The difference between bringing up a spitball pitcher like Gaylord Perry and comparing them to PED users is that baseball many times is a game about what you can get away with between the white lines.

Hell, it has ‘steal’ as an official stat for god’s sake!

If an outfielder traps the ball then holds it up to the ump who signals out – is he cheating?

If a base runner is tagged by the catcher before reaching the plate but the ump calls him safe – is he going to correct the ump?

If the ump says you were hit by a pitch and you know you weren’t – you don’t go to first?

Part of the game is trying to deceive the umps to get an outcome to your liking. That includes doctoring the balls – not only by the pitcher but sometimes by the catcher. It’s only cheating if you get caught.

Gaylord Perry, for those of you who remember him, made a career out of ACTING like he was cheating – doctoring the ball. He would go through this whole routine of touching himself in different places to get into the head of the batter — again — part of the game.

But shooting up steroids to give you a physical advantage is a whole different thing.

Perry, Ford, Mike Scott and all the rest were never so dominant that they broke record after record with an occasional doctored ball.

You look at Sosa and McGwire and ask yourself if they should be in the same conversation as Ruth and Maris.

You look at the skinny base stealing Bonds and ask yourself if he should have been able to break Aaron’s record.

In my opinion, anything that goes on between the white lines is fair game. Not true otherwise.

Are you (generic non Clemens voter) not voting him into the Hall of Fame because you think PED are responsible for his career success? Or are you not voting for him because of a stance you wish to take against those who took PED who weren’t good enough to stay in the bigs without it?

There’s a big difference to me.

To me, Roger Clemens was a hall of famer who made a terrible choice. Ken Caminetti is a baseball player who needed PED to keep a job in the big leagues. There’s a difference.

The spitball was banned what in 1920? So you mean to tell me nobody from 1920-Gaylord Perry used it?

You think nobody took any sort of drug to help them play when their god given talents couldn’t get them out of bed?

I mean I admire your Utopian hall of fame world, but it’s a little naive don’t ya think?

People frown on the drugs cause they are SCIENCE. Doctoring a baseball is artwork and funny. But you know what? Gaylord Perry knew he was breaking the rules but he did it anyway, why? For the same reasons PED users used.

There’s no “level of cheating” in my book. If you call a PED user, then Perry is a cheater as well and he’s in the Hall of Fame and nobody seems to be bothered.

Curious to know what my fellow fans think.

Yup. Pot, kettle, etc.

But…

From 95-97 Shawn Green had 447 PA and 42HR he then hit 35, 42,24,49, 42.

I’m sorry but if you don’t think there is a slight chance Green took PED then I want to live inside your innocent mind

the bigger issue is guyes that should be getting voted in, and left off for agenda/make a point reaasons.