Working as a producer in sports talk radio, you get into a lot of conversations about random things in sports. For my entry today I would like to discuss a conversation
Dustin Rhodes (Executive Producer Mully And Hanley Mornings) and myself had before we closed out our show today. The discussion was about the probable induction of
Roberto Alomar into baseball's hall of fame.
The conversation began because as
Roberto Alomar's image flashed on the television screen this morning, it opened the door to the bitter hate Dustin had for the former White Sox second baseman. Dustin told me that Alomar
should not be allowed into the hall of fame because of the famous
September 27, 1996 spitting incident where Alomar indeed sprayed umpire
John Hirschbeck with some hot saliva over a called third strike.
Of course I was the contrary because when I am asked about whom belongs in the hall of fame, I always go to the stat sheet.
However my partners argument dawned a thought on me on my way home this morning.
I think we can all say that spitting in someone's face is the ultimate insult to another person. That is worse that any word in the book whether it be spoken or written my in mind. The physical act of actually spitting on another person let alone an umpire is disrespectful to authority and to the game that pays you million of dollars and supports your life. Since the incident of course Alomar and Hirschbeck have made up and in fact contribute together for charities and other projects.
However, why doesn't Alomar face the same issues with getting into the hall of fame as rumored steroid users? Why does
Roberto Alomar face no issues with getting in when much more significant players like
Barry Bonds and
Mark McGwire are either facing or will face an uphill climb to be enshrined in the hall of fame?
In the coming years, baseball and the BBWAA will have debates back and forth and must come to a decision on exactly how to determine who gets in from the "steroid era." The simple fact that rumors and allegations will sway a vote for a possible hall of famer is going to be the challenge of the new decade. Players like
Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, and Frank Thomas will be but only a few of the names that pop up for hall of fame eligibility this decade.
So as I was headed home I came to the conclusion if people can overlook possibly the worst personal insult to an official of baseball,
why can't we get over the possibility that steroids had a lot to do with baseball? We cannot hold everyone accountable.
Currently the bigger story of today is not if
Roberto Alomar gets in, its how much of a vote will
Mark McGwire will get in or not.
Mark McGwire is and forever will be one of the best power hitters in baseball history and in my mind a definite hall of famer. I think that same way about
Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, and
Roger Clemens as well.
These players defined a generation of the game and
should be recognized for it.
I do not understand why the writers and fans cannot accept that the "steroid era" was just the same as the "dead ball era." Both are times in the game where a certain position dominated the competition dramatically. If the baseball hall of fame in Cooperstown, NY is indeed a museum which tells the story of baseball, then you must include
all aspects of the game of baseball. The entire history of baseball (good and bad) must be allowed into the museum that honors the sport.
So for today's vote, for some BBWAA writers automatically to check
Roberto Alomar as a hall of famer but think twice about
Mark McGwire and his rumored steroid use is simply unfair. This goes for any other member of the "steroid era" that writers will question and collectively deny that honor of being in the hall of fame.
I hope in the future people will think twice on what the baseball hall of fame in Cooperstown, NY is really all about. It's supposed to tell the story of the game it represents, and teach all that was good and bad about the game. That is the only way truly to pass on the stories of the game to future generations.
By censoring what is included only makes the scars of the game shine brighter.
-Rock
Rock Mamola is the Associate Producer of The Mully And Hanley Morning Show and co-host of The Joe O And Rock Show on WSCR 670AM The Score.
You can follow The Mully And Hanley Morning Show at twitter.com/mullyhanley
You can follow The Joe O And Rock Show at twitter.com/joeoandrockshow
5 Comments
fake12 said:
This is just about the dumbest article I have ever read. Maybe you should think twice about ever writing an article again.
Rock Mamola said:
Fake
Thanks for reading
What's so dumb about it. Need some elaboration
-RoCk
patrick said:
the HOF has let a number of cheaters and bad guys in. no reason for the sudden moral change of heart. a lot of the recent cheaters were HOF before the alleged steroid abuse began, with the exception of sammy sosa, he was not much of a player until he became a cub. as for alomar i think the baseball writers are just making sure, that he does not plan a return to the white sox before voting him.
Dmband said:
Regarding Alomar, whats more upsetting, and Im glad you mentioned this in your post, is that the individual that he spit on has already not only accepted his apology, but they continue to work together in various forms. Just another example of the Hall's 1st ballot arrogance.
TrifectaJoe said:
It seems like people of your generation are much more willing to let this slide. Do you remember the East German women in the Olympics in the 70s? For all intents and purposes, they were men competing against women. The real Mark McGwire did not hit all those home runs. A physically altered and performically enhanced version of himself hit them. It became a conspiracy from the highest levels when baseball then juiced the ball and, I believe, looked the other way from corked bats. I'm sincerely sorry guys like McGwire, Bonds, Sosa and Clemens ruined your baseball childhood, but they did. They're bums, and I haven't been to a game since then.
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