The first thought I had with my sports discussions was to keep it light. So what better topic than the steroid discussion in baseball?
Now I’m not about to lecture you guys on what’s the right side to be on. Just here to offer my thoughts.
Two Lines of Thinking
- Steroid users cheated the game, keep them out of the Hall of Fame
- Everyone was doing steroids/ there are definitely steroid users already in the Hall/ guys found different advantages in different eras/ certain players are way too great to keep out of the Hall, even if they did do steroids.
The second argument sometimes also includes that the steroid era was the most entertaining era of our lifetime. I don’t find that as relevant, though.
Arguing Against Steroid Users
Here’s how I see it. The players knew that taking drugs to make them bigger and stronger was wrong. Maybe they had the thought, “but everyone is doing it,” but I have a hard time believing they were oblivious to the fact that taking drugs was at least a little sketchy. So, in my opinion, they kind of made a deal with the devil. They opted for short term gain, knowing it could lead to long term pain. I say could, because it’s the same deal with people who mess around with their taxes. Will every single person get caught and thrown into jail like Martha Stewart? I doubt it. But the risk is there.
Let’s focus on the great Barry Bonds. A Hall of Famer, through and through. He was a stud with the Pirates, and would’ve continued to be a stud with the Giants. But he got a little jealous of the fame and records coming the way for the likes of McGwire and Sosa. So he decided to join them. And guess what it got him? The All-time home run record AND the single season home run record. He was the most famous baseball player, and one of the most famous athletes in the world during those years. I would imagine he earned a whole lot of money during that time, too. So what’s the price to pay? A spot in the Hall of Fame. To me, that seems fair. He still has those records, and probably always will. But he cheated, and he did so knowingly.
To Stay Clean or Not to Stay Clean
Basically, Bonds, and the others were faced with a choice:
- Stay clean, avoid repercussions
- Take steroids, risk punishment
Steroids helped players make more money, hit more home runs, strike out more batters, etc. Of course some guys slipped through the cracks. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t punish the guys we know cheated. It was also always going to be a bigger risk for the higher level players. They earned more love and attention for the stats they were putting up, so they were going to earn more backlash once it came out that they took steroids.
The Hall of Fame argument is one where some people act like keeping a player out means we’re trying to forget they ever existed. These players are still in the record books, they kept any hardware they won, they still have a place in baseball history. But the cheating should keep them from being inducted into the Hall of Fame. That’s how I see it anyway. I’m always willing to hear the other side, though!
