Okay, maybe not. But Pete Abraham has declared he will no longer use the privilege of his Hall of Fame vote to serve as morality police. And his rationale is spot on. The role of the Hall of Fame voters has always been to select the most deserving players from every era, stains and all. They are instructed to consider integrity and character, but this has not prevented the BBWAA from electing crooks, liars and cheaters before. The Hall is full of them.
Abraham does not reveal his ballot, and he voted for Bagwell last year anyway. But I think its an encouraging sign that a prominent writer is taking this stand. If more voters adopt Abraham's view, the completely unsubstantiated whispers of steroid use won't matter much at all, and we can all start planning our trips to Cooperstown to see the the induction of two Astro greats. Maybe that's wishful thinking.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
