Fame, Shame, Blame
Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. were both elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame today but everyone is talking about one man who wasn’t elected and one man who elected no one.
Mark McGwire finished ninth in the balloting, receiving 128 of a possible 545 votes. He, of course, has been under a cloud of suspension for using performance enhancing drugs.
Paul Ladewski, a columnist for The Daily Southtown in Illinois, voted for zero of the large selection of baseball players that he had to choose from. He mailed in an empty ballot.
I’ll get to McGwire in a moment. First, though, I have a bone to pick with Ladewski who says he has doubts about anyone who played during the Steroids Era. Well, Ladewski, I have doubts about your motives.
The vote, Ladewski said, is about upholding the Hall of Fame’s standards. I think what he’s doing calls into doubt the Hall of Fame’s standards of who they allow to vote. The privilege that Ladewski holds just because he’s a member of the baseball writers association exists for him and writers like him to vote for baseball players that they feel are worthy of being inducted into the Hall of Fame. It does not exist for him to make political statements or to show off his morality. All that he proves by sending in a blank ballot is that he’s a closed minded fool who has made up his mind, despite any evidence, that players of the so-called steroid era are all dirty. And I couldn’t disagree with him more.
I loathe the fact that baseball was tainted in the 90’s by players who were obviously juicing. I also loathe the argument that you can’t fault the players for using steroids because even though they were illegal in the United States they were never banned in baseball. Hogwash! Rape isn’t “banned in baseball” but you don’t see that tolerated on the field!
All that said, I do think McGwire and subsequently Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds should be voted into the Hall of Fame, though it does pain me to say it.
They didn’t put an asterisk next to Roger Maris because he played in the era of 162 games, why start sticking asterisks on those who played in the era of steroids. It’s just another era that baseball has gone through, like the “dead ball” era. In fact, I would love to know the number of home runs those hitters I mentioned above hit against pitchers who were also on steroids. Perhaps the playing field was a lot more even than we think! We just don’t know.
Baseball, much like world history, has gone through several eras that we’re not proud of. The same way there are no asterisks in the history books next to presidents who were elected during the era when women couldn’t vote, or asterisks in the baseball record books from the time when blacks couldn’t play, there should be not records abolished from the steroid era.
Related Link:
Here is Ladewski’s defense of his position
January 10th, 2007 at 3:35 am
Dr. B…You know I agree with you about Paulie The Knucklehead…
I do contest your comment that Maris does not have an asterisk. He was given the asterisk by then Commissioner Ford Frick who was a friend of Babe Ruth,
And I am having a deja vu moment here…
January 10th, 2007 at 3:47 am
That putz should have his BBWA credentials revoked. Just what we need to learn, morals from a sports journalist.
And who were the other 7 numnuts that left Ripken off their cards. How seriously stupid can you be to believe he does not deserve to be in Cooperstown? Crazy
January 10th, 2007 at 5:51 am
As one of the game’s biggest fans, it’s an odd issue. I don’t think anything from this era can be debated hotly until Pete Rose gets reinstated and the man who has the most hits in the game of baseball is in the Hall. That said, everyone of their home runs left the park and counted just the same as anyone else who ever hit one out. McGuire will have another 14 tries and as time goes on, I’m sure he’ll get in. Just think what the co-pursuit he and Sosa had did for the game. It finally got us over the strike.
I don’t know about Sosa, but I don’t know how Bonds can be kept out – and I’m a lifelong Dodger fan.
As far as Ladewski, this should be the last ballot he gets to cast. It’s not up to him to make up for Dimaggio, Gehrig or anyone else not getting in on a unanimous ballot as I saw him say (or something like that). Great, great post!!!
Thanks for allowing me to write such a long comment.
January 10th, 2007 at 7:20 am
While I know very little about the whole Hall of Fame stuff you’re last paragraph summed it all up!
Interesting read…I’m learning!
January 10th, 2007 at 11:20 am
They did put and asterisk next to Maris’ record.
January 10th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
But hasn’t that asterisk been long removed? Bond? Martini?
Jeff, you’re right. Cal was a no brainer as was Gwynn.
Michael C: I’m with you on Pete Rose too and about allowing you to write such a long comment: was there a way I could have stopped you?!?
Tisha! I’m here to learn you stuff.
January 10th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
And you sooo good at it Doc!
January 10th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
I think the asterisk is still there but I could be wrong.. but it was there for over 20 years Dr.
January 10th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
» September 4, 1991: After 30 years, the asterisk attached to Roger Maris’ 61 home runs in 1961 is removed by an 8-man Committee for Statistical Accuracy. Regarding the expunging of the asterisk, historian Bill Deane later points out, “It was an easy job: the asterisk never existed. Maris’s record was, from 1962 until 1991, listed separately from Ruth’s and was never actually defined by ’some distinctive mark.’”
http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/M/Maris_Roger.stm
January 10th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
Looks like you boys are having fun!
January 10th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
People who set themselves up to be the moral judge for others have a tendency to be the biggest sleazeballs and hyporcrites on the planet. That journalist sounds like a dweeb in my non baseball follwoing opinion =)
January 10th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
rape SHOULD be legalized on the baseball field as I think I would have a lot of fun chosing between wright, reyes, and beltran.
January 10th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
yeah, but then we’d have to watch A-Rod and Jeter go at it.
January 10th, 2007 at 7:52 pm
Ah as always… you were correct my friend…. And HEY jab at A-Rod all you want but leave jeter out of it…
January 10th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
Baseball’zzzz boring.
January 10th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Baseball is for white boys ha Woozie. May you should sell them some NeGrow.
How about some NBA?
January 10th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Did you hear the news? Dr. B. is running for President!
January 10th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
Mazal Tov Doc may I be the first to tell you how much naches you give me!
January 10th, 2007 at 10:21 pm
mmmmm. nachos.
January 11th, 2007 at 2:02 am
Hey Dr. B, love the baseball post! But I have another reason for stopping by…
I did a Google search for Funniest Posts of 2006, you know the topic of the carnival you hosted. Out of 95 million hits, you were #1!
I thought that was pretty awesome! This seems like it could be a popular keyword search. Have you noticed any hits coming from here (besides mine)?
January 11th, 2007 at 2:14 am
Very cool, Bobby.
I don’t recall seeing hits coming from that particular Google search but its still fun being #1 at something!
January 18th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
It’s a priveledge to vote. I’m priveledged to be able to vote for my government, and I would never think of NOT voting.
I don’t have the priveledge of voting for the Baseball Hall of Fame. I would love to be able to do that.
If there’s a sports writer that wants to give up his priveledge or send in an empty ballot, I’d be more than happy to fill it in for him.
I am offended that he would be so arrogant as to abuse his priveledge.
January 18th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
Kev: I’m with you on this. I want that ballot if he’s going to misuse it!