I'll never understand the hand-wringing over people like Rose, Bonds, et al. First of all, they're in the Hall of Fame - in the museum. What they're being denied is a plaque.
Pete Rose knowingly violated the most sacrosanct rule in baseball - if not all of pro sports - for years, and for a while it seems we were learning more and more sordid truth on a regular basis. And before someone says yeah, well he didn't bet AGAINST the Reds, he bet so often in their favor that the lack of a bet on any given day sent a world of information into the gambling community.
No Hall of Fame plaque - kids need to know actions have consequences.
I hear it said American is a forgiving culture and he should be let in - well America isn't so much a forgiving culture as we are an excusing culture - two very different things.
Even forgiveness, though, doesn't mean consequences vanish. I've forgiven Rose - I have a soft spot for him - one of the greats and no one ever played harder on the field or probably loved the game more. But I cannot countenance him having a plaque.
As to the steroid users - the greenie comparison tires me. I'm no doctor, but my understanding is that they heightened awareness, relieved tiredness, and gave some energy - the same things, basically, that can be done to one degree or another by any number of items available OTC in your local CVS. They didn't fundamental alter one's physiology and physical nature.
Actually, if not for people like Bonds, Canseco and a few others I'm pretty sure guys like McGwire, Sosa, and others might be in the HOF - people genuinely like these guys, who objectively did so much good for the game.
Part of me still believes Palmiero might actually have been clean - at least to his knowledge. His finger point in front of Congress was a bit too sincere and indignant for me to believe it was completely a lie.
One side note to get us back to cards - I've been filling out my 80s-early 90s collection of Fleer, Donruss, Score and UD lately. Every time I put cards into the album I note aloud whenever I come across someone who's in the HOF. I wonder what it would sound like to someone in 1992 to hear me say "HOF" after someone like Baines, Edgar Martinez or even Biggio at that point, and to silently pass by Clemens, Canseco, Bonds, McGwire, etc.
Anyway - soapbox going back into the closet.
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