Mark McGwire probably won't ever make it to the MLB Hall of Fame because of his involvement in the so-called Steroid Era in baseball. And he won't forgive his former friend and teammate Jose Canseco for blowing the whistle. The accusations and subsequent witch hunt by the US Congress has been, in this reporter's humble opinion, a significant waste of government resources.
Canseco's book, Juiced, ripped the lid off the league's penchant for looking the other way while many players used performance-enhancing drugs (aka PED's). The nation is polarized on the issue, many feeling that it is morally reprehensible while others say it's hypocritical to retroactively trash players for doing whatever they could to get an edge in a cutthroat business.
For his part, McGwire doesn't want to kiss and make up (via USA Today):
"It's too late. I don't care to ever speak to him again.... What he did was wrong."
Recently Canseco has reached out publicly for McGwire's forgiveness, to no avail (via Bleacher Report):
"Mark McGuire I know you're mad at me, but believe me.... No one is more mad at me than myself for writing that book.
"I respected u as a player & person. Ive suffered more than anyone from writing this book... I don't know how else to say I'm sorry. - your fan"
Some baseball insiders, like legendary coach Tony La Russa, think players of the steroid era should be recognized for their accolades but with qualified status, like an asterisk in the record books (via New York Daily News):
"'It's my two cents, but I think you should let them in, but with an asterisk,' La Russa said. 'You can't place these guys ahead of Hank (Aaron) and (Babe) Ruth. It was a bad period. But if a player has Hall of Fame credentials, I think they should be allowed in.'"
What do you think?
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