An MMO Fan Shot by Steven Pacchiano (MLBGM)
To Whom It May Concern:
I know this will have no influence over any voting as current members and writer’s only vote, but I felt I had to express my opinion and observations not for myself, but ALSO for my son who is 3-years old.
I’m 38 years old and live in New York. I grew up a big Mets fan and I got to see the Mets win the World Series when I was a kid. God I loved watching baseball and that was some team to watch. A lot of those players drank and did drugs, cocaine specifically. I also watched players cork their bats and fill their bats with batteries to give them an advantage at the plate. It was baseball and fun to watch. Players always did and always will do what they have to do to get an advantage.
I have seen Mike Scott scuff balls and of course there was the Joe Niekro incident when he was suspended for having a nail file in his pocket and scuffing the ball. Kevin Gross was caught with sandpaper, Gaylord Perry was famous for his spit ball as well.
I have heard stories from my grand father of how Mickey Mantle was a big drinker and Speed user and how Ty Cobb would sharpen his cleats so to give him an advantage sliding into second base. Many players back then did a lot of Amphetamines, this is not a secret and Amphetamines are also a PED.
Red Faber, Stan Coveleski, and Burleigh Grimes are among the 17 pitchers who were allowed to keep throwing the spitball under a “grandfather” clause when the spitball was banned.
These players got caught, I’m sure this wasn’t the 1st time they cheated and im sure its wasn’t the last. I am also sure that there are others that have done the same and gotten away with it. Everyone who cheats doesn’t always get caught. There was that “list” with 100 players on it who were caught doing PED’s, but how many players weren’t caught? 200? 300? More? We will never know.
I can continue but I know you get the jist of this. Corking bats, stuffing bats with batteries, throwing spit balls and scuffing balls is cheating. And yes so is PED’s.
I now see players drinking “Protein drinks” to get an edge. I see players on the bench drinking cans of red bull to get them selves UP for their next at bat. Is this also performance enhancing?
A player has always done and will always do whatever they can to have an advantage. This will never change. Weather its, sharpening his cleats, corking bats, popping speed, snorting cocaine, doing steroids, or HGH and whatever is the next thing that comes around that can enhance a player’s performance. And make no mistake there will be more PED down the road.
Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, Piazza, Griffey, Biggio, Bagwell, Clemens, Maddux, Smoltz, Glavine, Arod, Sheffield, Manny, etc – Some were caught some were not, Some did it, some maybe didn’t, they were all great and a part of the history of the game and were some of the best ever players in baseball.
I hope when my son is old enough I can take him to the Baseball Hall of fame and not only show him Ty Cobb and Mickey Mantle, but also the amazing players that played when I was a kid.
But like I said, I know this letter will have no impact, so if some of the greatest players of all time never get voted into the Hall Of Fame, when I bring my son I will also have to bring my old news paper clippings and baseball cards of players who I watched and who put up some amazing numbers. I will have to teach him on my own which players were dominant during their time. Or maybe there will be another Baseball Museum I can go to with all the great players from the 80’s and 90’s.
I want my Son to know the history of baseball, just like I was told about The Mick, the Bambino, the Georgia Peach, and all the others. I will tell him about Bonds and McGwire and the rest of the 1990’s players who also put up amazing numbers. He will know how great and dominant they were and also what they did, just like I know how great Cobb and Mantle were but also what they did.
Hopefully the HOF will continue to have all the best players that have played the game to be on display. A history and showcase of the greatest players ever. …That’s the whole concept isn’t it? If not I hope there will be a place I can take my son to show him all these players in baseball history who were the elite of their time. Weather they sharpened their cleats, scuffed balls, threw spitters, corked bats, popped speed, snorting cocaine, drank Red Bull, took caffeine pills, used caffeine inhalants, did steroids, or HGH. And what ever comes next.
They are all the greatest players to ever play this game.
Isn’t the Hall’s Motto “Preserving History, Honoring Excellence, Connecting Generations.”
PS – Banning Pete Rose from Baseball makes sense, keeping him from working for a team and out of the actual game is his sentence for betting on baseball. BUT keeping him out of the HOF makes no sense at all – again the HOF is a history of the games best.
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This Fan Shot was contributed by MMO reader Steven Pacchiano (MLBGM). Have something you want to say about the Mets? Share your opinions with over 25,000 Mets fans who read this site daily. Send your Fan Shot to [email protected]. Or ask us about becoming a regular contributor.
