Another Black Sox Hall Candidate
How about Eddie Cicotte, another of the Black Sox? He was the Roger Clemens of his day. Prior to the 1919 World Series, Cicotte’s record over a dozen seasons was 198-148. He had 28 and 29-win seasons, five years with ERAs under 2.00, and a career 2.37 ERA. In his time, he was considered a far superior pitcher to Red Faber, his Hall of Fame teammate.
Could the argument be advanced that the Jackson and Cicotte sins of throwing games was worse than the Bonds-Clemens sins of doping? Feel free to make that case if you want, although it seems to me that all you would be debating was the appropriate circle of hell on which to consign each of the sinners. Both actions were readily understood to be wrong at the time the transgressions occurred; in each case the players simply opted to take their chances on the consequences in the hope of gaining riches … which by the way they all did gain.
Those, like Costas, who base their support of Bonds and Clemens on the view that both had amassed Hall of Fame credentials prior to violating the game’s rules – and that therefore their transgressions somehow don’t count — should be asked, “would you then also vote for Shoeless Joe Jackson and Eddie Cicotte, looking past their transgressions? Had they retired the day before the 1919 World Series began, they’d both be in the Hall today, too.
As if that’s a valid standard.