Given that he hasn't been proven guilty of anything, I hope McGwire's first ballot exclusion was just a message. If they want to take the hard line on Bonds, for example, that now seems more justified. But with McGwire, we're exclusively assuming unless the writers have information they're not sharing.

Sadly, the storm over Bonds may also affect McGwire in his second attempt. he'll make it eventually though...

Well, hopefully this will give them a chance to corredt there awful snubs of Blyleven.

ivan

I just don't understand why Mcgwire should make it through, even ignoring the whole steroids allegations. His stats just don't impress me. Ok, he hit a bunch of HRs, and he once held the single season HR record. Really, what else has he done? No personal awards apart from ROY. Career BA of .263, not impressive by any means. Never hit over .300 in a season apart from 2000, and that was in only 89 games. ONLY 1626 career hits. Barely average defense at first, with just one Gold Glove and even that came pretty early in his career. I mean really, take out the HRs, and he's a borderline candidate. If Jim Thome is considered a borderline candidate for the very same reasons, how can Mcgwire have been ever considered a lock? You can't use the logic that it's because he broke the single season record for HR once, because really, Roger Maris did that too, and that didn't get him elected (and deservedly so). So even overlooking the cloud of steroid allegation and his amazing non performance in front of Congress, I don't think Mcgwire is a deserving HOFer. Heck give it to Andre Dawson, he deserves it so much more: MVP winner, ROY, so hit only around 430 HRs, but had much more hits (2774), slightly higher career BA (.279) and multiple Gold Glove winner as well.

Sometimes I think there have been tremendous strides made in advancing basic understanding of value in baseball.

Then I see someone cite Mark McGwire's batting average as representative of his performance.

Tony, his congressional testimony is widely viewed as a confession. He could have taken the Palmiero route. Instead he refused to discuss the past while under oath. Additionally, any writer looking to vote no on Bonds would be wise to vote no on McGwire to avoid charges of racism.

Blyleven & Goose. Aside from that, not much.

Mattingly was at least a more complete ballplayer than McGwire.

Given the latest Steroid/HGH issues baseball is experiencing right now, do any of you think that it opens the door for Jim Rice who was arguably one of the best hitters of the late 70’s and early 80’s? He was obviously a power hitter, but also had an average above .300 until his last year or two when his vision was affecting him. Soon after he retired, he started wearing glasses!
Which leads me to my next question. What other major league all stars were affected by a drop in their vision late in their careers?

Dan: Rather than making inane comments which you think make you look like a 'smart baseball fan', why don't you try and explain why you think Mcgwire is such a worthy HOFer?

Abe,

I agree that his testimony was viewed that way. That doesn't mean that's what it was. Even though it's an educated guess that it probably was, it's still a guess (barring evidence I'm not aware of).

For what it's worth, if I'd been in his situation, I would've done the same thing, guilty or not, because I didn't view the hearings as legitimate. I doubt seriously that McGwire was thinking that, but it's another possible explanation. I'm sure there are still others, however implausible.

Also, I think Dale Murphy should be in the HoF.

For what it's worth, if I'd been in his situation, I would've done the same thing, guilty or not, because I didn't view the hearings as legitimate. I believe he lied under oath - did he not?

Rice and Gossage and the veterans should vote in Tony Oliva

Dan: Rather than making inane comments which you think make you look like a 'smart baseball fan', why don't you try and explain why you think Mcgwire is such a worthy HOFer?

I'll give it a shot. From baseballreference.com-the list of all-time career leaders in adjusted OPS+:

Rank Player (age) Adjusted OPS+ Bats
1. Babe Ruth 207 L
2. Ted Williams 191 L
3. Barry Bonds (42) 182 L
4. Lou Gehrig 179 L
5. Rogers Hornsby 175 R
6. Mickey Mantle 172 B
T7. Dan Brouthers 170 L
T7 Joe Jackson 170 L
T9. Ty Cobb 167 L
T9 Albert Pujols 167 R
11. Jimmie Foxx 163 R
T12. Pete Browning 162 R
T12 Mark McGwire 162 R
14. Dave Orr 161 R
15. Stan Musial 159 L
T16. Hank Greenberg 158 R
T16 Johnny Mize 158 L
T16 Tris Speaker 158 L
19. Frank Thomas 157 R
T20. Dick Allen 156 R
T20 Willie Mays 156 R

In case you're wondering about a few familiar names, they're a bit farther down the list:

T22. Hank Aaron 155 R
T22 Joe DiMaggio 155 R
T22 Mel Ott 155 L
T25. Manny Ramirez 154 R
T25 Frank Robinson 154 R
27. Roger Connor 153 L
T28. Ed Delahanty 152 R
T28 Charlie Keller 152 L
30. Gavvy Cravath 151 R

Also, the category of at-bats per home run:

Rank Player At Bats per Home Run Bats
1. Mark McGwire 10.60 R
2. Babe Ruth 11.80 L
3. Barry Bonds 12.90 L
4. Jim Thome 13.50 L
T5. Adam Dunn 14.10 L
T5. Ralph Kiner 14.10 R
T7. Harmon Killebrew 14.20 R
T7 Alex Rodriguez 14.20 R
T9. Albert Pujols 14.40 R
T9 Manny Ramirez 14.40 R

Career BA of .263, not impressive by any means.

Except, of course, for the fact that he has an on-base percentage only .004 behind Joe DiMaggio in spite of spotting him sixty-two points of batting average, and actually beats Joe D. by nine points in slugging percentage in spite of that same handicap. Offensively, McGwire was an improved version of Harmon Killebrew--I don't recall much griping about Killebrew getting into the Hall. If steroids weren't an issue, McGwire would have been a 90%+ first ballot inductee, and those who didn't vote for him would be getting the mockery that the guys who didn't vote for Nolan Ryan endured.

Oh, and Raines is a deserving first-ballot candidate for the Hall. Sadly, I fear that there are more than enough Conlin-like fools out there to keep it from happening.

Bandit,

I can only assume we watched different hearings. Quoting Thomas Boswell from the Washington Post:

"Out of fairness to McGwire, who (best guess) won't even get a third of the Hall vote next week, it's worth remembering his actual testimony on Capitol Hill. He didn't make a non-confession confession. He simply said he refused to join a witch hunt."

(Source)

I think it's very hipocritical to judge McGwire for the steroid use and what not. These players were brought up and breeded in a league surrounded by supplemental use. I'm not saying it is right or wrong but during his time, was simply the way of the world.