It’s nearly spring. And for those of us tired of the
winter, we have a sign that the cold season is almost over. That of course, is
spring training baseball.
Now, the stars really don’t play much, and many of
these games feature those players trying to solidify their spot on the roster,
toss in a bunch of minor leaguers who most likely, will fade away into obscurity
after they are demoted.
However, the big talk surrounding this spring
training is Barry Bonds. Yeah, Bonds, after spending the last four years out of
the spot light is back as a spring training advisor for the San Francisco
Giants. Feel free to insert your jokes here.
For those who aren’t baseball fans, Barry Bonds is
forever linked to the steroid era. Bonds, whose weight ballooned from 175 to
nearly 250 pounds seemingly overnight, went for being a for batting average hitter
to being a power hitter. Though every single sign pointed to PED use, Bonds
steadfast denied it. Bonds would go on to break the all-time single season
record for home runs, and career record for home runs, though no sane baseball
purist would acknowledge these records.
Bonds, like Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and many other
players from what is now famously called “The PED Era” is also the center of
another conversation: Is he worthy of the hall of Fame? There are many that feel that none of the
players linked to PEDs should be allowed into the hall of fame.
And it is at that point where I have to disagree. I
have no problem with any of the PED players going into the hall of fame,
because many of them already were putting up hall worthy numbers. Well, save
for Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmerio, because they were more nice career, but not
HOF career players.
I also think both Pete Rose and “Shoeless” Joe
Jackson should be in the hall, ditto for White Sox pitcher Eddie Cicotte. There
was never any hard evidence, on or off the field that Jackson tanked any games.
In the case of Cicotte, he admitted to through a couple games he pitched. After
years of denial, Pete Rose admitted to gambling on a few games.
There is this misnomer that only players of pure
virtue can be elected into the hall of fame. Don’t let yourself be fooled. If
there was really something called “the sanctity of the hall”, there are two men
who never would have been admitted.
Cap Anson was the first bonafide superstar of
baseball. He was a star for Chicago from the 1870’s into the 1880’s. He had plenty
of power, both on and off the field, and he would use that later in his career.
Anson was a racist. He had a strong hatred from African-Americans that would
lead to him bullying many semi-pro and major league teams from fielding them. A
famous incident occurred in 1884, during an American Association game against
Toledo. The AA was the second major league, and Toledo featured an
African-American catcher named Moses Fleetwood Walker. It was only after the
Toledo manager refused to withhold payment of the Chicago team then Anson
relented.
Angered at the mere notion of integrated rosters,
Anson put forth the movement known as the “White Players Revolt”. After
threatening the owners in the National League that they’d walk out and form
their own league, the owners drew up the agreement that never again would an
African-American be allowed to play on a major league team. Despite this
legacy, Anson was elected to the baseball hall of fame. No one batted an eye at
what he did off the field to harm the game.
Kennesaw Mountain Landis was the flag bearer for
keeping major league baseball a White Man’s only game. As commissioner of
baseball, Landis famously said “They have their league, and we have ours. That’s
how it must remain.” Landis had no issue threatening any team that scouted a
black ball player with permanent expulsion from baseball.
Landis had a reputation as a judge for sentencing African-Americans
to harsher penalties than he would a white man. Landis got the job as the czar
of baseball for a single reason. When the Federal League, attempting to be the
third major league, sued Major League Baseball, Landis was the judge assigned
to the case. Landis dragged his feet on the case, and it wasn’t long before the
Federal League was broke, and out of business. As a reward, Landis was chosen to
clean up the mess of the Black sox Scandal .Sadly history has recast Landis as
a hero for his actions. It is no wonder that Jackie Robinson’s debut never occurred
until after Landis’ death in 1945. Had Landis lived a few years longer, Jackie
Robinson very well may have never played in the Major Leagues.
So here is what one can surmise. As for election to
the hall of fame, they are willing to overlook racism. However, take steroids,
or bet on a game, well then, you must be banished forever. I don’t understand
that logic, and I never will. I seriously would love for someone to explain why
if they hold the hall of fame in such high regard, why racist are allowed
enshrinement. I’m not holding my breath, because no one has done so yet. Though
it would be nice if someone finally did make a statement. Of course, it would be better if they were
going to keep Jackson, Ciccotte, Rose out, and keep the PED players out, they
must expunge known racist like Landis and Anson from the hall. Anything else is
an endorsement of bigotry.
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