HELL OF FAME

The 2013 Hall of Fame Ballots are now up. It is an interesting class in that steroid usage will figure predominately in the mix.

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mike Piazza and Sammy Sousa all are eligible for the Hall, and all have a suspicion hanging over them. Bonds, Clemens and Sousa all have pretty much convinced the world that they used steroids, but one name in this group comes as a shock, that of Mike Piazza!

In his 16-year major league career, Piazza has hit 427 home runs, 396 homers as a catcher, rhe most by a catcher. The next closest catcher is Carlton Fisk with 351. 

Piazza's .308 batting average is higher than Fisk, Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra, all in the Hall of Fame. Piazza’s 1,330 RBI would be the third most among the group. Fisk and Berra have more hits than Piazza's 2,127.

Suspicions of PED use by Piazza has been voiced before, by former New York Times writer Murray Chass who has written about Piazza's problem with back acne, typically considered a tell-tale sign of steroid use.

Jeff Pearlman includes a passage in his book about Clemens, The Rocket Who Fell to Earth, citing several sources that say Piazza took steroids. The New York Post Joel Sherman has expressed suspicions as well. Although Piazza wasn't involved in any court case or charged of lying about steroid use, he seems to be under suspicion none-the-less.

If there is any doubt that Piazza was a user, then it should come to the forefront now, and show proof, or let it go and vote the best hitting catcher in Baseball history into the Hall. Just don’t pitch this theory to Mike Piazza, he might just let it roll between his legs all the way to the backstop!

That’s all I wrote, folks!