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August 1, 2005
Hall Pass Revoked?
While not a scholar of the US legal system, it seems to me that Rafael Palmeiro could be in a lot of trouble. In addition to the fine and suspension Major League Baseball will impose for his admission to using a banned substance (steroids), he could face legal action for perjuring himself to a Congressional Investigative Panel. I'm stunned because of all the players that testified in front of the committee, I believed Palmeiro was telling the truth when he denied, emphatically, ever using steroids. It's a shame because just two weeks ago Palmeiro became one of only three players to amass 3000 hits and 500 homeruns in a career. So, the question I'm asking is; what does this do to Palmeiro's Hall of Fame chances? Should a guy who voiced so vehemently that he didn't use steroids only to test positive weeks later be considered for the Hall of Fame? Based on his career statistics, he's a First Ballot lock, however, there are players with stats that are just as impressive and they're still waiting for their Hall Pass; Shoeless Joe Jackson and Pete Rose for example. The next few weeks are going to be very enlightening as Palmeiro is the most high profile player to be caught utilizing MLB's new testing standards. He's got a lot to do to placate those fans who trusted him, teammates who stood by him and ownership that backed him. How he weathers this storm will be telling as to whether or not the Hall calls.
Posted by Kevin O'Leary at 11:48 PM
