Every baseball fan knows that over the past ten years there has been a lot of debate about who should and should not be allowed into the Hall of Fame because of the Steroid Era. This debate has drawn a line with baseball writers, players, coaches and fans all standing on both sides of the argument.
With those that have talked with me, I’ve never been shy about speaking my mind against those who have been found guilty of using performance enhancing drugs to improve their numbers in baseball. However, recently I saw a comment that really got me thinking. Now I don’t remember who stated this, so I’m not going to be able to give credit where credit is due and I apologize for that, but the statement was that the Hall of Fame should be a place for recording baseball history.
This simple idea really got me to thinking that if we approach the Hall of Fame as a record of baseball history, then the criteria that is used to add individuals to the Hall of Fame might be clearer for those voting. As I wrote about in a previous blog about the Hall of Fame http://9inningknowitall.com/2012/06/19/the-steroid-era-and-the-hall-of-fame/ there has always been different circumstances that have benefited either the hitters or the pitchers throughout the history of the game. This alone should open our eyes to the reality that if we simply say everyone in the Steroid Era can’t make the Hall of Fame then we are going to miss out on a large part of baseball history.
With players like Barry Bonds, Mike Piazza, Curt Schilling, Craig Biggio and many others being put onto the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in 2013 who is able to say for sure that one player used while another did not. Craig Biggio is one of the best players I ever watched growing up but I can’t say he did or did not use performance enhancing drugs. I hope that he didn’t but I can’t confirm it. Should I then say he should make the Hall of Fame because I don’t think he used and say no to guys like Bonds and Piazza because people are pretty sure that they did use?
I don’t like the fact that a lot of records have been broken by individuals who needed to use a substance to allow them to play at a high level but at the same time it was/is a part of baseball and shouldn’t be forgotten. Maybe as a baseball fan I don’t look at some players with the respect and awe that I do for players in the past but that doesn’t mean they are erased from the history of baseball. The Hall of Fame is a place to learn about the history of baseball while both celebrating the good times and mourning the sad times.