The Steroid Era: Will Anyone Make The Hall?

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

From 1986 to 1999, Barry Bonds's stats are also just sick. He hit .288 with 445 homeruns and 1299 RBI's. He stole 460 bases during this time. Barry Bonds is not the homerun king to me. Henry Aaron still is. But Barry Bonds is still one of the best baseball players of all time.

Bonds has won three MVP's before his boom in size. He won the MVP in 1990, 1992, and 1993. He made eight all star games (1990-1998). These are all hall-of-fame caliber numbers to me.

Sammy Sosa

Sammy Sosa tested positive for steroids once. He tested positive in 2003.

From 1989 to 2002, Sosa hit .278, 499 home runs, and 1347 RBI's.

He won the NL MVP in 1998 during the homerun chase, which he lost to Mark McGwire. He won all of his silver sluggers prior to 2003. He played in all 162 games twice in his career, prior to his alleged steroid use in 2003.

All around, Sosa is a great player and is more then deserving of his spot as number six on the all time homerun list.

Final Thoughts

There is something you must remember through all of this. Since when is telling the truth a requirement to get into the hall? I'm sure Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and other hall of famers have lied about one thing or another. 

Another thing you must remember is, you can't assume. You can't assume Sosa took steroids during his 1998 home run chase. You can't assume Palmeiro was, to his knowledge, injected with steroids or some other banned substance.

You have to remember these men are innocent until proven guilty. So, until proven guilty for one thing or another, these men deserve to be among the greatest in Cooperstown.  

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