Steroids And The Hall Of Fame

I feel sorry for Jack Morris. His stats weren't good enough for  players from just before his era. And they weren't good enough for a pitcher after his era. On the current ballot, on stats alone, he is maybe the sixth or seventh best pitcher listed. It all depends on how you feel about Kenny Rogers (not the singer, by the way.) And it's his 15th, and last chance, on the ballot. He simply isn't good enough to make it.

Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Roger Clemens, Mike Mussina, and Curt Schilling had great careers, and several career defining moments. In addition to that, their win-loss records were better. Their ERAs were better, too.

Jack had one great moment, the game seven triumph in the 1991 World Series, but his career was one of reliability not greatness. His career was longer than most, but that's not a sign of greatness either. He was merely good for a lot longer than most.

I never thought Morris was good enough for the Hall. And it sure doesn't look like he will ever make it.

One thing to also note, no starting pitcher whose career started after the 1970 season is currently in the Hall. Blyleven was a rookie that year. The other guys on the ballot started in the mid-eighties. Jack is a pitcher from a forgotten era, an era that will never have a hall of fame presence.

Other pitchers from that era include Ron Guidry and Rick Reuschel. Morris had more wins than those two, but in nearly all other stats, Guidry and Reuschel were better. And they weren't even considered for the Hall. Gidry was on the ballot, but he never gained more than 10% of the vote.

That brings me to the steroid era. The mid-eighties until today. Some writers have decided that they aren't going to vote for anyone from the steroid era because they don't know WHO did them. That's right, Ken Gumick, a sportswriter from MLB.com, won't be voting for Greg Maddux, the man whose fastball rarely approached 90 mph, the man who had the best pin-point accuracy in baseball history, because he played in the steroid era. The ONLY player that will appear on his ballot will be Jack Morris.

Jack Morris, however, played at the end of the era of heavy amphetamine use. Baseball has been forever tainted. There is no" higher ground" any more. Everyone, from this point forward, will be suspect. And every writer will have the unique responsibility of acting as judge, jury, and executioner of every eligible player. Without any facts at all, merely opinion and hearsay, they will give us our future hall-of-famers.

Greatness and stats will no longer matter.

The Hall has lost its mojo.

It isn't just the end of an era. It's the end of all eras.