Why MLB Steroid Users SHOULD be in the Hall of Fame.

By: Matthew Orso - SGM Show Columnist

 Now don't get wrong; I believe anyone who cheats the game of baseball should be punished. However, fans of the game need to face the facts. This era of baseball history is marred by steroids and scandals. There is nothing we can do to change it.

I used to believe baseball writers had to redeem the past with justice; that players who took any PEDs should be banned from the game. However I've come to learn something over the last few years. History can not be changed or altered. For better or worst, history is to be defined by the actions and beliefs we bring into life; both good and bad.

Players like Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro and countless others been caught cheating baseball. Morally it is appealing to cheat in a sport that is supposed to promote hard work and fair competition. My belief that no baseball player should using performance enhancing drugs remains. However we cannot change the past, but only move forward to make the future better.

When I think about the Baseball Hall of Fame, the first thoughts appearing in my head are the legends of the past. From Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Walter Johnson thru Ozzie Smith, Roberto Alomar and Barry Larkin; legends of the game are celebrated in Cooperstown. One day I plan to take my children to the Baseball Hall of Fame. I would as if a part of the game were missing if players like Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, etc did not have a plaque.

Through countless baseball conversations, I have come to the belief that the past can not be changed. We can only learn from the past ad move on. This is the baseball equivalent of learning about countless challenges our country has faced while attending middle school. It is not a part of our history that we look back on fondly. However we still look back on it to ensure better times ahead.

History can not be changed. Whether we like it or not players in the steroid era set numerous records that have changed the legacy of baseball. I call upon the Baseball Hall of Fame to set a new standard. Starting in 2014, anyone caught using PEDs should not be eligible for the Hall of Fame. Let baseball players clear the air, Make it clear to athletes that being in MLB is not a right, but a privilege.

National Baseball Hall Of Fame

Any players from the steroid era should be allowed in the Hall of Fame because that was the culture of the time. We will remember the records set and the players who set them. We will also know who set the records with drugs and who set them with honor. We can not change history. It would be a crime for future generations to not know the names Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Mark McGwire. Don't punish the entire future for mistakes made by part of the past.