Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
Friday, January 12, 2007, Washington Post

Hall of Fame? Two Kings and a Miss

On Tuesday we'll learn which players have been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The big question is whether slugger Mark McGwire will be included among those who receive the game's greatest honor.

The answer should be simple. McGwire was a 12-time all-star who belted 583 home runs during his 16-year career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. Only six players -- Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Sammy Sosa and Frank Robinson -- have hit more. Big Mac, as McGwire was called, also smashed a then-record 70 dingers during the memorable 1998 season.

With those numbers he should be a cinch to get into the Hall of Fame this year -- along with eight-time batting champion Tony Gwynn, who played 20 seasons with the San Diego Padres, and Baltimore Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., whose 21 seasons included a record 2,632 consecutive games.

Gwynn and Ripken are heroes of the game. Isn't that what the Hall of Fame is for?

Whether McGwire is in their league is not as simple as adding up his statistics. There is a strong suspicion that during his career McGwire took steroids, which are drugs that help athletes work out longer. Athletes using steroids tend to be stronger, so they might hit more home runs. But steroids can be dangerous and are illegal without a doctor's prescription. So McGwire might have cheated to hit some of those towering home runs.

It has never been reported that McGwire failed a test for steroids. But when he and some other players were questioned at a congressional hearing two years ago, McGwire was asked whether he had taken steroids or other drugs to make him stronger. He dodged the question, saying he didn't want to talk about the past.

Big Mac looked like a kid who had skipped class and, when asked "How was school today?" by his mom, would do anything to change the subject.

Two other players on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this year -- Ken Caminiti and Jose Canseco -- admitted that they took steroids. I think McGwire did, too.

The ballot for the Hall of Fame reads: "Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played."

I know that not everyone in the Hall of Fame was an angel on the diamond. But players who cheat or otherwise dishonor the game set a bad example for kids who love baseball. Players like that don't make the game better.

A dark cloud of suspicion hangs over Mark McGwire. So if I had a say, I'd vote to keep him out of the Hall of Fame.