The Baseball Hall of Shame

For only the second time in 40 years, the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame didn't  induct a single player.

It's a selective committee, although this year's exclusions deserve note. Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, and Sammy Sosa were all in their first year of eligibility, yet none of the three received the honor.

Performance enhancing drugs played a gigantic role in the voting. These gentlemen have all faced a great deal of scrutiny in court concerning their supposed use of PED's. They've been under fire for so long that their words are hollow. Even if they are innocent, the perception has become reality and their reputations are permanently stained.

So what were the voters thinking? The Baseball HOF voters are notorious for making questionable calls. They hold grudges, vendettas, they're stubborn, immature, and oftentimes standoffish. Then I remember none of them are former players, they're all writers. They come from an era when the nation didn't have nonstop access to sports. 40-50 years ago, they actually were the most knowledgeable observers of the game.

Times have certainly changed. Enough players have been in and out of the major leagues to form a panel that can accurately judge their contemporaries. Scrap these biased writers for folks that have played the game.

This is where my issue with the HOF begins. Baseball is all about stats, numbers, accolades, and milestones. When you are talking pitching and hitting it doesn't get any better than Clemens and Bonds (respectively). Excitement? Sosa helped to resurrect the popularity of baseball with Mark McGuire back in the 90's. If this is really a hall of FAME, these guys belong there just as much as anybody. Steroid-users or not, these men played the game at a high level and play a big role in the book of baseball history. Maybe they deserve an asterisk, but they can't be ignored.

Will we go back and subtract all of the wins, strikes, and homeruns? No, history isn't kind to revision and the results of hundreds of games won't be reversed. The entire era was littered with questionable players, if the fans can admit that, the voters should too.