A Broken System
By: Carlo Rivieccio
The Baseball Writers have spoken. For the first time since 1996, they have not elected anyone to the Hall of Fame. In a vacuum I am not against this. I do not believe that there necessarily be an induction class every year. The Football Hall of Fame has rules saying that at least four players must be inducted and no more than seven. I don’t agree with that policy, if only because if 20 people have the credentials to be Hall of Famers then elect all 20, if only two do, then only enshrine two. When there are no inductees it can make eventual selection even more important. If the players do not have the resume, they do not belong in the Hall of Fame.
But this year, oh boy, was there ever talent. And controversy. And controversy over where the players got their talent.
Sammy Sosa: Got caught Cheating. And Then Got cheating in a completely different manner.
Mark McGwire: Admitting to Cheating
Roger Clemens: Here’s where it starts to get tricky. Plenty of suspicion. And it’s possible that he did something. But that’s all it is. Suspicion. It would not surprise me if Clemens became litigious.
Craig Biggio: Biggio is this years poster boy for “It’s the Hall of Fame. Not the Hall of Very Good for a Long Time.” While 3,000 hits is usually considered a lock for the Hall Biggio was never, I’d like to repeat, never, dominant.
Mike Piazza: Suspicion rears its ugly head. Never tested positive (unlike Sosa and Palmiero). Never admitted to using anything (unlike Bonds and McGwire). Not Named in the Mitchell Report (unlike Clemens). Apparently many writers “need more information” about Mike before they cast their ballot. When you are the greatest hitting catcher of all time, you deserve to be a first ballot Hall of Famer. And these writers have taken that from him. Shame on them. Shame on you, Bill Madden, holier than though, condescending dipshit.
We now live in an age where Mike Piazza is not a Hall of Famer. The Hall of Fame process is broken. It will continue to be because MLB wants no part of this. The Hall must come up with a set of guidelines for voting about these players. It is in the Hall’s best interest to let in these players that either used or were suspected of using steroids. Make it part of an ongoing “Steroid Era” documentation, which is in the Hall’s best interest since it is part of a museum.
No matter how many aging, curmodgeonly, pretending-the-past-was-better-than-now writers want to flex their pens in order to “keep the integrity of the game” it doesn’t erase the past. It doesn’t magically disown all the articles, and books, and specials and money made off of that era. Uppers were routinely devoured by most all players. Gaylord Perry happily admits doctoring the ball. Ty Cobb mercilessly beat a handless man in the crowd of one his road games. There were several generations of players that never played against black athletes.
No one talks about Babe Ruth not being worthy of his HOF credential because only white people played. No one ever says Walter Johnson really wasn’t one of the greatest ever because he never got a chance to pitch against Cool Papa Bell. Baseball’s history is rife with regrettable situations, players and eras. You can not ignore it. It happened. Removing Thomas Jefferson from the history books doesn’t change his in role history and neither will keeping out Mike Piazza change the fact that he was the dominant player at his position.
We’re looking down the barrel of a real disaster when Frank Thomas, Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson get added to the roll next year.
I can’t wait to hear Bill Madden say that he can’t vote for anyone who got a competitive advantage because he was tall.
To Conact Carlo or any AFRSports Columnist, please E-Mail: Contact@AFRSports.com
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Get With The AFR Program!
