Baseball's greatest weren't enhanced

On June 16, the New York Times published an article claiming that former Chicago Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003.

As a devoted Chicago Cubs fan, it comes as no surprise to me.

There is a list that exists somewhere that includes the names of baseball players who failed drug tests, and it is when these names are linked to the press that baseball fans once again begin discussions on whether players named on the list should be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

I'm throwing my hands up in the air and saying yes, they should be - but with a caveat.

There have long been "magic numbers" that almost guaranteed enshrinement in Cooperstown in the past. Position players who surpassed the 3,000 career hit mark, the 500-home run mark, or had a lifetime batting average above .300 were generally considered "locks" to get in.

Currently, there are 25 players who have hit more than 500 home runs during their careers. Unfortunately for baseball purists like myself, seven of them have been the subject of performance-enhancing allegations.

Barry Bonds (762 homers), Sosa (609), Mark McGwire (583), Rafael Palmeiro (569), Alex Rodriguez (563), Manny Ramirez (533) and Gary Sheffield (507) have all been linked to use of performance enhancers. The latter three are still playing, so the numbers will change.

I am in favor of recognizing their accomplishments, but putting an asterisk or some notable marks next to their names indicating that they may have achieved their lofty totals with  chemical assistance. That way the marks established by Hank Aaron and the others in the 500 club will still be able to stand as testaments to God-given ability and hard work.

Baseball fans have always been fascinated with numbers, but until the steroid era of the mid- to late '90s, they did not have to wonder how they were achieved.

There will never be a way to determine with absolute certainty which records were achieved naturally, and the legalities of delving into records that were intended to be kept private is not a subject that will be addressed here.
Recognize that the numbers were achieved, but do not detract from the athletes who earned theirs cleanly.

Contact Craig Purcell at 824-1036 or sports@tcnpress.com.