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Baseball Great Jim Bunning: Steroid Users Have No Place in Hall of Fame

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Jim was not good enough to be in the hall of fame. Many poitchers better than him are not in there.

Kent of CO 7:55PM May 06, 2011

HI... im writing a research paper on this controvery and this article helped... i also believe in what pat had said... we should have the players of the steroid era recogonized, but also recoginize that they cheated and had steroids influence their careers.

BOBO of IL 1:58PM February 24, 2010

Jim Bunning write an article condemning the use of steroids in sports and saying no one who used them ought to be in the Hall of Fame. Here, Here! But, I notice that comments on this blog include equating alcohol to steroid users and offering the point that Babe Ruth used alcohol profusely. "Should he be banned?" says the commenter, attacking Bunning and completing missing the point? Since when does alcohol increase performance, giving an incredibly unfair advantage? The comment is absurd.
A 2nd commenter says, "Whether or not someone cheated is irrelevant to the game". Wow, spoken by someone who obviously is expert at cheating in life and would probably teach his kids how to do it. It's not "don't not do it, it's just don't get caught!"
Last, I'm just as astonished at the comment implying that steroids provides no additional performance-enhancing benefit. Let's take a sport where we can precisely measure its benefits - track and field. Ben Johnson was a 10.3 100 meter man before he took steroids. After steroids, he ran a world-record 9.79 in the Olympic finals, winning the gold medal. This difference is between not even making it past the prelims at the Olympics, and winning a gold medal with a then ridiculously fast time never before seen. Advantage = HUGE!!!
Let's use a little common sense from now on in when making such outlandish statements so as not to be embarrassed publicly, if even these 3 folks can BE embarrassed.

Allan Payne of OH 5:19PM January 21, 2010

Essentially, what I mean is that induct anyone who performed at a high enough level to make it to the hall of fame, but don't leave out that they used steroids and/or they were surrounded by steroid controversies. I feel that's the best way to do it. It recognizes the past without justifying the actions some took while playing baseball.
And for all the "Won't someone please think of the children" cries, Athletes are not role models. If you allow your children to hold these men and women as role models just because they are athletes that is a problem. There are some excellent and inspirational people who play sports, but there are also scum bags. Keep that in mind.

Pat of IL 11:48PM September 15, 2009

The hall of fame is supposed to show the history of the sport and the best players. It shouldn't leave out the warts because that's revisionist history. Whether or not someone cheated (*cough* Gaylord Perry *cough*) is irrelevant to the history of the game. The games they played in still count and their statistics still stand. If the record books recognize these players existed so too should the HOF.

Pat of IL 11:42PM September 15, 2009

How about a Hall of Fame for the pharmacists!

Ron C Clair of FL 10:34PM September 08, 2009

If these steroid cheaters get in the Hall before Shoeless Joe Jackson or Pete Rose, the Hall is a crock. Maybe they should have a separate wing for the chemically enhanced.

Dan Reed of CA 8:53AM August 21, 2009

My personal opinion is that the Hall of Fame should set up a new wing and dedicate it to the "Steriod Era". Any record broken after Cal Ripkens, continous game streak should be put into this week. I dont care if there was no testing for steriods before that, it has changed the way the game is played. Players used to play for the love of the game and now all they want is money. There is no player in the world who is worth $35 million a year. Big numbers led to big money, and the only way these guys are getting big number is by usin steriod. If any one tests for steriods they should be excluded from the hall of fame. Leave the hall of fame to those who played the game the right way.

Nacoma Gainan of MT 2:26PM August 19, 2009

Bunning has been voted the least able Senator many times. So I do not take his "wisdom" too seriously. Looking back in baseball, truly the national pastime, I cannot help but recall how many players were heavy consumers of alcohol. It was well known to many who followed the game. Babe Ruth himself was perhaps the worst of them all in alcohol consumption. Should Ruth be banned from the HOF? A drug is a drug, it is legal but is still a drug. Americans hypocrites when considering nicotine, alcohol and othe LEGAL drugs. And so ready to condemn the use of other drugs. Lets test them, all every day, if you are on drugs, of all kinds, then you do not play that game. Silly? Of course but it makes my point.

Beege of CA 9:46PM August 13, 2009

Speaking as a person who grew up playing, watching and loving the game of baseball, I have a hard time with MANY of the comments that have been leveled at the ballplayers that came up during the performance era enhancements. Steroids have NOT always been banned nor illegal... this is especially true of the '70's and '80's. While there were many ballplayers who choose not to have use these concoctions, there were many that felt that they needed it to continue to perform at a high-level. Personally, I can't see steroids making a person "better" at their game. I do see where it can increase the players strength, but agility, eye-to-eye coordination and just the ability to HIT, RUN and CATCH a baseball is NOT something that these "drugs" will do for the user. I have first-hand knowledge of this as I watched many teammates in High School and after using these so-called "performance-enhancing" drugs. They did seem to be stronger BUT it did not change their ability to perform. As I've heard many times "...once a scrub.. always a scrub".
Now setting an example for our children... such a shame that these "public servants" suddenly need an example for our children when this very same government had no problem allowing drugs into our country for profit and using it to fund wars and other criminal activity. THIS IS BASEBALL!!!! It's not Brain Surgery nor Rocket Science!! IF the parents of children are NOT watching what their children are doing, it will not make a difference in the long run as they will go their way ONLY because they were not told the difference!
Some of you guys need to get off the keyboards and pay attention to what we as competitive men and women are teaching our children... WIN!!! at ANY COST! What happened to the sportsmanship and comradeship in playing a game that you LOVE and not-for-profit? It is a sad commentary that has wove itself into the very fabric of everything we do... do you think that this subject of cheating is ONLY relegated to the ball field? Think about it...

QT Williams of CA 8:04PM August 10, 2009