TIMEOUT: Steroids taint hall vote

Baseball Hall of Fame voters struck out this year.

The 2013 ballot included 37 candidates; none were selected – none.

It’s widely believed the Class of 2013 was snubbed as an unofficial referendum on the so-called “Steroid Era” in baseball, a period in the mid-1990s to early 2000s when an embarrassing number of players admitted to using, were discovered to be using or were suspected of using a wide variety of performance enhancing drugs. Why 2013? Because this was the first year that Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, the most accomplished players tainted by suspected “juicing,” were included on the ballot.

Baseball still is struggling with the steroid era. Who used? Who didn’t? Whose statistics are inflated? Whose statistics paled in comparison to those of players using banned substances? Should players who confessed and apologized be treated differently than players – like Bonds and Clemens – accused and widely believed to have cheated but who continue to deny any wrongdoing?

Maybe we’re all overthinking the problem.

For the complete story, see the Jan. 17 issue of Navarre Press or subscribe online.