do you think mark mcgwire should have made the hall of fame?

Answer 1

Tony Gwynn made an excellent point about this.

He pointed out that:

1) The owners knew there was rampant steroid use during the 80s and 90s, but they did absolutley nothing about it. (McGwire actually has never been shown to break any baseball rules).

2) When McGwire and Sosa had their home run duel in 1998, the owners didn't mind a bit that these guys were juiced, as long as they put fannies in the seats.

3) The writers (who vote for the HOF) went on and on about how McGwire and Sosa "saved baseball" and brought it back to life after the fans were supposedly slow in coming back to the game after the 1994 strike. Were these writers so stupid as to believe that these guys weren't juiced? Of course not, everyone knew they were.


So to come back now and blame McGwire for all the steriod use in baseball is certainly disingenuous on the part of the owners and writers. They knew all along what was going on, but looked the other way, as long as McGwire and Sosa could still perform on the field.

And again, McGwire has never been shown to have taken any illegal substances. Even the amdro that he took was not banned by baseball.

I'm OK if he makes the HOF, and I'm OK if he doesn't... it's just that it's ridiculous for all of these self-righteous sportswriters and owners to now look at McGwire as someone who should be shunned by baseball, especially after they looked the other way the whole time all of this was happening.

Answer 2

I think that the bigger picture should be looked at, here. I think it is a given that McGwire juiced. But, I think the question should be why he juiced. He juiced because he was paid a LOT of money to hit homeruns. Therefore, he used a LEGAL substance to help him do his job. His ability put fans in the seats, sold merchandise, helped end the apathetic attitude fans had toward baseball after the strike, and made for great highlights on ESPN. A second issue is this- sure, the substance he used caused him to bulk up, but it takes a lot more than power to hit a baseball. It takes a good eye, and great timing. Remember, even the best hitters in the major leagues only get a hit 3 out of 10 times, and the ration of homeruns to hits is even greater.
I think a bit more thought should have gone into the voting process. Give the guy a chance.

Answer 3

Why single him out, when steroid use is supposedly common among players, he is not the only one who bulked up with a little chemical help, if he really did.. I'm not sure Cooperstown should be judging people on anything but their contibution to the game of baseball. It is not like he was convicted of murder, he was only physically harming his own self
Watching Sosa and he both going for the same record was interesting, and breathed life into the game, and not just in St. Louis and Chicago, the world was watching.
There are those that say he cheated, just as surely as if he had greased up the ball. But I feel we can't deny he had to have had some skill to hit like that, we could all start steroids today, and not be proficient at hitting a baseball.
And while I'm here, I do not think betting on the game and getting caught should keep someone out of the hall of fame, again, it takes a skill to be good in baseball, and I think we should recognize that, and not judge the personal side of the players.

Answer 4

I'm confused about all the arguements about whether or not steroid "users" should be in the hall of fame or not. Cooperstown was created as a museum for baseball. The definition of a museum is an institution that celebrates events (good or bad) in whatever topic the museum is fashioned for. To have a museum not include people because of something they might have done wrong, is to pretend like the event never happened. It would be like the Museum of Modern History creating a World War 2 Exhibit and forgetting to mention anything about Hitler.
He should be in the HoF one way or another because its a part of the game and its history.

Answer 5

Mark has had every opportunity to come clean regarding this and has chosen to take the coward's route.

He is probably the biggest steroid user of all and his ashamed to admit it.

For this there's no way in the world I can give him the support I once did. He has no honor and does not deserve to be in a place with such great men.

Answer 6

He really hurt his cause when he refused to answer-up at the congressional hearings. But at least he did not flat-out lie like Palmero.

But baseball can't hang him out to dry. The McGuire-Sosa "derby" of '98 put baseball back on the map after the '94 strike hurt it bad. They knew what was going on, and they were OK with it because attendance and ratings went through the roof.

They will put him in eventually after this issue quiets down.

Answer 7

Not sure about that as I am kind of on the fence. But with his stats probably yes. What I am sure of is that the election process should be changed as the voters now do not seem to be doing their job the right way.

Answer 8

in my opinion...no. however, if it is found out that a majority of the baseball players of present are using steroids, who WILL be able to make the hall of fame? it's kind of sad, in a way. i wish that it was a more natural sort of strength so that when kids look up to sports icons, their view isn't jaded.

Answer 9

No. Most of his stats were achieved with steroids. Would likely only have 350-400 homeruns if not for the 'roids.

Answer 10

No he's a cheater and in denial about it. When I hear people say that Andro wasn't illegal when he did it makes me sick. He knowingly put performance enhancing drugs into his body for the purpose of bettering his game."nuff said
Ask Cal Ripken if he ever did that.
He's a cheat.