We Reserve the Right to Refuse
January 10, 2007
By Aaron Blaylock

The Hall of Fame inductees for 2007 have been announced. Per usual the bigger story seems to be who was left out rather than who was voted in. Those to get the coveted “You’re in” phone calls were Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn.

Mark McGwire appears to be the first from the steroid era to step before the jury, empowered by opinion and speculation, to be judged for his deeds. The verdict? Guilty. Jose Canseco, who’d long fallen out of favor with baseball, didn’t even receive enough votes to stay on future ballots. Ken Caminiti, who admitted steroid use, also fell short. Next up will be Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, and eventually Barry Bonds. What was their crime? They had the audacity to hit home runs in bunches when nobody was checking to see if they were cheating. How dare they?!

Steroids are dangerous, there is no question. They are cheating, but why are we acting like these are the only players who did it. We don’t even know that they did. To borrow from The Rock “It doesn’t matter what you think!”. I think that Alex Rodriquez should have been jailed for his hand slap of Bronson Arroyo during the ALCS a few years back. Similarly, I think that every member of the 2002 Los Angeles Lakers and the officiating crew from Game 6 of the Western Conference finals should be rotting in Alcatraz for stealing the series from the Sacramento Kings. You see my opinions are bias, irrational, and unfounded as are every voting member of the Hall of Fame. I mean Jason Stark called for the heads (and voting privileges) of everyone who didn’t vote for Gwynn and Ripken. That’s his opinion.

The Hall of Fame has gone from a tourist attraction and a way of thanking those who’ve endeared themselves to hundreds of thousands and even millions of people, to this mean petty country club where you have to pay your dues after you’ve earned the right to be considered.

Look at Goose Gossage. He must walk around wearing a T-shirt that says ‘The older I get the better I was’. This year he received roughly 71 percent of the votes, 75 percent is required for induction. That’s up from last year when he only received 64 percent. His numbers haven’t changed in over a decade but somehow he has become more worthy.

“It kind of feels weird to be that close,” Gossage said. “Hopefully, next year will be the year.”

It probably will be, which is what is so perplexing. How is he not worthy of the Hall of Fame today but will be in the years to come? This is just silly. The Hall of Fame voting is such a mess. Instead of celebrating beloved players and their accomplishments voters are trying to tear them down and pick them apart to make sure they are “worthy”.

This isn’t about steroids or cheating. This isn’t about a player’s career or his stats. This is akin to a child not admitting neighborhood kids to his new tree house because he likes the power of saying no. That’s fine. It’s his tree house and it’s his right. But it makes it difficult to pat those on the back who meet his discriminating approval. That’s what the Hall of Fame essentially has become; a player brings his career to the rope ladder descending from the tree house door and awaits the beckoning nod of approval or the devastating shake of the head from a spoiled ten year old. But hey, just come back next year maybe then you’ll be allowed in to the hallowed tree house.