Quote:
Originally Posted by profholt82
How can anyone rate a cheater like him among the all-time greats of the game?
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So, if one player "cheats" he is disqualified from consideration as a GOAT? OK, if that is the framework for discussion, then Babe Ruth also cannot be considered, right? He was caught using a corked bat in 1923 (and presumably used one more than once). Willie Mays frequently used amphetamines. Foreign substances on balls used by several pitchers have been an accepted cat-and-mouse game for decades with little stigma attached to pitchers that used them.
It sure feels like we are drawing some pretty wavy lines on what is acceptable and unacceptable "cheating" for players on field conduct. I can't help but also notice those lines are heavily influenced by how the media feels those players treated them. Bonds and Clemens were not fun interviews and surly, so the media decided to make steroids the line that cannot be crossed. And, many players not friendly to the media were heavily vetted for a connection to steroids for #cancelling.