Comments on: BBA HoF Ballot Discussion: Mark McGwire

By: PH8’s 2009 BBA Hall of Fame Ballot | Pitchers Hit Eighth :: A St. Louis Cardinals blog

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:50:55 +0000

[...] Mark McGwire – The new Cardinal hitting coach deserves to be in Cooperstown. If not elected, there will be plenty of other names that also must be removed from consideration in future years. [...]

By: PH8

PH8 — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:44:39 +0000

I doubt it. Unfortunately, probably the only thing that will immediately help or hurt his candidacy is to throw himself to the wolves, so to speak.

Sit in front of the microphones and cameras, and answer questions. Answer truthfully and exhaustively. At that point, he either was going to eventually be voted in or not.

Strangely, I still don’t think he cares one way or another about being enshrined.

By: golface8

golface8 — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:23:35 +0000

what I wonder is will his coaching performance next year impact the results of his HOF assuming he is held out again this year? say he does well with the cardinals hitting, pujols does need some help coaching everyone else, then will that reinforce his position as a good hitter, well atleast a hitter with a keen eye for the plate?

By: PH8

PH8 — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:10:16 +0000

Well, exactly my point (I think).

Therein lies the largest problem with casting a net on all players both confirmed and suspected of using PEDs.

All it would seemingly take is one smear campaign against Pujols, or any other player who is no longer “beyond suspicion” and then the voter who chose to eliminate McGwire from consideration must eliminate Pujols as well.

I still feel like McGwire is being punished because some see him as a fringe candidate anyway.

This debate will really hit the fan when Bonds and Clemens come eligible.

Or even Alex Rodriguez. Does an admission and half-hearted apology make everythink okay again? If you apologize, then you’re still ok to vote into HoF?

By: golface8

golface8 — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:05:36 +0000

no doubt…if they dont allow McGwire in with his stats then I tremble to think how many other players will be overlooked. In all honesty wouldn’t every player (yes even el hombre) have to be looked at with suspicion due to the era of the game, and as such all be graded with the same “curve?”