
There was no way he was going to make it in on this ballot with all the controversy surrounding him and steroids. I actually think it will be after Barry Bonds is voted in that McGwire will get a serious look. Palmeiro blew it with his actual failed drug test. I mean if Gaylord Perry, a guy that freely admits he routinely threw spit-balls, is enshrined, then there is room for McGwire. The HOF is not filled with angels that is for sure.
Baseball brought this on themselves and basically watched it happen with a stiff upper lip. I mean, who didn't look at McGwire and Bonds and a few others balloon up over a couple of seasons and say somethings a bit odd there? I know I did... Until it was made illegal by MLB and regulated, MLB was condoning it with their silence. Like Prohibition, call it the Great Experiment, but at least acknowledge your star pupils.
I do think that there is a argument that his batting average was a bit on the low side even for a power hitter, but you cannot take away those home runs. He didn't strike out as much as say a Dave Kingman either... He did have remarkably fewer doubles or even triples than you might have expected too when you look at those that had about the same home run total for their careers.
Interestingly enough, after all the testing that has gone on now in MLB, there have been quite a few pitchers that have been found to be using steriods. Depending on how this scrutiny continues for players of the 90's, there might need to be federal questioning before each HOF voting period. Edited: Vincenzo on 10th Jan, 2007 - 4:10am