Honorable Mention Hall of Fame Solves Steroid Scandal

I feel sorry for any baseball fan under the age of 35. Those of us above that age threshold have enjoyed watching a great game with great players. Younger generations have had to suffer through the asterisk debate surrounding performance enhancing drugs including steroids and human growth hormone.

The Asterisk Debate

The asterisk debate has been raging for much of the decade and centers around the question of what to do with baseball records held by players who have confessed to, been caught doing, or are alleged to have done illegal drugs to enhance their already fabulous abilities and whether or not they could be voted into the Hall of Fame. All time great slugger Henry Aaron renewed the debate at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony for the 2009 class including Ricky Henderson and Jim Rice.

The pro-asterisk camp, Aaron among them, suggests that great players with tainted images could be inducted into the Hall of Fame with an asterisk by their names. The asterisk points to the footnote that goes something like this: so and so was a great player but his accomplishments were tainted by the use of steroids or other performance enhancing drugs.

The anti-asterisk camp feels that asterisks ridiculously confuse baseball history with players who did wrong, who committed the unforgivable sin, and who should be punished forever for their improprieties.

The debate is a mindless one. It doesn't solve the dilemma of should we honor great players such as Barry Bonds, Pete Rose, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa or shouldn't we? Any self-respecting baseball fan truly struggles with illicit drug use on the one hand and not being able to honor a great player on the other hand.

We Can Honor Great Players without Endorsing Their Undignified Behavior

I'm happy to announce today that I have solved this endless debate raging among media professionals, consuming discussions in the workplace at the water coolers, and undermining the great game that is baseball. There must be some way to honor the poster boys for steroid usage - Bonds, Sosa, Clemens, and McGwire - without endorsing their undignified behavior.

Let's throw Pete Rose into the discussion as well. Rose holds the records for most hits, most runs scored, and most games played ever in the history of Major League Baseball. His poor decision to bet on games during his career (allegedly during his managerial days) led to a lifetime ban from the sport. But not having Rose in the Hall denies his great accomplishments as possibly the best player of all time. How do we live with that sports fans?

Besides, who can prove whether these players used or not? What about players who used and weren't caught? Players who excessively abuse their bodies after games with Budweiser and Marlboro? Players who abuse their wives with the backs of their hands and their children with their tirade-laced tongues?

Are we going to put asterisks by the guy's name who committed adultery even though he was one of the greatest pitchers of all time? "So and so won three championships, four Cy Young Awards, and is in the top five pitchers for wins, strikeouts, and complete games."*

*He also beat his wife, was unfaithful to her, and abandoned his children.

Hall of Fame is For Best Players - Not Best Citizens

How can we honor a guy like that? Well, the Hall of Fame is for the best players not the best fathers, nor the best husbands, or the best citizens.

Who is the judge and jury for deciding who is clean and who isn't? How are we going to determine whose records are steroid biased and whose aren't? We've gotten ourselves into quite the mess. God is the judge and one day he will enlighten us more fully with answers to some of these questions.

Until then, let's move forward with a solution that eases our consciences but doesn't absolve the player's guilt. We can honor the player without endorsing their behavior.

Create an Honorable Mention Hall of Fame

We can create an Honorable Mention category for the Hall of Fame. Putting great players like Alex Rodriguez, who has confessed to improper drug usage, and others like Bonds and Rose into a sub-class recognizes their spectacular careers on the field but also respects those players who have not used steroids or betted on baseball.

Tennis impassioned me during my high school days. I was a good player but not one of the best. I was selected Honorable Mention All Conference for my play on the court. I wish that I could have been named to the All Conference Team but being Honorable Mention was nevertheless good.

ARod, Sammy, Pete, Barry, Mark, and Roger had great playing careers. Rodriquez may distinguish himself yet as one of the best ever. Naming them to the Honorable Mention Hall of Fame honors their careers while also recognizing an ethical standard.

The debates no longer need to rage. We fans and media pros can relax and enjoy the game again.

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- stats courtesy of CBSSports.com