As we all know, we don’t live in a perfect world. Not everything is black or white. And where “grey area” is often used to excuse and/or justify things.
Let me start by saying yes, Arod is not a good guy for many reasons; but definitely not for using, lying, and conducting himself the way he did about his PED use. I don’t give him any credit for finally admitting he used; he got caught and had no choice but to do so. I hear others say that it is what it is; it was that era and many players were doing it. Well, that doesn’t mean Arod had to do it. We all make choices in our lives, whether good or bad, and we deal with the consequences of those choices. Nobody forced Arod to use PED’s. I have followed him since 1996. I’m still pissed he used and I don’t think he should be in the Hall of Fame. Period!
However, that all changed for me once they let one in - Pudge Rodriguez. No hard evidence has definitively linked “Pudge” to steroids, but Jose Canseco said he personally injected him in “Juiced.” Canseco has a track record of being right on these things. Rodriguez also declined to say whether he tested positive for PED’s in 2003, saying “Only God knows” if he is on that list. I believe Jose Canseco 100% that he injected Pudge Rodriguez. And Pudge’s response definitely shows that. I believe everyone is smart enough to see things clearly; it just depends on whether or not they want to do so.
When Frank Thomas was asked if he used PED’s, his immediate response was direct and clear: NO! That should have been Pudge’s response too (even if it was a lie), but it wasn’t. Most likely, Pudge wasn’t going to put himself out there, just in case some evidence or proof shows up later on. He definitely played it safe and lost credibility when doing so. “Only God knows” – Really? That’s a ridiculous response…you know Pudge.
If Bonds, Clemens, or Otriz get in, then I definitely don’t see how you keep others out. Yeah, they kept Bonds and Clemens out for 10 years, and Ortiz may get in on his first or second year, but for Bonds and Clemens, it was new and fresh on everyone’s mind when they retired, as most of us lived through that era of PEDs. Over the past 10 years, people have softened up, most likely due to all of the conversations and points like you all have made about past players using, who are in the Hall of Fame.
Put an asterisk next to their names and call it a day.
Tony
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