Mark McGwire, Steroids, the Hall of Fame, and the Baseball Establishment

I love baseball. I love going to games with friends, with my kids, and when I traveled I went to games by myself.

Last night I listened to some young sportcaster who wasn't born when Nolan Ryan threw his first no-hitter. He said there was always cheating in the game, elevating the illegal spit ball or stealing signs to the use of steroids.

Sorry, doctoring the ball is part of the game just as is the sign stealing. Steroid use is a sacrilege. In 1953 pitch-by-pitch I saw my White Sox fill the bases and then light hitting catcher Sherm Lollar hit a grand slam home run to beat the Boston Red Sox. That was my first game. I think of Dad and I think of that game. I remember that game and I think of Dad.

There were summer days hanging out by the Piccadilly Hotel or the Del Prado Hotel, asking Nellie Fox and Billy Pierce to sign my autograph book, or chasing Yogi Berra and Gil McDougal, and taunting Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford.

There was the infamous Cub playoff game where one foul ball unraveled an entire team. That game was not about a zealous fan, one of millions over a century who leaned over the railing some in foul territory, some in fair territory, who gave batters another chance or maybe even a home run. That foul ball was about the culture of the sport. It is part of the game.

The culture and the love of the game is enhanced by fans for generations who saw Ty Cobb, Mickey, Hornsby, Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax, Ryan, Ernie Banks and argued their merits and compared their statistics.

Then came the steroids.

An entire generation of players soiled, the sport ruined. It is now impossible to tell just how good Mark McGwire was. And it is impossible to tell how good was the generation who played with him - both the users and the nonusers. Some where out there is a hitter who averaged twenty how runs over seven or eight  years who may well have been the best hitter of his generation.

There is no forgiving Mark McGwire. All of the apologies in the world does not undo the damage.

There is no forgiving the owners, the commissioners, and the baseball executives whose conspiracy of silence destroyed the game.

If the fans could see what was happening from the deep right field bleachers, it was not unreasonable to expect the insiders to see in the locker room.

Spit ball pitchers and sign stealers belong in the Hall of Fame; steroid users do not. If you cannot see the difference, you do not understand the game.

Comments

[R.J.]

Jose Canseco will be on Larry King LIVE tonight at 8pm.

[yogesh chawla]

Get off my lawn!

[Ty O'Mara]

You are so right to put heavy blame on the owners et al. I can see the enormous temptation on the part of players--especially the marginal ones. One of my first games, my father, took us to Commiskey Park to see Ted Williams who was making his last appearance. Dad considered it a cultural event that should not be missed. I remember more things about that day than I remember about yesterday. On the drive in, we always stopped for the Good Humor Man.

Beautiful post, every word true and correct.

[Jon]

Bud Selig will go down in history as the worst commissioner of MLB, ever.

[buckyblue]

I hate all of the excuses that they were doing it just to get back from an injury, which was McGwire's. I'm with you on this one; McGwire, Sosa, Bonds, the lot of them, keep them out of the Hall. I've been a Cardinals fan my entire life until recently when the Brewers have gotten good, but I still don't want to see McGwire get in. Hammerin' Hank is still the home run king. Marris still has the single season record.

[Skokie Cousin]

OK, Paul, I agree with you on Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, (keep them out of the hall) But what do you think of Pete Rose? I say let him be eligible for the Hall, and let the writers judge him, (personally I think he belongs in.) but keep him out of baseball the rest of his life.

[Ty O'Mara]

I would have to say that gambling on games (you are managing)is far more serious than taking performance enhancing drugs. I also think that Pete Rose was a bit of a hotdog, who played it up for the fans. I'm sure his stats are more than enough to be in the Hall of Fame, but he didn't hit for much power, wasn't a speed demon, wasn't a great fielder, and wasn't in the same league with Banks and Minoso as far as class is concerned.

Joe Jackson is more famous than most Hall of Famers because of his banishment. If Rose ever got in--he would soon fade from memory. Wait a minute, maybe they should put him in. Reinstate Buck Weaver, posthumously, first.