January 10, 2007 

WRITERS FINALLY GOT ONE RIGHT OMITTING MCGWIRE FROM HALL

      I have been highly critical of the Baseball Writers of America these past few years, not so much for those they selected for the Hall of Fame but more for those they continue to omit.   There is little doubt that the pettiness of human nature comes out for these individuals when they have an opportunity for revenge, and baseball writers often have their own agendas when it comes to voting for Cooperstown.  For those ballplayers who made life difficult for the writers during their careers it is the chance to even the score and make those players wait, and suffer.  But the blatant omission of Mark McGwire from many writers’ ballots sent a shuddering message to all players in upcoming elections—if you didn’t say no to steroids when you played, then we will say no to you and the Hall of Fame.

       There were two slam-dunks on this year’s ballot—Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr.  Five years ago, when these two members of the 3000 hit club retired, it was understood that they would be elected in their first appearance on the ballot.  It was also thought that McGwire, having retired at the same time, would also be voted in during his first year of eligibility.  After all he, along with Sammy Sosa, was recognized at having re-energized the game of baseball in 1998, four years after the ill-advised strike that cost baseball fans the World Series.  McGwire had broken a long-standing record for home runs that year, and with 583 to his credit, seventh on the all-time list, he seemed a sure bet for Cooperstown.  But in the years following his retirement McGwire’s accomplishments came under tremendous scrutiny and his stature was seriously eroded under allegations that steroids were the catalyst for his success.  His anxiety-ridden appearance before Congress, when he looked and sounded like a little boy afraid to admit that he had stolen money from his father’s wallet, merely cemented the public’s view.  He was guilty.  He needed to suffer.

       McGwire may yet be voted into the Hall, but before that day arrives he is going to have to publicly acknowledge his mistakes and take responsibility for his actions.  Western Society has a knack for forgiveness—we will forgive sinners their sins providing they admit their errors and sincerely sound as if they have learned their lesson.  Plus the sinner must have suffered for forgiveness to be truly given.  McGwire has certainly felt the heat—he has disappeared from public view and has locked himself away in solitude.  There is hope that one day he will re-appear, willing to clean his soul of his errors, build a new path for himself, and paint his past glory with a non-tainted brush.  If that occurred then Cooperstown would soon welcome him.

       If McGwire thinks that his bulging statistics will one day overcome his ignominious history he only needs to look way down the list of this year’s Hall nominees.  The 30^th all-time home run leader, with an MVP trophy on his mantle and the accreditation of being the first baseball player to ever accomplish a 40-40 campaign (home runs and stolen bases) was given a mere six votes in his initial appearance on the ballot.  Jose Canseco has enough weight in his stats to be an annual candidate, even if he doesn’t have enough weight to actually be elected.  However, the six votes were significant in that he didn’t meet the minimum requirement to continue on the ballot.  Canseco is done.  Rafael Palmeiro will likely meet the same fate when he comes up for election in four years, and it is doubtful whether Sammy Sosa will have any more success than McGwire when he comes up for election as well.  There is little doubt that the voters will not give any player with a reputation for steroid use an easy pass.  They will be made to suffer.  And rightly so.

       It is unfortunate, however, that the voters continue to use their aura of self-importance to deny worthwhile candidates their rightful admission to glory.  Andre Dawson accomplished everything a player should during a supposed hall of fame career.  He has the career statistics, he has an MVP award, he was a dominant player for a number of years, and he has the support of every player who played with him.  If Billy Williams is in the Hall then so too should the Hawk.  He deserves admission.

       So too do Goose Gossage and Bert Blyleven.  If Bruce Sutter is in, then Gossage with better stats in many areas, should be in as well.  For years Gossage was the dominant closer in baseball and a frightening presence on the mound.   He had four seasons with more than 100 innings pitched as a reliever, had more than 300 career saves and had nearly a strikeout per inning pitched.  Blyleven is punished annually for never having been the best pitcher in the game at any time during his career.  However, Blyleven spent many years playing for second-rate teams and still managed to compile 287 wins.  With the voters obvious love for statistics, and with every available 300 win pitcher in the Hall does it mean if Blyleven pitched one more season and won 13 games that that would make the difference between being a Hallof Famer and not being one?  In these instances the voters don’t seem to have a concept on what is truly a Hall of Fame player.

       Dawson, Gossage and Blyleven should be recognized for their accomplishments—certainly long before McGwire is feted for his.  That would be the right thing to do.   Too bad the writers rarely do the right thing.

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