Write your search in the input below and press enter.
Esc to close.

The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich

Peak Performance:
Not Just for Sports, for Life

  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
    • Recent
    • Athletes
    • Coaching
    • Sports Parenting
    • Sports Administrators
    • Life
    • Administrators
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Hello. Sign In

My Account
  • Login
  • Register
0
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk
Subscribe
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich
  • Recent
  • Athletes
  • Coaching
  • Sports Parenting
  • Life
  • Administrators
Home / Blog / Voting for MLB Hall of Fame Might be Toughest Job in Sports

Voting for MLB Hall of Fame Might be Toughest Job in Sports

By: Dr. Chris Stankovich | @DrStankovich | Jan 10, 2013

No Comments

barry-bonds.001251591

Today we learned that Major League Baseball will not be enshrining any new members this year, surprising news to some when you consider Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa were eligible candidates.  Under “normal,” non-steroid conditions each of these men would have easily been first-ballot winners, but in response to their performance enhancement usage the majority of sportswriters voting this year decided to shut them out.  Herein lies the issue: Sports writers using their own subjective criteria to parse out who should and shouldn’t be elected to the Hall of Fame.

It goes without saying that athletes who cheat accumulate inflated, artificial stats (i.e. Barry Bonds 73 HR’s in a season at age 36 is a perfect example).  From that stand point, it’s a no-brainer to not elect players whose numbers are bloated from steroids.  But when we begin to discriminate the legitimacy of sports statistics and include steroid users, we are also opening up Pandora’s Box to other former players who corked bats, threw spitballs, and did other things to gain an unfair advantage on the competition.  My point is that it’s almost impossible to ascertain to what extent players have cheated over the years (including many who are already in the HOF).

The Complexities of the “Steroid Era”

Making things even more complex is the fact that some have called the 1990’s/2000’s the “steroid era,” with the assumption that most players during that time cheated in some way.  Assuming this is even partially true, you could make an argument that the table was level, so to speak, if both pitchers and hitters were cheating.  Sure, it compromises the integrity of the game, but if everyone is cheating it balances things out, too.

Sports Writer Bias?

The one factor I have noticed that really hasn’t been discussed yet has to do with the individuals who do the voting – the sports writers.  Even in good times I used to question if writer subjectivity could be controlled for when evaluating “bubble players” who the media just didn’t like (Curt Schilling would be an example).  This year I have read countless quotes from sports writers voicing their disdain toward the cheating players, and their exhaustion in trying to find a fair and suitable way to decide who should be in and who should be shut out.  I believe the zero acceptance rate this year is evidence toward all of this — it seems as though the writers are lost in trying to find common criteria to judge, and tired of the ongoing, year-after-year debates about enshrining cheaters.  The result? Nobody got in, and several media personalities boasted about why they didn’t vote.  Is this the answer?

Next year new players will be eligible, and we must wonder if the criteria used this year will loosen — or become even more extreme?  And I’m not sure if sports writers should continue to be the folks voting on the HOF, as we are seeing increasingly more bias based on the personalities of some players, even at the expense of on-field accomplishments.  How did Craig Biggio, a player never accused of using steroids and with over 3,000 hits, not get in this year?  And what about Mike Piazza, another player who is not in the HOF yet easily has HOF numbers (apparently many writers believe he might have used, even though there is no evidence of this).  Talk about an impossible job!  How are these writers supposed to select players when they factor in steroids, personalities, character, and now even mere speculation of drug use??

 www.drstankovich.com

 

 

  • Author
  • Comments
  • Details
Get to Know the Author

Dr. Chris Stankovich

Dr. Stankovich has written/co-written five books, including Positive Transitions for Student Athletes, The ParentsPlaybook, Mind of Steel.

Latest Blog Posts

  • May 19, 2022 Create your Own “Luck” by Better Positioning & Preparation
  • May 17, 2022 Many Kids are Struggling with their Mental Health Right Now — Here’s How We Can Help
  • May 16, 2022 Legal Sports Gambling is Everywhere Today, But is this a Good Thing?
  • May 13, 2022 Resiliency and Successful Stress Coping are Key to Optimal Mental Health
  • May 10, 2022 Encourage Student Athletes to Ask for Help if they are Feeling Overwhelmed by Stress

Comments are closed.

PREVIOUS POST

Assessing “Mental Illness” in the Aftermath of Sandy Hook

NEXT POST

Junior Seau Autopsy Reveals Brain Damage, But There’s More to the Story

Category

Athletes , Leadership , Leadership and Role Modeling , Off Field Issues , Pro and College Sports , Social Responsibility , Sport Philosophy , Sport Psychology , Sport Sociology , Sports Administrators , Sports Culture and Society , Sports Leadership , Sports Media , Sports Performance Science , Uncategorized

Tags

  • Recent Posts
  • Most Read
  • Create your Own "Luck" by Better Positioning & Preparation
  • Many Kids are Struggling with their Mental Health Right Now -- Here's How We Can Help
  • Legal Sports Gambling is Everywhere Today, But is this a Good Thing?
  • Resiliency and Successful Stress Coping are Key to Optimal Mental Health
  • Encourage Student Athletes to Ask for Help if they are Feeling Overwhelmed by Stress
  • Overcome the Fear of Failure, Improve Mental Toughness, & Experience Success
  • 4 Important Team Building Tips to Help Coaches Succeed
  • Travel League or Recreation? How Parents Can Make (or Break) the Youth Sport Experience
  • Learn the Latest Research to See if Sport Specialization is Right for You
  • How Much Impact Does a Coach Have on Sports Team Success?
  • The Sports Doc on TV

    Catch Dr. Stankovich’s tv, radio, and print interviews and columns here!

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Watch Videos
  • Sport Performance Assessment

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Quickly and accurately test your level of mental toughness in just a few minutes using the Sport Performance Assessment.

    (SPA), an easy-to-use sport psychology system specially designed to help you REACH YOUR FULL ATHLETIC POTENTIAL.

    learn more
  • SportsSuccess360

    Life strategies for performance and character development for coaches, parents, and student athletes competing in youth and interscholastic sports.

    Life Strategies learn more
  • Contact Dr. Stankovich

    1395 Grandview Avenue Suite 6, Columbus OH 43212

    (614) 561-4482
    Media & General Inquiries
    information@drstankovich.com
    Sales & Product Support
    sales@drstankovich.com
  • About Dr. Stankovich

    • Media
    • Blog
    • Testimonials
  • Products

    • Toolkits
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Audio
    • iPhone Apps
  • Services

    • Athlete Performance Training
    • Parent Community Forum
    • Coach Education & Development
    • Athletic Crisis Response and Intervention
    • Drug & Alcohol Assessment
    • Life Success Programs
    • Counseling & Consulting Services
  • Blog
  • YouTube
  • twitter
  • facebook

All rights reserved © 2022 Advanced Human Performance Systems™

↓ ↓