McCombs: Hall of Fame debates heated because we care

Those who think baseball is dying need only start a conversation with a fan of the game about who does or does not belong in the Hall of Fame to find that it’s blood still runs quite hot.

Each year in January, the day comes when Cooperstown hopefuls find out if their dream is realized. And if it’s not, they find out their goal is growing closer or slipping farther from their grasp.

On Tuesday, four deserving candidates were elected to baseball’s holy museum -- three aces and a member of the 3,000-hit club.

In my mind, there is no doubt that Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio belong.

The problem, for me at least, is that I think the this year’s Hall of Fame ballot was one of the most loaded in decades. I’d have to be able to vote for twice the limit of 10 players to include everyone on the 34-player list that I think should be in.

Mike Piazza? Greatest hitting catcher of all-time.

Tim Raines? As a leadoff hitter, second in his era only to Rickey Henderson, the best of all time.

Barry Bonds? More home runs than any other human. Ever.

Jeff Bagwell? His .948 OPS is 21st all-time.

Roger Clemens? 354 wins, 4,672 strikeouts and seven Cy Young Awards. And an MVP.

Even if you don’t side with me on Alan Trammell or Fred McGriff or Mike Mussina (which you should), these five should be locks.

But they’re not.

Some, Bonds and Clemens specifically, confidence is high they, at some point, used performance enhancing drugs. Piazza and Bagwell? Maybe a hint that they might have likely scares off some voters.Raines? Well some folks just don’t think he belongs. (They’re wrong, of course.)

I believe the baseball writers, who cast the votes, should abstain from playing the role of the morals police and base their decisions solely on what happened on the field.

What Bonds and Clemens and Mark McGwire did on the field, it happened. We have to stop pretending it didn’t. Voting them in would force the Hall of Fame to stand up, be accountable and decide how to present the era in baseball history we now know as the Steroid Era.

The Baseball Hall of Fame isn’t a church. OK, well at least not in the literal sense.

It’s a museum. It’s for the greatest players in the history of the game.

Many people forget that in the literal sense, the words great or greatest don’t necessarily imply good.

The bottom line is I believe Bonds, Clemens, Piazza, Bagwell and Raines, among others, belong in. Many others do not.

But that the fact we disagree isn’t a bad thing. Twitter has been full this week of baseball fans and writers, alike, taking up sides, politely and impolitely.

The heat of their arguments, while we’re still two months away from exhibition games, proves that there are still plenty of passionate fans.

Baseball isn’t dead. It may not have the TV ratings of the NFL. But attendance is strong, the sport is in a good place financially and its fans are still invested, even after all the things the sport has done to harm itself. I’m talking about strikes, lockouts, steroids, collusion, long games, bad calls, All-Star Game ties and two Florida Marlins fire sales.

And no former players are suing over concussions.

No, if the day comes next year and no fans care who did or did not make the Hall of Fame, THEN you can call a priest.

This story was originally published January 7, 2015 at 8:49 AM with the headline "McCombs: Hall of Fame debates heated because we care."