Aaron gets wish: Steroid users kept out of Hall of Fame
Mark McGwire's admission didn't garner votes.
Rafael Palmeiro's emphatic denial didn't fly.
Last year I spoke to noted non-steroid user Henry Aaron about baseball players whose muscles and career statistics were obviously chemically enhanced, and his response was the verbal equivalent of taking a rip at a fastball.
Quoting: “My feeling has always been the same – the game of baseball has no place for cheaters. There’s no place in the Hall of Fame for people who cheat.” (For the rest of that column, click here.)
Well, Aaron is getting his wish. So is everybody who wants the baseball Hall of Fame free of cheaters.
Lower profile than the news that Bert Blyleven and Roberto Alomar were elected to the Hall of Fame was the word that Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Jeff Bagwell and Juan Gonzalez weren’t. They’re the first four players from the steroid era — and suspected steroid users — who’ve been on the HOF ballot.
The contempt most voters have for suspected cheaters is obvious. McGwire finally admitted steroid use last year, just as he was re-entering public life and being hired by the St. Louis Cardinals as their batting coach. But, almost amusingly, he received only 19.8 percent of the vote this year, which was down from 23.7 percent a year ago.
Bagwell received the highest percentage of votes among players from the steroid era at 41.7 percent, followed by Palmeiro (11 percent), Gonzalez (5.5). Enshrinement requires 75 percent.
It was McGwire who famously went mute at the Congressional hearings on steroid use, saying he didn’t want to discuss the past. Palmeiro told the committee he had never used drugs, and punctuated his remarks by pointing his finger. But he was identified by former Texas teammate Jose Canseco in the book, “Juiced,” as a steroid user in 2005, was subsequently suspended by Major League Baseball for 10 days for a positive test and in 2007 was named in the Mitchell report as a steroid user.
Palmeiro now claims a vitamin B-12 injection he received was tainted.
Whatever.
At one time, I believed players with perceived Hall of Fame numbers would get into the Hall of Fame anyway. Now, I don’t think so. That includes Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa. At the very least, players would have to publicly admit past transgressions and apologize to have even a chance of buying public support and swinging voters.
My view had been that if I thought a player would’ve had Hall of Fame credentials without performance-enhancing drugs, I was going to vote him in. But Aaron changed my mind. I figure his opinion carries more weight than mine.
– By Jeff Schultz
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Remembering Palmeiro’s testimony (with subtitles)
And here’s McGwire before his eventual admission
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Previous posts
– Richt’s plan for change is good, but why did it take so long?
– Playoff rankings and why Falcons can get to Super Bowl
– Fortunes of Georgia, Richt can turn on recruiting Crowell
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132 comments Add your comment
Dontavius Supremo
January 6th, 2011
12:01 pm
Hank is right, he has always BEEN right, and no matter what argument is presented, he will continue to BE right, now and into the future. There is no place in sport for chemically enhanced athletes.
LawDawg
January 6th, 2011
12:11 pm
Who cares if guys took steroids or not? I know why Aaron cares, but why does anyone else? The best players of their era deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Period. Clemens and Bonds are two of the 10 or 20 best in the history of the game and it is asinine to keep them out because they did what almost everyone else did.
Also, Palmeiro, McGriff, and Edgar Martinez were merely very good, never great and only greatness should get you in the Hall. Bagwell is probably borderline in my opinion.
LawDawg
January 6th, 2011
12:13 pm
How many hall of famers used the spit ball or corked bats, which are at least as illegal as steroids, et al, were during the 90s. Everyone knew what was going on and no one cared before all the high-horse moralizing began.
urban redneck
January 6th, 2011
1:10 pm
i can’t believe mcguire got more votes than the crime dog. what a shame!!
ms.shirley
January 6th, 2011
1:19 pm
It fascinates me that we continue to dwell on this crap. Fans, writers, players who complain about steroid use or whatever, only seem to care/complain about the successful steroid users. There’s a crap ton of athletes in all sports that use and only put up average or below average numbers. There are more athletes who use and aren’t successful then athletes that use and are successful. BUT, we don’t care about unsuccessful athletes because they are not winning championships or affecting the mystical yesterday of sports, etc. or some long dead hall of fame player’s statistics. I don’t condone steroid in any form. But, let’s be objective and use common sense. It SHOULD be dealt with as a life threatening, poor health choice that will leave you permanently damaged. Fans, writers, sports in general – STOP being hypocrites about steroid use. (Schultz – the home called and Furman needs his diaper changed)
Mark Fox succeeding in changing basketball culture at Georgia | Jeff Schultz
January 6th, 2011
1:48 pm
[...] – Aaron gets wish: Steroid users kept out of Hall of Fame [...]
Eric
January 6th, 2011
1:48 pm
I think every player from this era should be tainted by the same brush. I would suspect that there are actually very few players with HOF numbers from this era that didn’t ‘roid up. There was basically no regulation of hormone doping in MLB for 20 years then all of a sudden Brady Anderson is hitting 50 HR’s. I say no players from 1985-2005 should ever get into the HOF. Sure it may be harsh, but a message needs to be sent to future ball players that cheating will NOT be tolerated….
MB
January 6th, 2011
2:13 pm
Glad Blyleven finally made it. I had always wondered why he wasn’t in the Hall. 5th most strikeouts all time deserves recognition.
MB
January 6th, 2011
2:16 pm
Ha, I remember the Anderson thing in ‘96. His previous career high was 21 HRs and then he hit 50 in ‘96, and the most he hit after that was 24. If he wasn’t juicing then I’m Chipper’s daddy.
Dan the Man
January 6th, 2011
3:08 pm
Yeah lets get rid of all the cheaters in the Hall, including Ruth, Cobb, Ford, Perry, Schmidt, Mays, and Hank Aaron himself!
Hank Aaron is quick to say no to the steriod users but accepts others that cheated, including himself.
Mitchell
January 6th, 2011
4:16 pm
If the Hall of Fame or the Baseball Writers Association wants to honor players who performed without using steroids and who were not total degenerates like Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, Palmiero, Clemens, etc. they need to get a clue and induct Fred McGriff and Dale Murphey pronto.
It’s absolutely surreal that Dale Murphy is not in the Hall of Fame. It is unbelievable really.
It just seems like he had to have been inducted sometime before I started paying attention to all this.
Surely, he got in and we all just missed it. Everything about him says Hall of Famer and yet somehow he is not and seemingly never will be.
And that is retarded.
And by the way, Roberto Alomar is a sleaze bag too. Can’t believe that guy is in the Hall of Fame.
1911A1
January 6th, 2011
5:04 pm
“The game has no place for cheaters.” If only everyone lived up to Hank’s simple yet profound pronouncement.
One of the funniest fan signs I ever saw on TV was when Bonds was (illegitimately) zeroing in on Aaron’s record. The fan’s sign simply read, “Ruth did it on beer & hot dogs.”
Ronaldh
January 6th, 2011
7:32 pm
I agree with those who say that Fred McGriff should be in the Hall of Fame. His numbers are better than those of some first basemen who are in. He was one of the most feared hitters in the game. He did it the right way. There is no blemish on his character. Think about it, 497 homeruns. Before the steroid era, had he hit three more he would be in. He did it during the steroid era with absolutely no suggestion that he juiced. It will be a travesty if he never gets in the Hall. He didn’t juice, he was never accused of fixing a World Series (Jackson). He did not gamble on baseball while involved in the game (Rose). I say he belongs in the Hall. I believe the press in Atlanta needs to find a way to persuade the voters of this. Fred McGriff was a quiet man. That fact makes it easy for some to forget him. Let’s get his name back before the public before it’s too late.
Sam
January 6th, 2011
9:00 pm
BABE RUTH DID NOT DO IT ON HOT DOGS AND BEER! You people need to wake up, those good ole’ boys were cheaters also. Babe Ruth admitted to injected goat testosterone, and also used corked bats from time to time.
Hank Aaron was a cheater also, taking amphetamines, which helped him in concentration.
Roger Conner still owns the home run record, it the the LEGIT record.
Dale and Cale and a bottle of Ale
January 6th, 2011
9:05 pm
The pitchers of the steriod era that are worthy of the Hall of Fame, based on Hall of Fame standards and criteria are: Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine, Curt Schilling, John Smoltz, Mike Mussina, Kevin Brown, and David Cone.
Mike A
January 6th, 2011
11:05 pm
Seems a bit hypocritical of Hank, considering he admitted trying amphetamines (though he says only once) in his book after his career began to falter. And ‘greenies’ are performance-enhancers, of that there is little medical question. Sports figures are always looking to get an edge, and will use what is available to them. The players of Hank’s era would have used steroids as well, and in substantial numbers. They were not saints who cared about the sanctity of the game.
mike turner
January 7th, 2011
2:45 am
Hank took greenies= hypocrite….and pansy critic writers shouldn’t vote on the hall.
mike turner
January 7th, 2011
2:47 am
And I hit holes like a woman…. oh so delicate.
Tom
January 7th, 2011
5:23 am
Admitted amphetamine abusers like Aaron should resign from the Hall immediately. He’s a disgusting hypocrite.
MLORD
January 7th, 2011
5:45 am
Bagwell never failed a drug test.. He shouldn’t be grouped with the others.
Why don’t you read this article and educate yourself on Bagwell the player.. Maybe you can learn something.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ycn-7541842
He deserves to be in the hall based on his on field accomplishments.
JW
January 7th, 2011
6:12 am
If cheaters don’t get into the HOF, how was Gaylord Perry allowed in?
Kevin
January 7th, 2011
6:58 am
Yes sandy alomar made HOF for spittin at Umpires works well too..bert bley. is also good but i so dam glad Dale Murpy not make hall of fame also he should not ever…he no hit 400 hrs and more GS then Man Ram so the One i wish been givin HOF was Cubs late and accouncer of Cubs Ron Santo why was he snub they put thurman Munson in right away n he died by stupid flyin plane in Ground..Santo fought diabeties and cancer so long n was brave keep on doin cubs game>>>>HOF why hell Ron Santo not make it too He deserve it by His true grit in life!
Kevin
January 7th, 2011
7:03 am
To sam and others what Hank aaron took was not way to increase his battin skills n homers…if that was case last year in Milwaukee why he not get 50Hr what u saps sayin he did. Babe Ruth never took drugs cause people knew him well only thing that finally made him retire age his size and cancer…Leave Babe Ruth and hank aaron alone they are americas Icons in Baseball forever!
bravesfan1000
January 7th, 2011
8:34 am
There your favorites so they can do no wrong.
Keep the homer glasses on.
Wil
January 7th, 2011
8:54 pm
Yeah uh, Jeff Bagwell does not deserve to be associated with known steroid users. Bagwell has never been linked to steroids and is generally accepted as being a clean player.
Dale and Cale and a bottle of Ale
January 7th, 2011
10:48 pm
Don’t forget though
HOF voters are morons
TLJ
January 9th, 2011
11:25 am
Maybe the HOF should establish a separate wing for the steroid user’s that qualify for the HOF and call it the Hall of Shame. They still get in the museum just not the way they wanted. It would also make others take notice, do you want to be eligible for the HOF or the HOS.
Gary
January 9th, 2011
5:08 pm
I, wholeheartedly, agree with Hank Aaron, in this.
NOBODY, who cheats, should be allowed into the accolades of any sport.
That means, professional, college, high school, even Little Leagues.
Professional atheletes are looked up to, by children, who fantasize about, someday joining the ranks of professional atheletes.
If those atheletes are ccheaters, what kind of example are they setting for our youth?
It reminds me of when Wesley Owens, in the old Mr. Belvedere televison program, saw someone greasing a baseball, while watching a late-night replay of a game on television.
He, then, did the same and ended up being thrown out of the game AND punished at home, when his dad found out.
Gary
January 9th, 2011
5:10 pm
Another thing, I don’t feel that a ‘roid-induced record should be allowed to stay in the record books.
In my opinion, Aaron is still the homerun king and Roger Maris’ record of sixty, in a season, still stands, because both Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire achieved those records artificially!!
Skeezix
January 10th, 2011
8:32 pm
Keep all those cheatin roiders out of the HOF!!!!!!!
HOF Voter
January 10th, 2011
8:33 pm
I object! I am no moron, I am an imbecile.
VirginiaDawg
January 11th, 2011
7:51 pm
Does this mean that Alexander Rodriguez will not be admitted to the HOF?