Steroids in Baseball

Maybe I'm expecting too much from ESPN, but do they have to keep printing articles where the sole point is to make ridiculous arguments and rub people the wrong way? I have a problem with a lot of ESPN opinion columns, where the authors have no fear of having to craft arguments that stand up to any kind of scrutiny, and thus can espouse any belief they want without any kind of evidence.
I'm prompted to write this post thanks to the latest column by Gene Wojciechowski, which is nothing short of atrocious. The set-up is his own "GNC/Balco" wing of the Hall of Fame. At first glance, it doesn't seem like you should take it seriously. But as the dialogue progresses, Wojciechowski unfurls his prejudice in great glory. It becomes clear that he truly despises Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, and Barry Bonds. And in venting this hatred, he at times becomes downright mean. This is what he wishes for Sammy Sosa: “Spent remaining years of life staring at silent cell phone.” This is what he wishes for Barry Bonds: “Bonds and his legal team insisted that the 28 dingers he hit at the rec yard of the Lompoc Federal Correctional Complex should count toward the record” For McGwire, he paints a fairy tale picture of a world where in seven years McGwire goes from a wash-out who hits .201 with 22 home runs to a 70 home run season thanks to the steroids he was using and no one else (besides Sammy Sosa) must have been taking. Funny how to make a point, Wojciechowski neglects to point out that in the 4 seasons before his admittedly miserable 1991 season, McGwire hit 49, 32, 33, and 39 home runs, and in the season after, he hit 42. Rafael Palmeiro gets what Wojciechowski probably sees as the ultimate insult, a comparison to Bill Clinton!
After reading this article, I'm left wondering why Wojciechowski hates these four men so much. I've noticed the lack of contempt from columnists over the numerous players who have been caught in the last year or so taking steroids. Who was the one player to get spat upon? Rafael Palmeiro. Why? Because he had the misfortune of being a superstar. In the NFL, Shawne Merriman was caught and suspended for four games for testing positive for steroids. Nonetheless, the hype machine is still going strong for Merriman, who some think should win Defensive Player of the Year. It seems even the star players in the NFL are forgiven with the blink of an eye.
What it comes down to for baseball writers, I think, is the sense of being fooled, and the perceived sacredness of the MLB Hall of Fame. There is a natural feeling of outrage that arises when it appears that the record-setting home run seasons of McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds were nothing more than a sham. This feeling becomes multiplied with the fear that they may tarnish the sacred shrine of baseball, the Hall of Fame. Yet, under the current system in the MLB, had any one of them tested positive during this run, they would have been subject to nothing more than a 50-game suspension. After all the hubbub about steroids, these are the rules that MLB has set for itself. The way these four men are treated in the media, it is as if they should be permanently banned from baseball. For what, not getting caught before they hit 60+ home runs? The only reason Gene Wojciechowski hates these men is because they happened to be the one who set records, who achieved great fame and fortune. Dozens of other players used steroids, but for most, none will ever care or know, besides themselves. Should these four men be in the Hall of Fame? I would say not. But do they deserve to be spat upon for having had the misfortune to excel unlike numerous other cheaters? I would also say not.