Brian Grey Blog

That’s right, the title of this post isn’t a typo. Everyone is jumping on the “no Hall of Fame” bandwagon now that ARod has come out of the steroids closet. I think that seven years after he retires MLB’s HOF voters should vote him in to Cooperstown.

My first impression of ARod was an in-peraon one on a flight to Japan in the Fall of 1996. I was part of the contingent that traveled for the bi-annual US-Japan series. I sat behind Rodriguez and his brother on the flight and during the 10-day trip watched as a very young kid in a Mariners uniform followed Cal Ripken around like a puppy.

Ever since the Tom Hicks trophy contact in Texas and later the trade to the Yankees, Rodriguez has became somewhat unlikeable. A sterile, robot-like pro. Nothing seemed real about him when interviewed – he didn’t seem like he was ever really connected to his Yankee teammates.

This past summer the zenith of this impression I had developed was reached when I happened to see a fully dressed ARod sneaking out of Yankee Stadium at the All-Star game – mind you it was the 5th inning!

If you had asked me last week if ARod should make the HOF I would have given a flat out “no way!” as my response. That image of him leaving the All-Star game stuck in my head – and in my craw.

But then came his admission this week that he was juiced up during the 2001-2003 timeframe. Yah, who knows if he wasn’t really juiced up before and after that time period as well? That’s not the point.

He’s the first legit player to come out and acknowledge that he was on steroids (sorry Jose Canseco, I said legit player).

My take now is that ARod gets in to the HOF on the fact he did something Bud Selig, Don Fehr, Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens and the hundreds of other people associated with Major League Baseball were unable (or unwilling) to do. ARod stepping forward ends the “alleged”, speculative and lawyerly nature of this era from baseball. It allows us to define the era for what is – a span of 10 or more years when a lot of players (both position players and pitchers) enhanced themselves physically by using drugs.

ARod’s stats shouldvbe viewed in the context of this era. His numbers will roll up to impressive quantities, some done with artificial muscles and bat speed, but accomplished against pitchers with artificial arm strength.

In the end my guess is the writers won’t vote him in, rather they will cast him off to the pile of other misfits like Barry, Mark, Sammy, Pete Rose and Joe Jackson. Oh well, I can at least submit my own vote by rooting for the guy when I watch him play for at least having the nerve to admit to his mistakes.