and in the process damaging the integrity of the game cannot be tolerated. For that reason, I agree with Joe Morgan that such known steroid users must be excluded from the hallowed shrines of the Hall of Fame.
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