2013 MLB Hall of Fame Screechfest

This is a generalization, but essentially, this is what's happening: For 10-plus years, the public has seethed because the writers let PED users off easy by not exposing "the truth." Now, suddenly, the public seethes because the same writers are being too hard on PED users.

I can't square this.

 

No. The public has not carried this for 10-plus years. There was some segment -- a large segment -- of the public that felt that way until about 2007 or 2008. But since about that time, the public has gotten over it and realized that no team is clean and if you want to get moralistic about it, there isn't a single World Series championship since maybe the 1988 Dodgers that wasn't ill-gotten.

It's all the writers' belated morality now.

 

Here's the weird thing for me. In 2004, when the whole world knew about steroids, and Bonds was a national story and furor about his suspected PED use and had been for several seasons, the BBWAA had no problem voting Bonds the MVP award. So why the change, except to salve guilty consciences?

 

Apples and oranges.

He was the most valuable player in the National League that season.

There's no character clause in the MVP criteria. There is in the Hall of Fame criteria.

 

Mr. Gee, amazingly enough there were still people saying "we don't know" at that point, and the grand jury testimony hadn't been leaked and there had been no court case. I don't think Game of Shadows had been published either. The environment is different on those two.

 

I wonder how much the pomp and circumstance of induction day alters votes.

If the deal was that Bonds and Clemens - and the others - could get a plaque on the wall, but no ceremony and celebration, I wonder how many votes would change.

At least a few, I bet.

 

Let's not forget how painfully naive the media were. There were still media members defending Lance Armstrong last year because he had never failed a test. Maybe this is their chance to punish the players for making them look like such fools over the years.

 

We haven't agreed often on this thread Dick, but I do agree with you here. Along those lines, I honestly think Pete Rose will be reinstated after he dies, but the powers that be don't want him to have the satisfaction of giving a Hall of Fame speech (and they also don't want some stupid team to hire him as manager).

 

Yeah, I would have left McGwire off...

 

You can justify all of the picks... Who cares if we don't agree with him? You can't say the same about some of the ballots that are out there...

 

I feel for Craig Biggio. He is most deserving of entering the Hall. I've taken this steroids era stuff into account and I think in time, you can expect to see Bonds, Clemens, Palmiero and Sosa all enter Cooperstown.

 

Just heard Ken Davidoff (not positive on his name, but he's a NY writer) on the radio defending his ballot. He voted for Clemens and Bonds. Why? "They were never proven guilty of breaking the law." He did not vote for Sosa. Why? "He used a corked bat." He also voted for Larry Walker and Kenny Lofton.

Listening to that guy explain his ballot was highly entertaining. The fact that he did it on Chris Russo's show -- thus arguing with Russo -- made it even more entertaining.