Reds icon Joey Votto exposes Hall of Fame debate nobody wants to talk about

Hall of Fame weekend just came an went and we are, once again, having the steroids debate. Everyone has an opinion on Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and the like, and they’re more than happy to share it. Luckily, there’s Cincinnati Reds legend Joey Votto, who provided a new spin on the argument during an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show last week.

Votto redirected focus from the juiced batters to the “sticky stuff” being used by pitchers during his playing days. Prior to mandatory checks for substances, pitchers had a significant advantage thanks to Spider Tack and other similar products.

Votto noted that, having played against players who were implicated in steroid scandals and pitchers who used “sticky stuff,” the tack was the “clearest difference maker.” If the Hall isn’t going to take a serious look at every unfair advantage that has been gained by baseball players, why penalize a handful of exceptionally talented players (like Clemens and Bonds) who played and participated in an era of ill-gotten gains?

Reds icon Joey Votto flipped the script on the Steroid Era debate by calling attention to “sticky stuff”

Unfortunately, cheating is woven into the fabric of America’s game. It’s so ubiquitous that there’s an entire Wikipedia page devoted to the topic, making baseball the only Big Four sport to have such a listing on the site.

Votto seems to be indicating that picking and choosing which players to penalize when we can’t ever be certain of anyone’s wrongdoing (or lack thereof) denies the real history of baseball. A history that Cooperstown is dedicated to preserving.

The recent decision to let the suspensions of players lapse upon their death is one way for Bonds and Clemens (and others, such as Pete Rose) to get the honor they deserve. But maybe just putting up a plaque isn’t exactly right either.

The point Votto seems to be making is that, while the fundamental aspects of baseball seem ancient, the details of the sport, including the methods of gaining an advantage, change with the times.

A broader discussion about how to evaluate players within the context of their own time and how to then properly communicate that evaluation may be closer to the mark for a true accounting of greatness in baseball.

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