Mark McGwire apparently used steroids in the 90's...

...I guess we can file his admission to that fact in the "no shit" category?

Well, I think we already knew that McGwire was doing some stuff on the side. I mean, have you seen the guy? His forearms look like whole hams. People have been speculating (with some certainty) about his use of banned substances since he was seen using Andro and talking about it on TV.

What still gets me, though, is the disdain people have for him about his testimony in front of Congress where he refused to answer any questions regarding his past use of steroids. He lawyered up and did the next-best-thing to admitting his use...he said nothing. And he gets CRUCIFIED for it, allthewhile the rest of these clowns get up and lie, bold face, to Congress. Palmeiro, Sosa, Tejada, Bonds, Clemens...ALL of them. And McGwire gets heat. Sure, he never came out and told everyone that he was cheating...but who the hell did? But at a very minimum I give him credit for not lying under oath.

Now, should he be allowed into the hall of fame? The keep people out for dumber reasons. And frankly, considering the moronic nature through which baseball chooses its inductees and the cluelessness evidenced yearly by that process, I wouldn't doubt that he'll be kept out. But I'll tell you this...he re-energized baseball in the late 90's. That league was in the toilet before he and Sosa came on the scene and started knocking balls into next Tuesday. And that's a fact. So in addition to his ridiculous numbers (of dingers relative to at-bats to name one) he's got some SERIOUS historical basis for an argument FOR his induction.

What I'm worried will happen (and "worried" is a relative term because I really don't' give a shit about whether McGwire gets in or not) is that the baseball writers, for whatever reason, will look at McGwire as a pariah but at the same time will forgive the admitted transgressions of their media-darling Alex Rodriguez. What has McGwire done that A-Rod hasn't? Both have admitted to using. Both have admitted that they did it to help them back from injury. Both of them say they regret it. Neither lied under oath. Both of them have the numbers for the hall. Why then, despite this fact, does Rodriguez get special treatment? For if there is a definition of "cheating" that is applicable...it is applicable to both equally. Either they're BOTH in or they're BOTH out.

Frankly though, this kind of discussion makes the Bert Blyleven haranguing all the more unbearable. The dude played for 22 seasons WITHOUT this crap. And he was able to compile absolutely LEGIT numbers for the hall (only morons see otherwise) nevertheless. It makes my freakin' blood boil.