Eric Byrnes: Hall of Fame player from ’70s and ’80s used steroids
Former MLB outfielder Eric Byrnes decried steroid use and lobbied for harsher penalties for drug cheaters in an essay written on his website. He also says a prominent Hall of Fame baseball player from the 1970s and ’80s used steroids.
Byrnes, who played in the bigs from 2000-2010, wrote the following on his site:
Disturbingly, not long ago I was having dinner with a former long time Major League player that spoke about the steroid use of a prominent Hall of Famer that played the majority of his career in the 70′s and 80′s… Ha! Not like I was shocked but damn… So many members of the Hall of Fame, including this character, have recently spoken out and condemned guys who have had ties to performance enhancing drugs, saying there is no place for “cheaters” in the HOF… I just wonder how many of the other guys in the “Hall” were actually cheaters themselves?
This is not the first time we have heard that there is a steroid user in the Hall of Fame; Jose Canseco has said there is a steroids user already in the Hall.
The Baseball Hall of Fame has very specific rules against cheating and considers a player’s character as part of the criteria for admission. No players were elected to the Hall this year because the most accomplished players up for eligibility all had ties to steroids. Most of the sanctity of Cooperstown would be eliminated if it turned out that they had already elected a cheater.
In addition to his revelation about the Hall of Famer who used PEDs, Byrnes explained why he wants harsher penalties for current users who get busted.
As I am now 3 years removed from playing the game and 3 years into a broadcasting career, I hold a much different view… The recent suspensions of 14 players tied to Biogenesis in a lot of ways was the final straw for me… For years, dirty players have been screwing clean players out of opportunities and potential financial prosperities… For whatever reasons the clean players simply have just kept their mouths shut and continued to be OK with getting cheated… Based on the recent comments of many current major leaguers, times are definitely changing, and I encourage more to speak out… There is no greater influence than that of your own peers!
Byrnes had two good seasons with the Oakland A’s in 2003 and 2004, and he put up all-star quality seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2006 and 2007. He says he did not do ‘roids because he did not want the side effects, not because he considered it cheating.
Byrnes also says he was shocked to learn about teammates being in the Mitchell Report, because he described players’ drug use as sort of a secret society.
So using Byrnes’ words, let’s take a look at some of the people who have recently spoken out about steroids users in the Hall. This could get interesting. Head over to page 2 of the story if you’re curious to read more.
