Should they, or shouldn’t they? That is the question regarding known steroid users and the MLB Hall of Fame. The general consensus seems to be that cheaters should not be allowed. To this point, there are no known performance-enhancing drug users in the Hall of Fame. Guys like Mark McGwire have the numbers to justify a place, but McGwire has never received more than 25 percent of the votes in the balloting since he became eligible in 2007. In 2012, he received just over 19 percent.
Considering his job is to represent the guys who are taking the swings, it should come as no surprise that MLB Players Association director Michael Weiner believes PED users should be allowed into the Hall.
“If you want to have some notation on their plaque that indicates that they were either judged to have used performance enhancing drugs, or having done that, so be it,” Weiner said when asked if McGwire and other admitted users deserved a spot.
Weiner also said that “there are people in the Hall of Fame and there will be people in the Hall of Fame who have been judged by several arbitrators to have engaged in a massive conspiracy called collusion to defraud the fans of competition” who deserve to be there as well. He was referring to some executives who have a place in the Hall.
George Brett, meet your worst enemy. As we told you a few weeks ago, Brett believes current Hall of Famers would boycott Cooperstown if an admitted steroid user was voted in. Since there is an entire era of baseball that was ridden with PEDs, the asterisk argument has some merit. However, most people believe the Hall of Fame is a place where legends are preserved. Plaques that are accompanied by a disclaimer would look a little out of place.
H/T Eye on Baseball
Photo credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE
