Kuzul

When the player’s strike of 1994-95 ended, Major League Baseball began its 120th season of play. In the first 119 years, 50 home runs was a nearly unreachable plateau, reserved for the game’s true elite: It had been done only 18 times, by 11 players. Cecil Fielder had last reached the lofty mark, in 1990. Before him, no player had smashed 50 since George Foster in 1977.

That season, despite a strike-shortened 143-game schedule, Albert Belle cranked 50 home runs (and 52 doubles). It was the beginning of the long-ball era, and for 12 years there would be no letting up. Beginning with Belle, 23 players reached or exceeded 50 bombs in a single season from 1995-2007. Much of this, of course, was the result of well-documented steroid use. Still, the tater frenzy is historically remarkable.

For two consecutive seasons, though, the long balls dried up. No superstar, not even the venerable Albert Pujols, reached 50 homers in 2008 or 2009.

To re-open the doors to what was once one of baseball’s most elite sanctums, it took a virtually unknown 29 year-old journeyman named Jose Bautista. In a year otherwise known for the dominant performances of a dozen or more pitchers, Bautista‘s 52 home runs (with a week still to play) stand out.

But where does Bautista‘s power binge rank among the all-time list of 50-homer sluggers? The following is a ranking of all 42 50-home run season in MLB history. In formulating the rankings, steroid allegations and relative strength of league were considered, as was the run environment of the era in which the feat was accomplished.

Who’s No. 1? Who’s No. 42? Where do the infamous but dominant campaigns of Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire rank? Read on.

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With the 2010 class recently inducted, we can look forward to the 2011 class. 

There are really only two surefire locks to be inducted in 2011, and one tossup first ballot.

Here is a list of candidates who will appear on the ballot and whether or not they will get inducted in 2011. 

This is not indicative of whether or not they’ll get in at all, JUST in 2011.

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Since it’s been revealed that several Major League stars have used steroids, I’ve started to ponder what the difference is between players who have received bans for gambling and those who have received bans for steroid use.

The penalties for steroid use are:

• First offense: 50-game suspension
• Second offense: 100-game suspension
• Third Offense: Lifetime ban

The penalties for gambling are:

• First offensse: Ban for life (or whatever penalty the commissioner in office deems appropriate).

There are 27 players, coaches, and an umpire that have been banned for gambling or throwing games since 1865.

There are 117 players that have been implicated, admitted to, tested positive, or listed in the Mitchell Report for using steroids.

Here is a bit of irony for you. Steroid use and gambling have one common denominator: both have a direct affect on the game’s outcome.

There has been much talk about whether players such as Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, and Alex Rodriguez should be eligible for the Hall of Fame. Of these three players, only Rodriguez has admitted to steroid use while with the Texas Rangers. McGuire refuses to answer any questions regarding steroid use and Bonds is in a state of denial about the whole issue.

Personally, I feel that any user, whether he admits to it or tests positive at any time during his career, should not be eligible for the Hall of Fame.

Harsh you say?

Consider two players banned for throwing games or gambling, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and Pete Rose.

The lifetime ban handed down to by Commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis to the 1918 White Sox was perhaps the harshest punishment ever. Despite the fact that all players were acquitted by a federal grand jury, Landis banned the eight White Sox players, stating:

“Regardless of the verdict of juries, no player who throws a ball game, no player who undertakes or promises to throw a ball game, no player who sits in confidence with a bunch of crooked ballplayers and gamblers, where the ways and means of throwing a game are discussed and does not promptly tell his club about it, will ever play professional baseball.”

Landis covered all contingencies, including players who overhear discussions about gambling or throwing a game.

However, there is evidence that casts some doubt about Jackson’s involvement. Jackson initially refused the $5,000, only to have Lefty Williams throw it on the floor. Jackson attempted to contact then Sox owner Charles Comiskey but Comiskey refused to meet with him.

Team attorney Alfred Austrian coached Jackson’s grand jury testimony, which might be considered illegal by current standards. He attempted to get Jackson to admit to the payoff by getting him drunk on whiskey. He also got Jackson, who was barely literate, to sign a waiver of immunity.

Years later, the other seven players implicated in the scandal confirmed that Jackson was never at any of the meetings to discuss throwing the games and said they included Jackson’s name to give their plot credibility.

And let’s not forget the most obvious claim to his innocence—his play during the 1918 World Series, batting almost .400 and committing no errors.

Here was a player that had the talent and capability to re-write the record books. If he had played as long as Ty Cobb, there could have been a very real chance that Pete Rose would have been chasing Jackson for the hit record instead of Cobb.

Pete Rose, three years after he retired as an active player, was placed on the permanent ineligibility list from baseball amid accusations that he gambled on games while he played and managed the Cincinnati Reds.

In 2004, Rose admitted to betting on baseball games but never against his own team.The Baseball Hall of Fame bans players on the “permanently ineligible” list from induction. Rose’s possible reinstatement and election to the Hall have been topics of many debates.

As to the players who have admitted to steroid use, why do they get the opportunity to “rehabilitate” themselves and still be allowed to earn millions of dollars to play a game?

Neither Jackson nor Rose had second or third chances offered to them.

The rules don’t allow players caught gambling to be suspended. And yet, the use of steroids has run rampant for years before someone finally cried, “enough!”

There had to be a reason why players all of a sudden were hitting 40-60 home runs a season instead of 20-35.

There had to be a reason why a player who for most of his career could never hit above .250 all of a sudden was leading the league in batting average at .345.

There had to be a reason why over one offseason, players who previously weighed in at 185-225 lbs. shot up to 230-250 lbs. and actually gained speed, bat speed, and strength.

Aren’t these players cheaters as well? Didn’t they change the outcome of games?

There has been a spate of no-hitters thrown this year. A lot of people seem to think that it’s the age of the pitchers again. I don’t think it’s ability of the pitchers, it’s just that now the players don’t have the bat speed and strength to hit it out of the park like they used to.

Both Jackson and Rose were phenomenal players who achieved their accomplishments without the use of chemicals.

Did they cheat?

For Jackson, I doubt that we’ll ever find out the truth, but I put him in the same light as Jim Thorpe who had his Olympic medals taken away because someone took advantage of him.

Jackson should have his ban lifted and be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

He was one of the best hitters of his time (a career .356 hitter over 12 years) and if he had played as long as Cobb did (23 years) he could have easily had almost 3,400 hits.

As for Rose, the majority of his accomplishments were achieved far before his gambling ever took place. His style of play got him the nickname “Charlie Hustle.” Would that indicate to anyone that he was throwing games? 

Remember, this was the guy that blasted Ray Fosse in an All-Star Game because he was so bent on winning.

Here’s a question for you: Why do steroid users get second and third chances and gamblers get none?

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

I want you to ask yourself this, what Major League Baseball players deserve to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame? Does Pete Rose deserve to be in the Hall of Fame? How about Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, or Roger Clemens? Maybe even one day New York Yankess third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who is on the eve of hitting home run No. 600?

While watching Hall of Fame outfielder Andre Dawson give his speech after his induction into Cooperstown on Sunday, he said some things that struck a chord with me and became the inspiration for this article.

“Do not be lured by the dark side. It’s a stain on the game. A stain gradually being removed. But that’s the people, not the game. Nothing wrong with the game. There never has been,” Dawson said.

He then continued with, “Baseball will, from time to time like anything else in life, fall victim to the mistakes that people make. It’s not pleasant and it’s not right.”

However, the quote that made the most impact in my mind was, “Individuals have chosen the wrong road, and they’re choosing that as their legacy. Those mistakes have hurt the game and taken a toll on all of us.” 

Dawson was clearly taking a shot at all players who have been accused or have openly admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs while playing baseball.

Ironically, those comments were coming from a man who endured 12 knee surgeries over an impressive 21-year major league career; a man who was an eight-time All-Star, with 438 career home runs, 2,774 hits, 1,591 RBI, and 314 stolen bases.

Dawson also spoke highly of Pete Rose, but didn’t lobby for his induction to the Hall of Fame.

Rose has been permanently banned from baseball since 1989 and thus keeps him from being enshrined in the one place he deserves.

That’s right sports fans, Pete Rose deserves to be in the Hall of Fame!

Pete Rose, aka Charlie Hustle, was the definition of a baseball player. Over his 23-year career, Rose was a three-time World Champion, 17-time All-Star (at five different positions: 2B, LF, RF, 3B, and 1B), two-time Golden Glove Award winner, 1963 NL Rookie of the Year, and 1973 NL MVP. He also holds a record that in my mind may never be broken—4,256 career hits.

Rose, however, was deemed permanently ineligible by then-Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti for allegedly betting on baseball games. He would later admit in his 2004 autobiography My Prison Without Bars that he did bet on baseball and other sports while he played for and managed the Cincinnati Reds. He also admitted that he bet on the Reds, but never bet against them.

Though Pete Rose may have bet on baseball games, including games he managed, he never cheated, something many of the great baseball players over the last decade have done.

Players such as Alex Rodriguez, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens all have been linked to using performance-enhancing drugs. Among those players, only Alex Rodriguez and Mark McGwire have come forward and admitted that used medications that improved their play.

Last time I checked, anytime you use a substance that helps you enhance your performance would be considered…CHEATING!

Pete Rose isn’t a cheater. He never did anything to enhance his physical performance. 

This article isn’t solely about who has cheated and who hasn’t.

A professional baseball player’s induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame shouldn’t be determined solely on what records a player has broken, or what feats that player has accomplished, but what that player has given to the game of baseball itself. It needs to be about what that player has given to the fans of baseball as well.

Below are three outstanding baseball players, who have done wonderful things for the game of baseball, but because of their poor lack of judgement (i.e. Pete Rose) they too may never see the Hall of Fame. 

Mark McGwire

Mark McGwire was first eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2007. He can be remembered as one of the famous Bash Brothers (along with Jose Canseco) of the Oakland Athletics, McGwire broke the single season home run record for rookies in 1987 with 48 home runs. He was a 12-time All-Star, 1990 Gold Glove Award winner, three-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and the 1987 AL Rookie of the Year.

Eleven years later, in 1998, McGwire would gain national notoriety along with Sammy Sosa as they pursued the single season home run record the same way that Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris did in the summer of 1961.

Mark McGwire would finish the 1998 season with 70 home runs, nine more than Roger Maris hit in 1961.

However, McGwire’s amazing feat, toppling a record that stood for 37 years, would be tarnished by revelations that he used androstenedione, an over-the-counter muscle enhancement supplement, in order to shorten the time needed to recover from the physical wear on his body.

Although he never admitted to using steroids during the 1998 season, McGwire would admit in 2010 that he had used steroids during his playing career.

Barry Bonds

Do Barry Bonds’s stats alone give him enough credibility to be voted in for the Hall of Fame? Yes. Will the BALCO scandal and steroids be his downfall? Absolutely!

During Barry Bonds’s 21-year career he was a 14-time All Star, eight-time Gold Glove Award winner, 12-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and seven-time Most Valuable Player. He is also the single-season home run leader with 73 home runs, and is the career home run leader with 763 round trippers.

Bonds also had 2,935 career hits, 1,996 RBI, and 514 stolen bases.

His accomplishments alone should make him worthy of a first ballot induction to the Hall of Fame in 2013, however his involvement in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO) may have tainted that.

Bonds was accused and indicted by a grand jury about his involvement with BALCO around the time he was chasing the single season and career home run records. Reports had been leaked on Bonds’s grand jury testimony contend that he admitted to unknowingly using “the cream” and “the clear” both being anabolic steroid supplements.

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens will also be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2013 and his accolades and feats match that of Barry Bonds and then some. In his 23-year career, Clemens was a 11-time All-Star selection, seven-time Cy Young Award winner (having won the award in both American and National leagues), and the 1986 AL MVP.

Clemens is a member of the 300 win club, 3,000 strikeout club, 4,000 strikeout club, 300 wins-3,000 strikeout club, and in 1997 and ’98 won the pitching Triple Crown (wins, ERA, and strikeouts).

But, Clemens’s accomplishments will be marred by his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs. Clemens’s former personal strength coach, Brian McNamee, came forward an admitted that he had injected Clemens with steroids during the 1998, 2000, and 2001 seasons.

Clemens was also mentioned in former US Senator George Mitchell’s report on steroid use in baseball 82 times; however Clemens still denies that he had ever used steroids or performance-enhancing drugs.

In conclusion, I believe that if any one of these players, including Alex Rodriguez (who will probably hit 770 home runs, and openly admitted to use performance-enhancing drugs) should be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, that Pete Rose also be given a fair chance for reinstatement.

We all need to remember that baseball is a game a majority of us loved while growing up, and that all these youngsters who have dreams of one day making it to the Majors and maybe even the Hall of Fame will get there, with hard work and determination.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With six of the contestants in this year’s Home Run Derby recently announced, this seemed like a good time to reflect back on some of the best sluggers to ever play the game.

What would your dream Home Run Derby field look like if you could include any player, past or present?

I will admit, I cheated a bit, making a list of 10 when the field is generally set at eight participants. However, my two extra additions are a bit outside the box, and I think the field could be expanded to accommodate them.

With only ten, there is sure to be someone I left off that you feel belongs, so let the debate begin.

Let me know who I left out that you would include in your fantasy Home Run Derby.

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The Bash Brothers, Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco, took the baseball world by storm with their home run hitting prowess at the close of the 1980s.

They ushered in an era of increased power through science, the steroid age of baseball. A fun, but ultimately disappointing time to be a baseball fan.

Baseball has had a wonderful history of high-profile power-hitting teammates, from Ruth and Gehrig, to Mantle and Maris, and Mays and McCovey. McGwire and Canseco might be the last high-profile pair, two players on the same team, in their prime, with the ability to lead the league in long balls each season.

Although no one pair stands out, this slideshow looks at the leaders from the last two decades. Enjoy!

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We have to check the record books, but Cardinals hitting coach Mark McGwire may have just hit his first triple ever.

McGwire has been away from the team for a couple games to be with wife, Stephanie, who just gave birth to triplet girls.

So who is this magnificent woman that has an Allison Stokke existence on the Web?

One thing we know: with photos this magnificent, it’s a crying shame there’s not more shots of her out there.

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This season is Roy Halladay’s first in the National League after spending his entire career to this point with the Toronto Blue Jays. Given his early start, Halladay may prove to one day be one of the greatest inter-league crossovers of all time. But this begs the question: who are the best players to have played in both the American and National League.

Of course, in a very literal sense, the greatest player to ever play in both leagues was Babe Ruth, who spent the last 28 games of his career with the Boston Braves. For our purposes, we’ll only look at players with significant miles logged in each league.

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