Baseball Hall of Fame: Joe Morgan takes a stand

In a controversial move, MLB Hall of Fame Vice Chairman Joe Morgan writes a letter to BBWAA voters urging them to reject PEDs/Steroid users for the Hall of Fame.

Twitter was abuzz Tuesday morning after the release of a letter from the MLB Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan. In the letter, Morgan urged BBWAA Hall of Fame voters to block PED users from entering the Hall of Fame. Joe Morgan wrote that he doesn’t speak for every single member of the MLB Hall of Fame, but as the Hall of Fame Vice Chairman his words carry significant weight.

Morgan’s reverence for the MLB Hall of Fame is clear. He writes:

"“I think the Hall of Fame is special. There is a sanctity to being elected to the Hall. It is revered.”"

He explicitly states that “steroid users don’t belong here” and later asserts that anyone who took body-altering chemicals that physically improved how they played should not be in the Hall.

According to Morgan, if a player who did steroids is voted into the MLB Hall of Fame, some current Hall of Famers may no longer participate in the MLB Hall of Fame weekend.

"“It’s gotten to the point where Hall of Famers are saying that if steroid users get in, they’ll no longer come to Cooperstown for Induction Ceremonies or other events. Some feel they can’t share a stage with players who did steroids.”"

Acknowledging the difficulty of knowing for certain who used and who didn’t use steroids, Morgan mentioned three criteria that he and other MLB Hall of Fame players believe are suitable: people who failed drug tests, admitted to using steroids, or were identified in the Mitchell Report.

Throughout the letter, Morgan describes the MLB Hall of Fame as a revered place whose hallowed grounds should not be sullied by steroid users or those who used PEDs.