The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown has made its anti-steroid position official. It has launched an anti-steroid education exhibit called the “Be A Superior Example” (BASE) Program this month. Nonetheless, a Hall spokesperson claims that the Hall will remain neutral when it comes to honoring baseball players who have used anabolic steroids.
Jeff Idelson, the president of the Hall of Fame, claims that the anti-steroid exhibit is not intended to send a message to the sports writers in the Baseball Writers Association of America (BWAA). The BWAA is responsible for voting for new member inductions into the Hall.
The Hall of Fame will honor any inductee elected by the BWAA regardless of their use of anabolic steroids, human growth hormone or any other performance-enhancing drug linked to players during Major League Baseball’s “Steroid Era” according to Idelson.
“Our opinion is, whom the writers elect, we’ll honor like any inductee,” said Idelson.
While the Hall of Fame is littered with baseball stars who have used amphetamines in the absence of any controversy, the possibility that a steroid users makes it to Cooperstown has created a sense of hysteria among many sports writers. Currently, no known steroid users have been inducted.
Mark McGwire, who admitted using steroids, and Rafael Palmeiro, who tested positive for the steroid Winstrol, have been on the ballot several years and have been denied each and every time. This year, a few of the greatest baseball players in the history of the game will be on the ballot.
Barry Bonds, who may be the greatest hitter of all time, and Roger Clemens, who may be the greatest pitcher of all time, will appear on the ballot for the very first time. Idelson refused to speculate about how the BWAA would vote; he noted that both players are already well-represented in the Hall of Fame with numerous accolades.
Some sports writers have suggested a compromise in which steroid users can be inducted into the Hall but only with an asterisk next to their name that identifies them as a steroid user. The asterisk has become the “scarlet letter” of steroid-using baseball players. Yet, Idelson claims that Bonds and Clemens, if elected, will be treated the same of other members. That means that no asterisk or reference to their use of steroids or PEDs will appear on their plaque.
As far as the anti-steroid BASE Program is concerned, it will appear in a separate educational facility that is separate from the “museum and library” and the Hall itself. The “museum and library” provides an exploration of the history of baseball. The main Hall honors the baseball players recognized as the best.
Source:
Shea, J. (August 11, 2012). Hall of Fame hosts antisteroids exhibit. Retrieved from http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Hall-of-Fame-hosts-anti-steroids-exhibit-3781889.php
