OT: Bonds, Clemens, Sosa to be on HOF ballot

[Peter_Spaeth]

Bonds led the league in walks five times before steroids, and had 8 100 RBI seasons.

According to the new win share metric used by Baseball Reference, Bonds is the best left fielder of all time, Ruth is the best right fielder, and Ruth finishes slightly ahead overall.

[packs]

Even with all that cheating Barry couldn't catch The Babe who played 400 less games.

[tschock]

Among other items already mentioned (and apologies if I am repeating anything here)...

1 ) If both hitters AND pitchers juiced, doesn't that again help level the playing field? What about Bonds striking out in the 6th inning from a juiced pitcher who would be a bit more tired/weaker without "the juice"?

2 ) Weren't "greenies" without a prescription illegal?

3 ) Should a player be REMOVED from the HOF for admitting to cheating or taking a banned substance? For example:
A ) Perry for admitting to using the spitter.
B ) Ruth (and others) for consuming alcohol during prohibition.

4 ) And something that has already been mentioned, but IMHO, the most important point. If management knew this was going on and widespread, and ignored it, how can you hold this against the athlete?

I'm not condoning any of the steroid era abuse, but it's easy to look through rose colored glasses when remembering the "good old days". If a player was among the best of his era, steroids alone didn't get him there.

[packs]

If a good player juices he becomes an elite player. If a crappy player juices he can become a horrible major leaguer for a year or two. The playing field would only be leveled in the rare instances an elite juicing pitcher faces an elite juicing hitter.

[novakjr]

Been juicing since the 19th century...
http://www.history.com/news/baseball...ntain-of-youth