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Cody Rutscher English 2 Mrs. Prater 7 May 2012

Steroid Use and National Baseball Hall of Fame Eligibility Anyone who follows Major League Baseball is most likely familiar with the National Baseball Hall of Fame. It is a revered part of baseball, and probably every major league baseball player aspires to enter the Hall following his retirement. Only the best players of each era are voted into the Hall of Fame, and each Hall of Famer earned his way into the Hall by compiling career statistics that bested his counterparts. Lately, there has been a significant debate concerning those players who have generated statistics that would make them Hall of Fame eligible but who have also used performance-enhancing drugs. Many believe that using performance-enhancing drugs is cheating and thus any player who was convicted of using such drugs should be ineligible for the Hall of Fame. I believe that pro baseball players convicted of using steroids should still be fairly considered for induction into the Hall of Fame. Further, the three contentions that support this claim are as follows: some of the players currently in the Hall cheated and were still inducted, the Steroid Era is just another era in baseball and should be accepted for what it is, and some claim that the use of steroids is what saved baseball after fans became disheartened after the baseball strike of 1994. One of the main arguments against considering steroid users for entrance into the Hall of Fame is that the use of such drugs is simply cheating. While this might be true, there are significant players already in the Hall who cheated as well. For example, Ty Cobb, who played

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for the Detroit Tigers in the early 20th Century, sharpened his spikes to hurt opposing players and was still inducted despite this belligerent act of cheating. Furthermore, Gaylord Perry, a Hall of Fame pitcher, cheated by putting such things as tobacco juice and Vaseline on the baseball to "scuff" it and give himself an advantage over the hitters. (Schlesinger) Then there is Hall of Famer, John McGraw, a legendary third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles who was notorious for tripping, blocking, and obstructing base runners. (Fagan) Whether it was sharpening cleats, using a scuffed ball, interfering with base runners or even using a corked bat or stealing the other team's signs, numerous great ballplayers cheated their way into the Hall of Fame. As such, users of steroids during the Steroid Era should at least be given fair consideration regarding their worthiness to enter the Hall of Fame. Also, some say that those who used steroids corrupted the record books. This statement is not truly valid because the record books are filled with ballplayers from an assortment of different eras, and each era had its own advantages and disadvantages presented to players. For instance, the Dead Ball Era at the turn of the century was a time when the baseball was heavier, and players hit significantly fewer homeruns. Another era was the Pitchers Era in the 1960's when the mound was several inches higher than it had been historically or is now. This taller pitching mound gave pitchers, such as Hall of Famers Bob Gibson and Sandy Koufax, a somewhat unfair advantage. In addition, there was even a time in baseball when walks were counted as hits which definitely impacted the record books in favor of hitters. The game has changed over the past century, and the Steroid Era should be treated as a unique time just as any other era that has existed in the past has been treated. (Schlesinger) While it is argued that players who took steroids had an unfair advantage, one should also keep in mind that these players and their physical advantages were the ones providing

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entertainment and filling up the stadiums after the baseball strike of 1994. For example, steroid users Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa were in a closely fought race for the single season homerun record of 61 in 1998. After a significant decline in baseball attendance in the mid 1990's, this race between McGuire and Sosa brought fans back out to the ballpark as baseball became the national pastime again. (Cybertruth) Additionally, the all-time Major League Baseball home run hitter, Barry Bonds, brought many fans to ballparks across the country from 1993 to 2007. As such, the players during this era who used performance-enhancing drugs should be eligible for consideration for the Hall of Fame just because of the meaningful and positive impact they had on the game at a critical time. Indeed, the eligibility for entrance into the Hall of Fame for users of performanceenhancing drugs is a very controversial issue. While it is hard to argue that users of such drugs are role models for good character, it is fair and logical to defend these players' rights to be considered for the Hall of Fame when one keeps in mind that some of the players currently in the Hall cheated, the Steroid Era is just another era in baseball, and the use of steroids may have been what saved baseball after fans became disheartened after the baseball strike of 1994.