When all attention in the baseball world should be given to Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken, Jr. due to their recent selections into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, we learn of a report that Barry Bonds failed an amphetamines test in 2006 (Report: Bonds failed test, The Tennessean, January 12, 2007).
Gwynn and Ripken accumulated on-field records worthy of their honors. Each one’s integrity was not an issue, either; their uprightness sealed election to baseball’s “hallowed hall”.
Mark McGwire failed miserably to garner votes by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) as his failure to discuss steroid use during a Congressional inquiry gave uncertainty to his truthfulness. Perhaps Pete Rose, who has been banned from baseball, would be in the Hall of Fame today had he only “fessed up” to gambling on the sport that provided him his livelihood.
It would be much better for Rose, McGwire, and now Bonds, had they made decisions that would not have caused raised eyebrows regarding their reputations.
Bonds will probably break Hank Aaron’s career home run record, needing only 22 homers to reach the magic mark. However, the latest news is added to his reported use of performance-enhancing steroids.
Five years after his retirement Bonds will be eligible for the Hall of Fame selection process. Can we ignore the failure of high-profile pro athletes to maintain principles that support their accomplishments on the field? Those who cast Hall of Fame votes this year certainly did not, and when Bonds is eligible for election, his integrity should be a deciding factor.
