Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveMitchell
Yes, in my view Edgar clearly belongs with baseball's best. He was the finest right-handed hitter I ever saw and, according to many, a hitter no pitcher wanted to face in clutch situations. Professional all the way. Not a hint of steroids. Men of character and excellence like Edgar made baseball the great institution it became and he continues to contribute to the community as well as serving as hitting coach for the Seattle Mariners.
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When we use our eyeball test to determine if the person used steroids or not is where it falls apart for me. It seems that Seattle had somewhat of a steroid culture as referred to in Rookiemonster's post above. Bret Boone comes to mind with his outlier season and many whispers. Never proven, only innuendo, but if it was in the locker room and part of the culture, what makes us think that other Mariners were not involved? Was it because we witnessed no acne on their back? Apparently that doesn't even matter because we will put Piazza in and there were rumblings about his need for benzoil peroxide on his back. Is it because there was never a report of a request for a larger hat size? Because we know that is the tipping point for hall of fame support.
Is Martinez a HOFer? I don't think so, but I don't want a DH in before Papi because I am eagerly awaiting the selective outrage and pearl clutching with Ortiz from the same media that didn't like Bonds or Clemens because Papi was a "nice, fun, guy" and we want to brush is accusation and innuendo under the rug.
I have never been a fan of closers and their made up save stat getting in. Most are failed starters. Do we think that a number 3 or 4 starter with an out pitch that would work for 3 outs a game but not for 27 outs a game could rack up saves and get in? Probably a lot of rebuttal against that, but the Reds proved in the 90's/early 2000's that person X could be put in and get 40 saves.
Bonds was a 3 time MVP before even the biggest of critics even suggested there was anything going on. Clemens won 192 games in Boston, struck out 20 two times and won 3 Cy Young awards and was only in his mid-30's. Roger went so far as to put his life on the line criminally and stand in front of congress and still walks as a free man. Technicality? maybe, but they refused to convict him - yet the BBWAA sure will
Until those two get in, the rest of the debate and conversation is just fodder and arguing about the skinniest fat guy or the tallest little person or something like that.