2008 Woodie Awards
Innocent until proven guilty? Not in MLB
Pat Pickens
Issue date: 1/25/07 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 1
Baseball has had a problem with cheating in the game. But this era is no different.
Mark McGwire, who has been linked to steroids since Jose Canseco's book, Juiced, has been an interesting case for the Hall of Fame.
Since McGwire only got 23.5% of the writers to vote, he is on the outside looking in. This lack of support for the super slugger creates a dangerous precedent for future candidates.
McGwire hit 583 homeruns, set the single season homerun record in 1998 when he hit 70. However, since his remarks on Capitol Hill, 'not wanting to talk about the past,' he has had a bull's eye on his back in regards to the Hall.
With Rafael Palmeiro, who was actually suspended for steroids in 2005, and the infamous Barry Bonds, who has hard evidence connected with him in the BALCO scandal, there is a very real opportunity that several players with gaudy numbers will not enter the hall.
Meanwhile, players like Jim Rice will get in the Hall of Fame, and the cheaters will be left out.
Ty Cobb was notorious for spiking players and Gaylord Perry admitted to doctoring the baseball with illegal substances on the mound.
If writers want to play "holier than thou" and not vote players in the Hall of Fame, they need to play by the same rules for everyone.
And if these same writers are going to not vote players in for conjecture or rumors without any hard facts, then we as journalists are doing our job wrongly.
I'm the first to admit that if there are cheaters in the game, to get them out. I hate Pete Rose, and do not believe that he belongs in the Hall.
But if there isn't enough evidence to convict someone being tried, then as Americans we cannot convict them. That's why there is innocent until proven guilty and not the other way around.
And if we do, then we are altering and changing everything that we fought so hard for over the years.
And we wouldn't want to let our troops down that easily.
Mark McGwire, who has been linked to steroids since Jose Canseco's book, Juiced, has been an interesting case for the Hall of Fame.
Since McGwire only got 23.5% of the writers to vote, he is on the outside looking in. This lack of support for the super slugger creates a dangerous precedent for future candidates.
McGwire hit 583 homeruns, set the single season homerun record in 1998 when he hit 70. However, since his remarks on Capitol Hill, 'not wanting to talk about the past,' he has had a bull's eye on his back in regards to the Hall.
With Rafael Palmeiro, who was actually suspended for steroids in 2005, and the infamous Barry Bonds, who has hard evidence connected with him in the BALCO scandal, there is a very real opportunity that several players with gaudy numbers will not enter the hall.
Meanwhile, players like Jim Rice will get in the Hall of Fame, and the cheaters will be left out.
Ty Cobb was notorious for spiking players and Gaylord Perry admitted to doctoring the baseball with illegal substances on the mound.
If writers want to play "holier than thou" and not vote players in the Hall of Fame, they need to play by the same rules for everyone.
And if these same writers are going to not vote players in for conjecture or rumors without any hard facts, then we as journalists are doing our job wrongly.
I'm the first to admit that if there are cheaters in the game, to get them out. I hate Pete Rose, and do not believe that he belongs in the Hall.
But if there isn't enough evidence to convict someone being tried, then as Americans we cannot convict them. That's why there is innocent until proven guilty and not the other way around.
And if we do, then we are altering and changing everything that we fought so hard for over the years.
And we wouldn't want to let our troops down that easily.
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