Let Steroids Users Into Hall of Fame

The Hall of Fame has become baseball’s weapon of last resort against players who’ve used performance-enhancing drugs. Baseball writers can’t ban drug users from the sport or take away their money—but they can deny them a spot in Cooperstown. This crusade is senseless, writes Zev Chafets for the New York Times. Millions of Americans use “performance-enhancing” drugs—think Adderall or Lexapro—why can’t MLB just be honest about what players are doing?

“If everyone has access to the same drugs and training methods,” reasons Chafets, “then the field is level.” Steroids are changing the game, but the game—its equipment, rules, and demographics—has never stopped changing anyway. The only thing, in the end, that fans will not tolerate is “the sense that they are being lied to.”
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