Do they deserve the Hall of Fame?

 

Do they deserve the Hall of Fame?

There is an on-going debate about who deserves to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Baseball is truly the American game and tens of millions of us have played the game and our kids have played the game.  Someone once said the single hardest thing to do in sports is to hit a small ball moving at 96 miles per hour with a round bat. 

I have played many sports, baseball, basketball, tennis, golf (some say this is a game not a sport) and I played a few in competition.  I must admit for me the hardest thing was hitting a baseball. 

Most sports haven’t been through the drug issues that baseball faced for many years and refused to deal with. It was common knowledge that many great players were using steroids and other performance enhancing drugs.  The owners, the commissioner and the players all knew and to some extent the sports reporters knew.  Everyone looked the other way and said nothing until older players began to hit the baseball 500 feet and do this with incredible regularity.  Hank Aaron’s record fell, then the Babe’s record was crushed and the usual suspects began to hit 50, 60 and 70 plus homers.

Barry, Sammy, Mark and the others were super human and the public began to wonder what the reason was.  The records established by long gone players who didn’t take these enhancement drugs fell right and left.  Now many other players, some who will go into the Hall of Fame, haven’t admitted they too took these drugs.

As a fan I watched all these players and I was shocked at the idea they needed or would take drugs to gain a competitive advantage.  What happened to sportsmanship?  What happened to their commitment to the game?  What happened to honesty?

Do I think Barry is as good a player as the Babe?  Do I think Sammy is as good a hitter as Willie or Mickey?  None of this really matters because we all have our own opinion on these and other questions.

For me there was no greater pitcher than the Rocket.  I loved and still love Randy and his stare, his 96 mile per hour fast ball and his slider, but Roger was special for me.  I was lucky enough to see Don and Sandy when they played in LA for the Dodgers and at the time no one was better than Koufax, no one.

But Roger, well he was amazing too.

Now we know even Roger took drugs. 

There is a second great question around the Hall of Fame that seems easier for me and that is the questions of Mr. Hustle.  For me there is really no question that Pete must be in the Hall.  He gambled and he lied and he is still based on the facts one of the greatest players to walk on a baseball field ever.  The others have records and they did amazing things, but Rose is head and shoulders above most of those in the Hall.  No one comes close to his records and probably never will. 

Pete has 4,256 hits, almost 973 more than Willie Mays, 1,062 more than Cal Ripkin Jr, 482 more than Hank Aaron, and the list goes on. 

Years in the majors                         23

Total hits                                            4256 the most ever

Life time batting average                303

Hits per year                                      185

Homers                                              1314

All-Star Games                                 17

He didn’t take drugs, he didn’t bet against he own team, he didn’t ever take a day off while he was on the field of play.

As for the others those who did take drugs to enhance their performance; they will probably do a few years in the penalty box, not be allowed into the hall, but will get in sooner or later.

Are there players in the Hall of Fame who cheated, who were less than the most upstanding citizens in society?  Are their drunks, wife abusers, rowdies, racists, tax cheats, etc?  Oh yes there are.

In my opinion the Hall of Fame is for the best ball players.  Those who over a long period of time showed they could do what every few can do; perform at the highest level of play.

I think all the mentioned players can qualify based on this measure.  Were Barry and Roger great players without drugs?  Oh yes.

Is Pete one of the greatest players to ever walk on a baseball field?  No one can say he isn’t based on the facts.

The Baseball Hall of Fame isn’t for great human beings; it is for great baseball players.

It is a joke that Pete isn’t in the Hall with a mention he admitted to gambling on baseball games. 

Tell me why Pete Rose isn’t in the Hall of Fame.

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