Are MLB's steroid era players HOFers?

[Irishnuke]

Bonds, Clemens, McGwire, Sosa, ARod, Manny, and everyone else...do they belong in the MLB Hall of Fame? I know people have strong opinions on the matter. Personally, I don't see how the HOF can ignore an entire era of baseball, especially for those players who never officially failed a drug test. I think there is a place in the HOF for these guys. Put an asterisk next to their name or put them in a "steroid era" section or whatever, but you can't keep them out for doing what the vast majority of elite players were doing.

 

[yankeeND]

Toss up

It helped save baseball IMO, so I say no but others could argue that they shouldn't. Remember chicks dig the long ball.

 

[irishpat183]

If they weren't linked to any reports, you can't keep them out simply because they played in the steroid era....

Gotta have proof or positive test....Of course there are guys like Bonds and Clemens that you can assume used (I think they both did) and they'll deal with it

That's just my take.

 

[irishog77]

The problem is even if a guy failed a test (which, come on, MLB and the players union both helped to ensure that that was virtually an impossibility anyway), what if he only used that one, single time? Plenty of guys fail tests in the NFL regularly, and it is an afterthought. Also, what if it's a guy like Pettite? He supposedly only ever took HGH (and it was also allegedly for that one injury). In my book, there's a big difference between a person taking HGH to help heal from an injury...and a guy shootin' up some horse steroids. It's all a joke anyway. Dumbass reporters are the voters. They were leading the charge writing about how big some of the guys had gotten and how well and far they were hitting the ball...but then chose to pretend they didn't know the guys were juicing. Or there are crybaby reporters like Rick Riley who wasn't given access to Barry Bonds like he wanted, so he lead a vendetta against him. Last point-- it's baseball. So who really gives a sh!t anyway??!!

 

[ClausentoTate]

They still broke the records. If you think players of eras past didn't use whatever they had at their disposal, you'd be lying to yourself. You can argue that not having a dead ball made the HR record much less of an accomplishment.

 

[anarin]

Simple, No.

If Pete Rose can't get in for betting on baseball, then these players damn sure shouldn't get in for cheating the game.

 

[Irishbounty28]

Only the individuals with factual evidence against them should be left out of the HOF. Someone shouldn't be left out just because they are "thought" to have used steroids. I think it would be reasonable to question Ken Griffey Jr., Bagwell, Piazza, and on and on, but there is no factual evidence proving this. Therefore, vote individuals into the HOF based on factual evidence such as statistics, and if it comes out in the future that they used then recast votes.

 

[NYIrish14]

I would say no. Over the years players like Ruth, Gehrig, Mayes, Clemente, Mantle etc achieved their accomplishments without the use of steroids. Sure competition is much better than it used to be when these guys played but they did it without steroids. I just don't think its fair to induct a steroid user into the HOF when there have been other former players who just missed getting in and played the game without using PED's (Harold Baines, Don Mattingly, Ron Guidry, Tim Raines).

 

[Ben E.]

Im cool with it, stuff should be legal anyways. Grown men should be able to do what they need to do to make a living.

 

[GUknights75]

Alright, I may be incorrect but weren't steroids legal in baseball when this all started to come out? If that's the case then they deffinently should be allowed unless they tested positive more than once after the hammer started to come down. Again I may have misread my info but if it's the truth then I say yes.

 

[RyCo1983]

...Last point-- it's baseball. So who really gives a sh!t anyway??!!

I chuckled.

 

[irishog77]

Steroids weren't banned by MLB and weren't tested for. The claim was always, "well, it's illegal in society, so that should be good enough." Of course the truth is most of the stuff is available with a doctor's prescription. All kinds of people take something like HGH (I know, not an actual steroid...but considered a "performance enhancer") for all kinds of reasons.

For all the people who say don't let "proven" users in, with the recognized fact that MLB's testing was an absolute joke, isn't it entirely possible (perhaps PROBABLE) that there were steroid users out there...who never failed an MLB test???? McGwire (and many others) never failed sh!t! If I were Alex Rodriguez, I'd be pissed (and probably sue MLB because of it) that I were "outed" in a confidential test that was leaked to the media. A lot of other dudes tested positive, but were never identified.

 

[Grahambo]

They absolutely belong in. It was not banned during their playing days and they did what many others did. They also still had the talent to put it all together. If a guy like Ty Cobb is in, he who did much worse IMO, or someone like Gaylord Perry who would use vaseline and his spitball.

 

[arahop]

Baseball has always been about getting the upper hand. Cheating is baseball. I feel steroids era players absolutely belong in the HOF. The 98 home run race between Sosa and McGwire saved baseball. It's funny how Selig, owners, coaches, and media turned a blind eye. Put an asterisk or whatever you want for a whole 20 year period. Steroid Era players belong in the Hall.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

I would say no. Over the years players like Ruth, Gehrig, Mayes, Clemente, Mantle etc achieved their accomplishments without the use of steroids. Sure competition is much better than it used to be when these guys played but they did it without steroids. I just don't think its fair to induct a steroid user into the HOF when there have been other former players who just missed getting in and played the game without using PED's (Harold Baines, Don Mattingly, Ron Guidry, Tim Raines).

Ruth: alleged to have a quack doctor injecting him with sheep testosterone.

Mays: allegedly kept "red juice" in his locker which was an amphetamine drink.

Mantle: ever read Ball Four by Jim Bouton?

 

[IrishLax]

I say yes. Only difference between these guys and other guys is that they started testing.

Especially Roger Clemens... at worst he was a juiced pitcher pitching against juiced hitters... aka a level playing field of sorts at best.

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

What if you change colors, then do you get in?

 

[BobD]

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