Barry Bonds, Roger Clemmens, and -- local hero to some -- Sammy Sosa, had their last chance to get voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on the regular ballot. They didn't make it. The steroid era is still despised. David Ortiz, the Red Sox's Big Poppy, was the only player who got in.
That set off an email exchange with my great friend Gerry. He says the players from the steroid era cheated the game and don't deserve a place in the Hall. He referred to various sports sources who agree.
I hesitated, thought it over, listened to my favorite sports commentators, and decided: "Let them in." My first thoughts were that drugs have been used so many times to create our corrupt society so why get all morally correct about this?
Who is in the Hall is only a reflection of the times in which they were up for a vote. Many members never faced competition from black players whose stats were many times stronger.
Finally, we are living in times where "unfair competition" infects every aspect of our lives.
It's so much fun to have these debates. But it's no fun that baseball owners locked out the players. Nothing has been resolved. Spring training is supposed to start in weeks.
I want to talk about my White Sox!
