Mark McGwire rejected by Baseball Hall of Fame for lying about steroids

Almost two years ago, Mark McGwire led an all-star lineup of Baseball players who were summoned to testify before Congress about their suspected use of steroids. And back then, I was so disappointed in his cowardly, self-righteous and patently dishonest performance that I wrote the following:

Mark McGwire was the goat in the lineup. He earned his error for raising hypocrisy to steroid-induced levels by crying and blabbering-on like a baby during his opening statement then acting arrogant, dumb and mute when questioned by the Committee. The substance of his exchanges with all the members went something like this:

Congressman: “Mr McGwire, have you ever taken steroids?”
McGwire: “I tested pos, um, er, what I mean to say is I want to be positive. I’m not here to talk about the past.”

In fact, after watching his testimony, I wrote that Hell will freeze over before sports writers crown McGwire’s professional career by voting to induct him into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Therefore, I was not at all surprised yesterday when the Baseball Writers Association of America (BWAA) reported that in recent balloting only 128 out its 545 members voted for him (ie. 23.5%, which is far short of the 75% needed to be inducted).

But to appreciate what a major league slight this is, it might be helpful to know that reaching the 500 home-run summit virtually guarantees induction. And that when he retired in 2001, McGwire had 583 career home runs….

Therefore, even though his name will likely appear on the ballot in years to come, it’s highly unlikely that anyone who voted against him this year will ever change his mind unless McGwire admits publicly what every sports fan knows: that he relied on a stealth cocktail of steroids to slam many of his home runs.

Indeed, if McGwire finds the courage to make this admission, as other players like Jose Conseco have done, I think his chances of being inducted would increase immeasurably. After all, I suspect that most members of the BWAA feel as I do that the use of steroids alone should not preclude induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. However, crying and lying about it before a Congressional Committee (as McGwire did) should be as automatic a disqualifier as 500 home runs are a guarantee.

Therefore, I hope more notorious (alleged) steroid abusers like Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa find McGwire’s fate instructive and confess their sins long before they become eligible for induction (five years after they retire). After all, I’m sure they do not want to join the rogue’s gallery – headed by Pete Rose – of Baseball MVPs who will be wandering outside the Hall for the rest of their lives simply because they refuse to come clean (in Rose’s case about gambling on Baseball games).

Besides, what have they got to lose? Because, after Congress gave Rafael Palmeiro (sitting to McGwire’s right in opening photo) a walk – despite clear and convincing evidence that he perjured himself, no Baseball player faces any legal jeopardy for admitting that he took steroids; provided, however, that he was not also involved in trafficking the stuff.

NOTE: To appreciate my take on this, recall that former President Bill Clinton was not disbarred because he had sex with Monica Lewinsky. He was disbarred because he lied under oath about having sex with “that woman”.

Related Articles:
McGwire cries and dissembles as Baseball defends its cheating game
Baseball’s MVP Barry Bonds is a steroid junkie, so what?!
Congress gives Baseball star Rafael Palmeiro a walk