Hall of Fame Ballot Review – Mark McGwire

Last year, I went through and reviewed the case for a number of players for the Hall of Fame, and whether or not I thought that they deserved to be enshrined in the Hall. I’ll be doing this again this year, and for players I reviewed previously, I will revisit my vote and see if it has changed in a year’s time. Theoretically, this should remain the same, but there’s always a chance I am now a whole year wiser than I was last year. Today’s candidate is one that I looked at last year, Mark McGwire

McGwire was eligible for the Hall for the fourth time in the 2010 class (2009), and you can find what I wrote last year below. He finished the voting last year with 128 votes out of a possible 539 ballots (23.7%). This was his highest vote percentage to date, but I am really wondering what will happen this year after his admission to using steroids during his playing career.

This one is a little different, as I have changed portions of last year’s with these new revelations. You can see the original writeup here, with the new notes as well.

Player Profile – Baseball Reference.com

Career Accomplishments
583 homers
OPS+ of 162
100+ rbi seasons: 7
40 homer seasons: 6
.263/.394/.588

The Case for McGwire

McGwire had some of the most dominant seasons a slugger can have. He hit 49 homers his rookie year, and from 1996-1999 was other-worldly (52, 58, 70, 66). He had 7 seasons with an OPS over 1.000 (1993, 1995-2000). He is currently 8th all-time with 583 homers, 9th all-time with a .588 career slugging percentage, and 12th all time with an OPS+ of 162. And of course the 70 homer record-breaking season in 1998.

The Case Against McGwire

McGwire only hit .263 in his career, a reasonable average but nothing particularly special. He was not known as a particularly good fielder, and missed substantial time due to injuries. And then of course there are the elephants in the room: The implications related to his use of androstenedione; the questions regarding whether he used steroids during his career; his testimony before Congress regarding performance enhancing drugs in 2003. He admitted last year to using steroids during his playing career.

Analysis

It is extremely difficult to get past that homerun total. 583 is good for 8th all time, and was 5th when he retired. McGwire’s numbers show him to be a hitter with an excellent eye and monumental power. One of my criteria has been whether a player was truly excellent for a sustained period, or simply above-average for a longer period. It is my opinion that McGwire represents a truly excellent player, specifically from 1996-2000, a span of 5 seasons.

Realistically, I don’t believe it was ever going to be Big Mac’s numbers which concerned voters. While his use of andro was within the rules of the game when he was taking it, his unwillingness to “talk about the past” while testifying to Congress is his bell which cannot be unrung. However, without proof positive, I simply do not see how we can judge him on things we simply do not know for certain. Even that was not the bigger story, as he admitted to using steroids in a press conference last year. He did this with the hope of moving past the story as he was set to be the new hitting coach for the Cardinals.

There is always a lot of talk about judging was is good for the integrity of the game. But I just cannot see how it is that we as fans can judge him any differently because he was receiving more media coverage. Would we have had the same disdain if we received as much information about Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, or any of the other scandals of the early years of baseball?

I believe that McGwire represents one of the most dominant power hitters in an era that is filled with them. And without proof or an admission that he cheated, I think we have to look at his career based on the breadth of his performance. And that performance was excellent. But it clearly becomes a lot more difficult to judge him with the admission that he used steroids.

My Thoughts This Year

It is more difficult for me this year for him than for any other candidate in my opinion. Clearly you have someone who was as dominant as they come in terms of a hitter, but someone who was on the wrong side of the argument with regard to steroid and performance enhancing drug usage. While I believe that his admission adds another piece to the story that has been Mark McGwire, I believe it was only a confirmation of something that had been widely viewed as fact previously. I don’t really think that it changes how his candidacy should be viewed, and as such my vote remains the same as last year.

MY VOTE LAST YEAR: YES
MY VOTE THIS YEAR: YES