The Character Assassination of Mark McGwire

"He doesn't want to talk about the past? Then I don't want to consider his past." -- Hal McCoy, Dayton Daily News sports writer

"He won't get my vote this year, next year or any year." -- Chicago Tribune sports writer Paul Sullivan

"I think he's a Hall of Famer, myself. He hit 500 or so homers, almost 600. I think we have no proof whether he did or not." -- Former player and Hall of Fame candidate Tony Gwynn

"I don't plan to vote for him on the first ballot, but I do plan to vote for him." -- Former Chicago Tribune writer Jerome Holtzman

All these quotes were extracted from an ESPN article in relation to Mark McGwire's Hall of Fame candidacy, with ballots being mailed out to BBWAA members yesterday, as reported by the New York Daily News. This is McGwire's first year of eligibility.

As even casual followers of baseball know, Mark McGwire's accomplishments on the field have come under suspicion with allegations of steroid use coming from a variety of sources. While McGwire has never been formally accused of any wrongdoing -- either by Major League Baseball, the U.S. Congress or a criminal court -- there are many individuals and entities, from former teammates to the FBI to journalists with inside sources, who claim that McGwire was indeed a steroid user. Given the opportunity to denounce these accusations under oath, he dodged questions relating to his playing days altogether, claiming that he didn't appear at the hearing to talk about the past.

Most of the world took this action as his admission to using steroids or other illegal performance enhancing drugs. A small percentage of blindly faithful McGwire fans continue to defend him, arguing on his behalf from all angles, from statements such as "He never admitted to anything," to "He never tested positive for anything," to "There was no drug testing policy," to "Steroids were never a banned substance during his career," to "He's not that bad, he never endorsed what he did," to "He's only human, we have to be forgiving," to "How much do steroids help an athlete, really?"

All of these arguments are weak, especially coming from people who wish to view McGwire as an All-American hero. While it is technically true that Big Mac never admitted to the world that he used any illegal substances, his inability to give a definitive answer under oath is a clear indication that he has something to hide. Some have argued that by offering no incriminating information he was merely protecting his loved ones from further criminal investigation. Had he been the model citizen that McGwire supporters make him out to be, there would be no need to be evasive in the first place.

Another argument suggests that nobody, including Major League Baseball, the Hall of Fame or the Baseball Writers Association of America, can punish McGwire for something they can't prove. This statement only holds true for the criminal justice system, and to be perfectly honest I believe McGwire can be convicted on steroid charges if the government chooses to pursue it. However, the BBWAA members can vote however they please and they don't need to justify how they chose. And history has shown that sports writers can be partial, as evidenced by the 1941 AL MVP vote. Which isn't to say it's OK, but it does happen. And back to the original point, just because you can't prove something doesn't mean it isn't true.

Some say, "Why should anyone adhere to an unenforceable drug policy?" Because it's a rule nonetheless. I believe that an All-American hero and a baseball icon should be interested in preserving the integrity of game by abiding to the league's rules, regardless of its enforceability. If this is supposed to be a role model for the youth of America, the message we are sending is, "It's OK to cheat if you know you can't get caught or punished."

Then there are those who'll say that steroids weren't a banned substance until 2002. I won't argue this point too heavily because it's technically true; there was no collective bargaining agreement to ban steroids or other performance enhancing drug use until 2002. However, the purchase and use of anabolic steroids without a doctor's prescription has been illegal since 1990. In other words, though his accomplishments may be in compliance with MLB rules on a technicality, McGwire is a felon. Not a role model.

One argument I heard suggests that Mark McGwire is not a bad man because he never endorsed steroid use nor the supplements that he is willing to admit to utilizing. He even went so far as to discourage minors from using anything that isn't prescribed. The problem with that logic is that he is a public figure, and whether or not he poses in front of a camera and says "Andro gave me this body" is irrelevant. If I'm an impressionable young person that admires Mark McGwire and I come to find out that he only wears blue underwear on Tuesdays, if I want to be like him desperately enough, I will only wear blue underwear on Tuesdays. He doesn't need to appear in a Joe Boxer ad to influence me.

There are also apologists who say we should forgive him for his wrongdoing since he is generally a good person who has done a lot for the community. Before I, personally, can forgive somebody for anything I need an admission of guilt. If he feels that he can't do that because it will bring unwanted attention to his loved ones, fine. But he won't use that defense to bypass the forgiveness process. Furthermore, there is a very big difference between forgiving misconduct and honoring it. Pete Rose has admitted to and apologized for his offenses (albeit showing no genuine remorse and poor timing), but he gets no brownie points at all for conceding the obvious.

And finally, there's the most absurd of all rationale for Mark McGwire's Hall of Fame induction: questioning the impact that steroids can have on a baseball players abilities. The simple fact is that Hulk Hogan can hit a baseball farther than Napoleon Dynamite; which of the two will make more contact is less predictable since higher muscle mass (and by correlation, steroid use) doesn't guarantee increased hand-eye coordination. Mark McGwire's career .263 batting average supports this. There are sillier rules that exist in MLB (fraternizing with opposing players) and continue to be enforced (corked bats).

If Mark McGwire wants to get into the Hall of Fame, he's gonna have to pay admission, just like the rest of us.