If we barred every player whose career was enhanced or prolonged by modern medicine, we wouldn't have much of a Hall of Fame from here on out. Is having Lasik surgery to enhance vision considered cheating? It is most certainly a performance-enhancing procedure, more so than using anabolics. Is rotator cuff surgery to prolong a career considered cheating? It would prolong a career more predictably than human growth hormone would. If it is not illegal when they do it, it should not be considered "cheating." Everyone wants to have an edge, especially in this age of multi-million dollar contracts. Where is the line drawn?

People have a hard time differentiating between an illegal substance and something that is obtained illegally. To clarify, testosterone is a legal medication. Every pharmacy carries it. It comes in various forms from topical gel (aka "the clear"), to patches, to oral troches. I write prescriptions for it almost daily for legitimate uses. Ordering it via the internet from Botswana is illegal. Human Growth Hormone is legal and has legitimate uses, but is extremely expensive (around 4K per month). Any player could be on HGH and MLB would never know it since there is no standardized way to assess extrensic HGH usage as of yet. Any player who is returning from an injury plagued season and is doing well could be under suspicion for HGH usage (Frank Thomas, Griffey Jr., etc) since it assists with healing. Illegal substances are those such as crack, meth, etc.

It should take more than speculation to keep guys out of the Hall. We have an entire generation of players that are currently under the microscope. As of right now, every player with over 500 HR's that is not already in the HOF is the subject of that speculation (except Griffey). Palmeiro doesn't count - he was using multiple performance-enhancing drugs including Viagra. Any player in this generation with exceptional numbers is automatically assumed to have cheated. How is this fair? Who's next? A-Rod? Pujols?

I am not that naive to think that it is not occuring though. I do think there are many players out there that are using various substances for non-therapeutic conditions, but I will continue to base my final opinions on fact rather than speculation.


Mac didn't juice, Sosa didn't juice, and OJ didn't do it.