English: Barry Bonds in action (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Earlier this week it was announced that for the first time in two decades no one will be inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame. Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and other legendary players were denied entry into the exclusive club. Sosa, Bonds and Clemens have been linked to performance enhancing drugs for a long time. With the discovery of the drug, HGH (Human Growth Hormone), it is becoming quite clear that many players cheated their way to record books.
So is it really a surprise that these same players (who have yet to be convicted) have been denied entry to the HOF. I don’t think so. I think if you took steroids at any point in your career you have in essence tainted it. You shouldn’t be allowed to be inducted into a prestigious group with the best of all time.
I think denying them is the best way to show young players that if they are even accused of using PEDs then they can say goodbye to any recognition at the end of their careers. Why risk potentially ruining your career? I also think player’s contracts nowadays should stipulate that if they are caught using these drugs then they forfeit their salary.
As for the fact no one was enshrined into Cooperstown I don’t agree with that decision. Craig Biggio and Mike Piazza should have been enshrined. I think it is unfair to penalize other players because their totals now don’t look as significant achievements. If you compare them to “clean” players then they are significant.
Another problem I have is that baseball writers choose who if anyone is enshrined. I think former players in some form should have a say.