|
 Speaking to Reuters a day after Ken Griffey Jr. was elected to the
Hall of Fame in record fashion, the elder Griffey said that some who
have been overlooked by voting members of the baseball writers'
association belong in Cooperstown.
Griffey Sr., a former outfielder who won two World Series titles
with the Cincinnati Reds, said performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs)
inflated some records, but gave credit to the likes of former
sluggers Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa for their feats.
"They made contact, they played hard, just like we did, and they
still had to hit the ball. They still did it," he said after his son
and Mike Piazza, the other member of the Class of 2016, donned their
Cooperstown jerseys at a news conference.
"It's an opinion thing," the 65-year-old Griffey said, acknowledging
that many view them as cheaters. "But my look at it, they put up the
stats, the numbers. I think they should be in the Hall of Fame."
McGwire smashed 70 homers in 1998, while Sosa belted 66 in an
enthralling duel that captured a nation and shattered the single
season home run mark of 61 set by Roger Maris in 1961.
The duo staged another power show the next season, and may have
spurred on others, including Barry Bonds, to muscle up.
McGwire, who has admitted using PEDs, was named on 12.3 percent of
ballots while Sosa was on 7 percent, both well shy of the 75 percent
needed for election.
The duo put on their home run derby four years after a
players-owners labor conflict led to cancellation of the 1994
postseason and helped revitalize fan interest.
"If it wasn't for Mark and Sammy, those two years that they were
going for all those home runs, baseball would never have brought
fans back," the elder Griffey said.
"Now they blame them for something. That's the tough thing. During
the time they were doing it, everyone loved that. And all of a
sudden they found out he was doing steroids, whatever ... now they
want to turn against them. I thought that was wrong."
[to top of second column] |
Bonds, a seven-time National League MVP who in 2001 raised the home
run record to 73 and retired as the all-time home run leader,
received 44.3 percent in his fourth year on the ballot.
Seven-time Cy Young winner Roger Clemens, linked to PED use, was
named on 45.2 percent.
Both Bonds and Clemens gained more than seven percent from last
year's voting.
Suspicion by some that Piazza may have used PEDs might have kept the
slugging catcher from winning election until his fourth year as a
candidate.
No such doubts were ever harbored about Griffey Jr., the brilliant
all-round talent, whose flowing swing produced 630 career home runs
to go with 184 stolen bases and 10 Gold Glove awards for sensational
defensive skills in center field.
In his first year of eligibility, Griffey Jr. got a record 99.3
percent of the vote, eclipsing the previous mark of 98.84 percent
set by Tom Seaver in 1992.
"He did it the right way," his proud papa said. "He didn't like
being pumped. He didn't like to pump up when he lifted weights, so
he wouldn't lift the weight."
(Editing by Frank Pingue)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
