BOB KLAPISCH: McGwire must tell truth if he wants HOF vote

[Cyclone792]

McGwire likely will not make it in 2007, but he'll continue to keep his mouth shut and he'll get in shortly thereafter.

Then when he is finally elected the media will hound him from six months on the issue once more. On induction weekend, it will be the vast majority of what he's asked about. The media will simply run it into the ground and follow him all the way up to the podium.

[George Foster]

Funny how people like Klapisch insist that athletes like McGwire confess their sins so that "all will be forgiven," yet if a confession comes, they become indignant and insist on punishing the athletes for being cheaters.

After what happened to Pete Rose, I'd be surprised if any athlete ever confesses wrongdoing again.

If a guy who averaged 200 hits for 21 years is not in the hall, McGuire should not be in the hall. Both of them lied, only Rose finally fessed up, McGuire has not. Oh, Rose never cheated for an advantage...never.

[RedsBaron]

McGwire likely will not make it in 2007, but he'll continue to keep his mouth shut and he'll get in shortly thereafter.

Then when he is finally elected the media will hound him from six months on the issue once more. On induction weekend, it will be the vast majority of what he's asked about. The media will simply run it into the ground and follow him all the way up to the podium.

I hope the issue of steroid use always closely follows any player who used steroids. I hope that any player who is reasonably believed to have used steroids is never inducted in the HOF.

[Danny Serafini]

Bob Klapisch is like the grumpy old guy sitting on his porch in his robe shaking his fist at cars as they drive by. If he wants to downgrade McGwire on the basis of his steroid questions that's one thing, and I won't argue it. But to say that even without the steroid questions that a player with 583 HRs is a borderline HOF candidate who's no better than Jim Rice is just assinine. And his outrage about the Walt Weiss "scandal" is just laughable. Apparently ol' Bob never bothered to check out the voting results any other year, if he did he'd realize that every year oddball guys get a token vote or two. It's not as if the person who voted for Gregg Jeffries broke the mold and did something revolutionary. Sounds like Bob's just complaining for the sake of complaining, and looking foolish in the process.

[penantboundreds]

History repeats itself.....see the Pete Rose scandal Mark and don't ever tell the truth....

[jregensb]

It will be interesting to see how the writers handle this issue. McGwire might prove to be something of a "test case" for how the voters/hall responds to steroid allegations. Ultimately it's a decison that has repercussions far beyond Mac (see also Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa, et. al).

Regarding the Truth: If Congress couldn't coax the truth out of Mark McGwire, I'm not altogether sure Bob Klapisch can - but I suppose he's welcome to try.

"Let us know how that works out for you Bob..."

[Cyclone792]

I hope the issue of steroid use always closely follows any player who used steroids. I hope that any player who is reasonably believed to have used steroids is never inducted in the HOF.

I see one of two things happening ... 1) every suspected steroid user that has HOF caliber stats makes the HOF, and in 50 years nobody gives a darn about them and steroids, or 2) none of them make the HOF and they become a Joe Jackson type of icon where one group vehemently defends them while another group resides on the polar opposite end of the spectrum.

My gut feeling is the first of those is what will invariably happen.

[Cyclone792]

Bob Klapisch is like the grumpy old guy sitting on his porch in his robe shaking his fist at cars as they drive by. If he wants to downgrade McGwire on the basis of his steroid questions that's one thing, and I won't argue it. But to say that even without the steroid questions that a player with 583 HRs is a borderline HOF candidate who's no better than Jim Rice is just assinine. And his outrage about the Walt Weiss "scandal" is just laughable. Apparently ol' Bob never bothered to check out the voting results any other year, if he did he'd realize that every year oddball guys get a token vote or two. It's not as if the person who voted for Gregg Jeffries broke the mold and did something revolutionary. Sounds like Bob's just complaining for the sake of complaining, and looking foolish in the process.

Yep, McGwire is arguably among the top 10 at his position so Klapisch's argument that he's borderline anyway doesn't really hold any weight. Then again, with the writers, who really knows. Dick Allen played first base, was a greater hitter than McGwire and he's not even in the HOF simply because nobody liked him.

I guess we'll find out which is worse ... steroids or character

[KronoRed]

My gut feeling is the first of those is what will invariably happen.

Of course, Pete was the exception, no way the hall keeps out Bonds,Sosa, McGwire ext.