You know there's something wrong with the state of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame when the majority of us are more focused on the collection of players who have not been voted in, rather than those who were actually selected for Cooperstown.
What makes that fact even harder to believe is the announced 2015 Hall of Fame class is the largest in 60 years, with Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio all getting the phone call of a lifetime. One of the most prolific classes ever elected, which was chosen from arguably the most loaded ballot in the Hall's history, will most likely not even be what get's the most attention; the cast of names left on the outside looking in after Tuesday's vote is almost certain to be a more discussed media talking point.
As if that wasn't enough, the 2015 Hall of Fame discussion and end vote once again displayed how the Baseball Writers' Association of America voters are handling players from the steroid era incorrectly. While I have absolutely no problem with Johnson, Martinez, Smoltz and Biggio getting the nod this year, as they well deserve, this lowly writer personally cannot stand to listen to MLB Hall of Fame debate with regards to keeping some of the game's all-time greats out because there are varying levels of suspicion of performance-enhancing drug use.
Barry Bonds, MLB's all-time leader in home runs and perhaps the greatest slugger of our generation, and Roger Clemens, who has the third-most strikeouts ever and is arguably the best right-handed pitcher in the sport's history, both received less than 38 percent of the vote, barely half of the total required for Cooperstown enshrinement. So, after three years on the ballot, it looks as if the baseball writers are perfectly okay keeping a seven-time MVP (a record, by the way) and a seven-time Cy Young winner (a record, by the way) out of the Hall of Fame. Why? Because they think they might have used some sort of performance-enhancing drugs.
Before we go any further, can we take a second to remember what baseball's Hall of Fame is supposed to be? It's supposed to be a museum that showcases the greatest players in the history of Major League Baseball; a complete story of the game told through the careers and accomplishments of the most prolific individuals to dawn the uniform.
Keeping that in mind, how can you have a complete Hall of Fame without Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens? The short answer: You can't.
Looking past those two, further injustice has been done to players whose careers are covered by the steroid cloud.
In my opinion, one of the most underrated players in the history of this great sport fell off of the Hall of Fame ballot last year because he didn't receive the necessary 5 percent of votes necessary to remain on it. Only four men in the history of baseball have at least 500 career home runs and 3,000 hits. Let me repeat that: Only FOUR men in the HISTORY of baseball. Those four? Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray and.... Rafael Palmeiro.
One of the greatest hitters of the past 25 years, and one of the most underappreciated players I've ever seen play, Palmeiro would without a doubt have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer if not for his name being associated with PED use. But a majority of the writers, and of the baseball-viewing public, believe Palmeiro may have used steroids at some point in his career, and have made it so that he is no longer even on the ballot to be considered for induction. Palmeiro has vehemently denied ever intentionally using any performance-enhancing substance.
I can't stress enough how much of shame I personally think it is that Palmeiro is, not only not already in the Hall of Fame, but is now not even on the ballot, and may never find himself in Cooperstown where he rightfully belongs.
I was afraid a similar outcome would be in store in 2015 for one of my favorite childhood players, Sammy Sosa. The only player in the history of Major League baseball to hit 60 home runs in three separate seasons, and one of only eight to hit 600 career home runs came dangerously close to the dreaded 5 percent plateau. Sosa was able to salvage enough support to stay on the ballot for now, but with just 6.6 percent of voters behind him, his fate seems sealed in another year or two.
Due to the influx of deserving candidates reaching eligibility and the resistance of voters to grant those associated by any means to PEDs a place in Cooperstown, we're faced with the sad possibility of a Hall of Fame without Bonds, Clemens, Palmeiro, Sosa and other deserving players who made their mark in the steroid era of the 1990s and early 2000s.
How disappointing is it that we could very well end up with a Major League Baseball Hall of Fame that doesn't include the best players of a 20-plus year period? That's a whole generation of baseball history missing from this grand "museum" of the game.
The question is, what needs to change? What can the Hall of Fame or the BBWAA do to right the path and keep Cooperstown from being an incomplete construction? How can you satisfy both those who want to see the greatest players they've ever seen take the field in the Hall of Fame and those who want no one even possibly linked to PEDs anywhere close to it? Is it even possible to reach such a compromise.
I believe it is.
The aforementioned greats of the last 25 years deserve a place in baseball's Hall of Fame. The Hall is not complete without Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and company, no matter how much you may believe they used PEDs. Why? Because they define an era in baseball as the greatest players of a generation.
So here's what should happen: Forget about the question of steroids. Look solely at the career of the player. Do his statistics, accomplishments, accolades and overall on-field play merit a place in Cooperstown? If the answer to that question is yes, regardless of any PED suspicion you may have, then they deserve their spot in the Hall of Fame.
Baseball writers need to take a step back and remember the absolute honor and privilege they have to vote for who is enshrined in baseball's Hall of Fame. Writers shouldn't take that distinction for granted, and not feel entitled, dignified or above the players. It is not a HOF voter's job to determine whether or not a player used a performance-enhancing drug. It is not a HOF voter's job to indict a player simply because they tend to believe he might have used an illegal substance. And above all else, it is not a HOF voter's job to deprive a player deserving of enshrinement of that honor just because of your hesitance or doubt.
Baseball historians recognize the dead ball era. We recognize the live ball era. We recognize the times of segregated baseball. So why can't we set the parameters on what we officially consider the steroid era?
If the higher powers that be in baseball identify the steroid era as 1990-2005, give or take, we can induct every deserving player into the Hall of Fame from that time, and clearly identify, just like we would a player in any other era, "This player played during the steroid era." Put that statement on every player's Hall plaque who played a single game between the parameters of the steroid era. And I mean every player. From Cal Ripken Jr., and Derek Jeter to Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.
Now the Hall of Fame is telling a much more complete history of the game, and those who deserve a place in its hallowed halls have it, regardless of an individual's conjecture.
And with such an increase in deserving candidates joining the fray, we need to make sure those worthy of consideration don't fall off the ballot before the herd starts to thin. Whether it's expanding the amount of maximum players a voter can select to more than 10, or removing the 5 percent minimum needed to remain on the ballot.
As I mentioned before, I have absolutely no problem with the four players who were voted in Tuesday. My ballot would've looked like this:
No. 1 - Barry Bonds
No. 2 - Roger Clemens
No. 3 - Randy Johnson
No. 4 - Pedro Martinez
No. 5 - John Smoltz
No. 6 - Sammy Sosa
No. 7 - Craig Biggio
No. 8 - Mike Piazza
No. 9 - Mike Mussina
No. 10 - Jeff Bagwell
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No. 11 - Curt Schilling
No. 12 - Tim Raines
No. 13 - Jeff Kent
No. 14 - Gary Sheffield
These 14 players are those on the ballot I consider to be Hall of Famers, the line being drawn at the top 10 I would include with the voting limit. Just a note: Rafael Palmeiro would be No. 5 on this list if he had not dropped off the ballot the year prior.
It's time the MLB Hall of Fame and the BBWAA take steps towards ensuring a complete Cooperstown and basing their votes on players' performance.
A well-deserved congratulations to the four selectees, and a much-needed reminder to the baseball writers lucky enough to possess a HOF vote: Recognize the amazing privilege and honor you have been given, and don't take it for granted. I can't emphasize enough how much I would love to someday in my future career be bestowed the honor of having a Major League Baseball Hall of Fame vote.
That being said, I can't imagine a baseball Hall of Fame without the best players of the past two decades in it. I don't want to take my future son to this museum and have him say, "Hey dad, show me the player who hit more home runs than anybody!" and have to tell him, "... He's not in here, son."
"Dad, show me who your favorite player was when you were a kid!"
"... He isn't in here either."
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