HOF ballot coming up

[EvilKing00]

With this years HOF comming up it brinks up the BIG question. Should the Roid guys ever get in to the hof and do they deserve it.

Would love to hear thoughts on the Hall of Fame. In reguards to the 80-90 (roid players) making the hof or not. Do you think bonds and company deserve to be in the HOF?

If so..... why , if not.... why

[drc]

Cooperstown Circus Freaks Show. How's that for a compromise destination?

The funny part is I'm not joking.

[Runscott]

No, leave them out.

Why? If it were a real room with live guys sitting around enjoying themselves, you wouldn't want them to have to put up with the stink of cheaters like Bonds and McGwire. It's bad enough that the HOF is watered down, but at least it's clean water.

David's idea isn't bad - create a freak show HOF for guys whose records would have gotten them in if they weren't juiced.

But...I'd put Jackson, Chase and Rose in; otherwise you have to remove Speaker, Cobb and probably a bunch more.

[Chris Counts]

I'm still waiting for someone to convince me why Minnie Minoso shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame ...

http://minnieminoso.blogspot.com/

[EvilKing00]

A while back I sent this Open Letter to the Baseball Hall Of Fame.
(and a few others who may get the word out more, radio / media)

Got a few "unnamed responces" saying good argument and best argument they had heard. Neither responce was from the HOF but rather from media



To Whom It May Concern:


I know this will have no influence over any voting as current members and writer’s only vote, but I felt I had to express my opinion and observations not for myself but for my son who is 3 years old.

I’m 38 years old and live in New York, I grew up a big Mets fan and I got to see the Mets win the World Series when I was a kid. God I loved watching baseball and that was some team to watch. A lot of those players drank and did drugs, cocaine specifically. I also watched players cork their bats and fill their bats with batteries to give them an advantage at the plate. It was baseball and fun to watch. Players always did and always will do what they have to do to get an advantage.


I have seen Mike Scott scuff balls and of course there was the Joe Niekro incident when he was suspended for having a nail file in his pocket and scuffing the ball. Kevin Gross was caught with sandpaper, Gaylord Perry was famous for his spit ball as well.


I have heard stories from my grand father of how Mickey Mantle was a big drinker and Speed user and how Ty Cobb would sharpen his cleats so to give him an advantage sliding into second base. Many players back then did a lot of Amphetamines, this is not a secret and Amphetamines are also a PED.

Clarence Faber, Stan Covelski, and Burleigh Grimes are among the 17 pitchers who were allowed to keep throwing the spitball under a "grandfather" clause when the spitball was banned.

These players got caught, im sure this wasn’t the 1st time they cheated and im sure its wasn’t the last. I am also sure that there are others that have done the same and gotten away with it. Everyone who cheats dosnt always get caught. There was that “list” with 100 players on it who were caught doing PED’s, but how many players werent caught? 200? 300? More? We will never know.



I can continue but I know you get the jist of this. Corking bats, stuffing bats with batteries, throwing spit balls and scuffing balls is cheating. And yes so is PED’s.


I now see players drinking “Protein drinks” to get an edge. I see players on the bench drinking cans of red bull to get them selves UP for their next at bat. Is this also performance enhancing?



A player has always done and will always do whatever they can to have an advantage. This will never change. Weather its, sharpening his cleets, corking bats, popping speed, snorting cocaine, doing steroids, or HGH and whatever is the next thing that comes around that can enhance a player’s performance. And make no mistake there will be more PED down the road.


Bonds, Mcgwire, Sosa, Piazza, Griffy, Biggio, Bagwell, Clemens, Maddux, Smolts, Glavin, Arod, Shefield, Manny, etc – Some were caught some were not, Some did it some maybe didn’t, they were all great and a part of the history of the game and were some of the best players in baseball history.

I hope when my son is old enough I can take him to the Baseball Hall of fame and not only show him Ty Cobb, Mickey Mantle, but also the amazing players that played when I was a kid.

But Like I said I know this letter will have no impact, so if some of the greatest players of all time never get voted into the Hall Of Fame, when I bring my son I will also have to bring my old news paper clippings and baseball cards of players who I watched and who put up some amazing numbers. I will have to teach him on my own what players were dominant during their time. Or maybe there will be another Baseball Museum I can go to with all the great players from the 80-90's.


I want my Son to know the history of baseball, just like I was told about “The Mick” Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth and all the others. I will tell him about Bonds and Mcgwire and the rest of the 1990’s players who also put up amazing numbers. He will know how great and dominant they were and also what they did, just like I know how great Cobb and Mantle were but also what they did.

Hopefully the HOF will continue to have all the best players that have played the game to be on display. A history and showcase of the greatest players ever. …That’s the whole concept isn’t it? If not I hope there will be a place I can take my son to show him all these players in baseball history who were the elite of their time. Weather they sharpened their cleets, scuffed balls, threw spitters, corked bats, popped speed, snorting cocaine, drank Red Bull, took caffeine pills, used caffeine inhalants, did steroids, or HGH. And what ever comes next.



They are all the greatest players to ever play this game.

Isn’t the Halls Motto "Preserving History, Honoring Excellence, Connecting Generations."

PS – Banning Pete Rose from Baseball makes sense, keeping him from working for a team and out of the actual game is his sentence for betting on baseball BUT keeping him out of the HOF makes no sense at all – again the HOF is a history of the games best.

[Runscott]

Well-done, EK.

It's hard to argue with your logic, but I draw a different line: Mantle's drinking didn't create muscle to allow him to hit more home runs. 'Cheating' by scuffing balls, skipping 2nd base in the old days when there was only one umpire, etc., etc., also didn't physically change anyone's bodies. There has to be a line, or you'd have to toss all these guys....or include them all. My line is the performance-enhancing drugs.

But I get your logic, and you've defended your points very well.