McGwire confesses

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Originally Posted by Ubiquitous

Couldn't they take a stand by not voting for steroid users when they come up for election? Why create a mascot?

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I don't think it's a problem because the veterans won't elect anyone. Then again, Maris is dead so he would not threaten their power from the grave.

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Originally Posted by Ace Venom

I don't think it's a problem because the veterans won't elect anyone. Then again, Maris is dead so he would not threaten their power from the grave.

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Yes, but why elect someone simply because they didn't take steroids?

Secondly it isn't even like Maris had an option between not taking steroids and taking steroids so by electing him you are rewarding the fact that he didn't. Wouldn't it make more sense to elect a very good slugger from the steroid era than some guy that last played 40 years ago if you want to take a stand on steroids and that was the route you wanted to take?

Personally if you don't want steroid players in the hall then you don't vote for them. That is all you really need to do if you want to take a stand on steroids.

I would like to think they would vote on someone if they think that individual is deserving. The Veterans Committee has had a tendency to look at things differently than the writers. As for just not voting for someone who was involved with steroids, well, I'm guessing a lot of writers have already done that with McGwire, simply because they suspected. Now that he's come forward they will either continue to vote that way, or they will vote for him because he's at least admitted to it and apologized for it.

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Originally Posted by Ubiquitous

Yes, but why elect someone simply because they didn't take steroids?

Secondly it isn't even like Maris had an option between not taking steroids and taking steroids so by electing him you are rewarding the fact that he didn't. Wouldn't it make more sense to elect a very good slugger from the steroid era than some guy that last played 40 years ago if you want to take a stand on steroids and that was the route you wanted to take?

Personally if you don't want steroid players in the hall then you don't vote for them. That is all you really need to do if you want to take a stand on steroids.

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It took 19 pages, but we agree on something, lol. :cap:

Sign me up, too. I'm a lot closer to the idea of Maris being a HOFer that I once was, but that's on his career, not to make any sort of statement of principle.

I just don't see Maris as a hall of famer. He had the dominant peak, as the SABR folks call it, but outside of those three years, he was pretty mediocre. But he does still hold the single season home run record.

I'm just closer than I once was. I'm still not there.