Sunday, 23 Jan 2022. 08:00
SPECIAL COLLABORATION
It’s this Tuesday that we’ll find out if players like David Ortiz, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
For now, only Ortiz gets the passing grade when we know the result of about 50% of the votes. I remind you that a player must obtain 75% of the votes to enter the select club.
Bonds and Clemens are in their 10th and final year of eligibility, so if they can’t get at least 75% of the votes, it’s game over for them. They will have to hope that the veterans’ committee will eventually make room for them. In the case of “Big Papi”, the situation is quite different when he is in his first year of eligibility.
Inevitably, when Bonds’ name or even Clemens’ name is mentioned, there is always this dark cloud over their heads, namely, did they use any performance-enhancing substances? I took the trouble to reread this saga in which baseball found itself and it is to lose its Latin. There are so many gray areas, and especially a complete lack of direction on the part of baseball that I draw a conclusion that I know will not be unanimous, but it is mine and it is worth what she wants.
In my view, the eight-year period between 1998 and 2005 baseball lost control and lacked “leadership” in its battle against performance drugs.
Ironically Bud Selig finds himself in the Hall of Fame today, but it is certainly not for his role or his inaction on the issue of performance drugs that has yet placed baseball and its players in this quagmire. Athletes have been trying to create an edge for a long time, but today science allows us to control at least some of it.
It was during the famous home run record race between Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire in 1998 that a bottle of androstenedione was discovered in McGwire’s locker. That’s when it all started. McGwire admits to using it, since there is no rule in major league baseball that prohibits the use of this kind of product anyway.
For the next eight years, embarrassingly, baseball was unable to implement a tough system that would likely lessen the impact of what followed. In 2004, baseball adopts a more important punitive system so that any player, from 2005 onwards, who gets caught, well, there is no longer any excuse.
For all the players who took performance drugs before 2004, it’s not very glorifying I admit, but in the context where everything was out of control, knowing who takes them, who doesn’t, it becomes impossible to know everything. So, personally, I separate the periods. All players who had Hall of Fame-worthy careers before 2005, you have my vote. All the players who have had success after that date and against whom there is evidence of the use of performance drugs, well sorry, but that’s not happening anymore.
I would open the door to Bonds and Clemens
In other words, Bonds and Clemens would have my vote. Bonds is probably the best player of the past 50 years and almost the same could be said of Clemens as a pitcher. Even Hall of Famer Greg Maddux himself made similar comments about Bonds and Clemens. Still, I don’t think they’ll get the 75% needed in their final year of eligibility. In my opinion, only Ortiz will be on the big stage this year.
Which also leaves the impression that it may be time for the voting system to change. The Hall of Fame is independent of Major League Baseball. They are the journalists of the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Association of America) which has around 400 members. They are the ones who have the burden of deciding the fate of the players suspected during these famous 8 years which I mentioned. Why not include players in the system, and even managers. Give a certain number of votes to members of the BBWAA, but add players who have the same seniority as a journalist and must have 10 consecutive years covering baseball daily to be eligible. I sincerely believe that an update would be necessary.
So on Tuesday, chances are only one player will see his name on a plaque in Cooperstown and that will be Ortiz. No player was elected by this process in 2021 and this for the first time since 2013. Fortunately there are committees of veterans and the Temple will welcome Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Minnie Minoso and Tony Oliva for their immense contribution in baseball between the years 1950 to 1969 while the same honor will be awarded to Bud Fowler and Buck O’Neil for their contribution before the 1950s.
For those who have Pete Rose in mind, in his case, there were regulations in place posted in every baseball locker room. In other words, there was no gray area. However, would he be entitled to another chance?
Baseball will have to live with its age of performance drugs. He cannot hide it. This era affected how many players, how inflated the statistics were, what influence on the outcome of a game, a season, a playoff appearance? No one is able to answer them and no one is able to identify precisely who and when.
Before 2005, let’s accept that it was all wrong and give an honorable mention to all those who gave us a great show and thousands of people crowded into stadiums to watch them hit homers or retire batters with rapids explosive. Since 2005, there are no more excuses. It’s not nice to value an athlete who has built an advantage, I agree, but with what we know or not, let’s draw that line once and for all and move on. .
Let’s appreciate the new generation of which Fernando Tatis Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Ronald Acüna Jr., Shohei Ohtani and so on belong to give us a clean show, and that they can play the most important role of their careers , that of a role model!
Good luck to “Big Papi” for Tuesday. Him, he thrills supporters… of the Red Sox!
