A blank ballot

Hall of Fame eligibility is a subject that brings about quite a bit of arguments, no matter the sport. However, it always seems that the biggest arguments arise when we talk about membership in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Yesterday, that was again the case. For the first time since 1996, no one was inducted into the Hall by the voters. Despite a ballot that included some of the most acclaimed names in the history of the sport, not one player received the required 75% of the vote to gain election.

The only seven-time MVP in baseball history was denied entry into the Hall of Fame. The only seven-time Cy Young award winner was denied entry. One of only eight players in the history of the game to hit over 600 home runs was denied entry. The man who broke Roger Maris' single-season home run record that had stood for almost 40 years was denied entry. A member of the 3,000 hit club was denied entry. One of only four players in the history of the sport to record both 3,000 hits AND 500 home runs was denied entry. Is this blasphemy? Is it justice? Well, it depends on who you ask.

I have said this before, and I will say it again to get it out of the way. I believe that records should never be changed retroactively. If rules change, we should not apply them to the past. Major League Baseball was by far the biggest culprit in allowing a "steroid culture" to grow during the 1990's. Yes, the players that were taking the drugs did gain a competitive advantage by doing so. Yes, when we look back at their actions now, we wish we could change the past. But, we just can't do that.

When baseball was facing financial problems during the 1990's and Mark McGwire (who has since admitted to taking performance enhancing drugs) and Sammy Sosa (who was named in reports detailing players that had tested positive for PED's) were hitting home runs, fans were flocking to the gates and to their television sets to watch. Was baseball worried about drugs then? Absolutely not.

As both men chased the single season home run record in 1998, "McGwire vs Sosa" was the new age version of "Mantle vs Maris" that the baseball world had loved in 1961. When Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris were hitting home runs left and right in 1961, the entire sports world was enthralled. Coming off a season that ended due to player's strike in 1994, the new-school home run race was exactly what Major League Baseball needed. Sosa and McGwire were hitting home runs. That was all that mattered. No one (the league, the media, the fans) cared whether or not these guys were using steroids.

The same members of the baseball media that are now crucifying Sosa and McGwire for "gaining unfair advantages" were lining up to talk to these guys. For the baseball writers to act now like they were looking down on these accomplishments from some sort of higher moral ground is extremely hypocritical. That is why I find it extremely distasteful for these Hall of Fame voters to act like guys such as Sosa, McGwire, Bonds, Clemens, and any other player who, at this point, seems to have even the slightest inkling of a connection to PED's, should be banned forever from the Hall of Fame.

The "steroids era" or whatever you want to call it is something that happened. We all witnessed it with out own eyes, and as far as I can remember, I don't recall anyone standing up and saying that we were watching a bunch of illegitimate achievements. It is easy to look back on what these players' did now and see things in 20/20 hindsight. But if that were always the case, then Bill Buckner would have kept his glove on the ground and the Portland Trail Blazers would have passed on Sam Bowie and taken that kid from North Carolina instead. That isn't reality. It's not how the world works, and we have to deal with it.

I understand that each and every voter has his or her own individual criteria for what makes a player worthy of the Hall of Fame. I know that some people will never vote for anyone who has been linked with PED's. I understand that there will never be a day in which we can all agree on these things.

However, I do know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that names like Clemens, Bonds, McGwire, and Sosa kept the sport of baseball afloat for the better part of a decade. If the Hall of Fame and its voters want to pretend that didn't happen, then they can go right ahead and do that. The fact remains though, these men are as much a part of the history of baseball as guys like Ted Williams and Babe Ruth. Some may look at that as an insult to the sport, but it's not a joke. It's the truth.

If you want a joke, then just look at the 2013 Hall of Fame ballot. I don't mean the top either, I mean the bottom. Read the fine print and you'll see that Aaron Sele actually received a vote. Now I think it's funny enough that people believe the all-time home run king shouldn't be allowed in the Hall of Fame. But you know what is even funnier? Claiming that Aaron Sele should ever be even considered for election to that same museum.

Daily Nets Update: The climb back up the Eastern Conference standings continues, as a game tomorrow night against the Suns could hopefully put Brooklyn back into the top four in the conference. Hopefully that bad stretch was just something temporary, because I think the Nets can be good enough to get home-court in the first round of the playoffs.
Daily Rangers Update: Rumor has it that the Bruins will be the first opponent of the season, and the games will be starting in under two weeks. There is still no official word yet, but I think we are still actually going to get some hockey.