8 games it pretty much what I expected as far as a suspension goes. Pretty similar to Albert Belle's suspension several years ago for the same offense. Sounds like the Hall of Fame x-rayed the 5 Sosa bats that they have in their posession as well (including the famed #500 one). They all came back clean as well, so at least this isn't something that's been going on consistently.
The steroids topic is a whole different story, as far as I'm concerned. Yeah, it sounds (and looks like) most of the power hitters of the last 15 years or so have been hitting the juice. But if baseball isn't going to address the issue, or make rules against steroid use (until now), then there's not much you can do about it except keep those mental asterisks in your head when comparing today's sluggers with those of years past... Wonder what Hank, Willie and the Mick would've done number wise with steroids and a corked bat?!
As for
Pete Rose... I think he's served his time and should have his butt in the HOF by now too. He was such a HUGE part of the baseball landscape for more than 2 decades - the records, the hustle, the highlights, the style... He's too important a player in the history of baseball to continue to leave out. Gambling? Big deal. So many of these guys do equally or moreso stupid or illegal things that Pete here - drugs, weapons, domestic violence, fraud, tax evasion, etc., etc.
If Pete bet on baseball games, fine. If Pete bet on the Reds to win their games when he was managing them, fine.
BUT, if Pete bet on the Reds to LOSE games, or on the point spread of the Reds games, well then YES, we have a
really big problem, and I might be inclined to say leave the lifetime ban on him... But those are the only 2 gambling scenarios that I would consider to be serious enough to keep him out of the Hall.
And on a brighter note - how 'bout them
Dodgers!?!