The Atlanta Braves are picking up right where they left off after a sizzling September to close last season, blasting the Chicago Cubs for a 16-5 opening day victory. The day was highlighted by budding-superstar rookie Jason Heyward, who lived up to the hype by connecting on a three-run homer in his first major league at bat. A perfect start to manager Bobby Cox final season before heading into retirement.
Heyward Leads Braves To Victory
The day belonged to Jason Heyward. After ripping the cover off the ball at every level off the minor leagues, Heyward left the Braves’ organization no choice but to give him the starting nod, supplanting starter Matt Diaz in right field.
Beating out Diaz was no easy task, as he batted .313 with 13 homers in 2009 after supplanting Jeff Francoeur and sending him packing to the New York Mets
Heyward jumped from Single A to Triple A in 2009, bringing along with him comparisons to baseball greats Ken Griffey and Alex Rodriguez who arrived in the big leagues early. At age 20, Heyward stands 6′4″ and 220 pounds. He has multiple tools, hitting for average, hitting for power and stealing you a base when you need it.
The next big star.
Heyward and his teammates have the radar set on the Philadelphia Phillies. While the Braves made a number of moves to improve in the offseason with the acquisitions of Melky Cabrera, Troy Glaus and Billy Wagner, they have coupled budding stars with seasoned veterans to make a big run in 2010.
On the otherhand, the Phillies stood pat. They swapped Cliff Lee for Roy Halladay, which is just an even swap and they added an aging Placido Polanco to replace Pedro Feliz. With the biggest problem being their bullpen, the Phillies chose not to fill that hole and enter 2010 with a bullpen believed to be worse than one of baseball worst pens in 2009. And struggling closer Brad Lidge has started the season on the DL.
If Opening Day is a sign of things to come, the Phillies may be struggling to keep up with the Braves in 2010. While the Phillies have made it to back to back World Series, they did so in unimpressively in many baseball insiders eyes. Thanks to an unbalanced schedule that increases the number of divisional games to 18, the Phillies were able to tee off on the struggling NL East teams. In contrast, St. Louis and Chicago had to struggle to get into the playoffs in the much tougher NL Central and the Dodgers and Rockies had to fend for their lives in the NL West. The Phillies benefited tremendously with 72 games against their NL East combatants.
The Phillies won’t have that luxury this season thanks to the Braves, as well as the improved Florida Marlins and New York Mets. During the Phillies’ World Series Championship run they recorded a losing record against winning-record teams and in 2009 they posted just a breakeven record against the best team’s in baseball. The shortened rotation and rosters in the playoff disguised an incomplete team that struggled over the course of 162 game season. At 19 players, the Phillies are the best team in baseball. At 24 players, they are just slightly better than average.
The Phillies now have more competition that will gnaw at the weaknesses by making the regular season more grueling. With the increased prominence of the Braves and other NL East teams, the Phillies no longer have rollover games against Triple A laden squads. The glaring holes at the back of the rotation and in the bullpen will be ever present for the Phillies this year and Jason Heyward, along with his Braves, are ready to take their place at the top of the heap.
One thing that you can usually count on each April is one prediction…the New York Yankees being the team to beat in Major League Baseball. 2010 will be no different, with the Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays scrambling for second place and hoping for the Yankees to stumble. The likelihood of a stumble this season appears slim, but that is why they play the games.
Jeter Looks For One More Ring
New York Yankees
The reigning World Series champs returned to their late 1990s form and displayed pure dominance during the playoffs as they kicked aside the Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies en route to their 27th championship. Last year’s team had very few holes and they left little question as to who was the best team.
During the offseason, they Yankees didn’t sit idly by and revamped their roster for a run at back-to-back titles. Aging All-Stars Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui were bid adieu along with starting CF Melky Cabrera. Replacing these key components are OF Curtis Granderson, DH Nick Johnson and P Javier Vasquez. Within the shakeup, they Yankees placed their left field fortunes in the hands of OF Brett Gardner with veteran free agent signee Randy Winn as a parachute.
No question, the Yankees offensive output will be down, but even with the departures, they’ll likely still put up huge numbers and possibly lead the league in most offensive stat categories. The improvements come in the pitching rotation where they plugged the hole in the fifth starter position and returned Joba Chamberlain to the bullpen where he is better served. Javier Vasquez and Phil Hughes will hold down the 4th and 5th starter spots for the best pitching rotation in baseball. And should they get the expected 7 inning quality start, Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera will combine together again to close the door on any ideas of a late-run rally.
Key Additions: OF Curtis Granderson, 1B/DH Nick Johnson, OF Marcus Thames, P Javier Vazquez, OF Randy Winn
Key Subtractions: Melky Cabrera (OF), Johnny Damon (OF), Hideki Matsui (DH), Xavier Nady (OF), Chien-Ming Wang (P), Phil Coke (P), Brian Bruney (P)
Prediction: 102-60 (World Series Champs)
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox once again were the bridesmaids in the AL East in 2009, assuming their familiar position of watching the Yankees from the hindside. After a strong start to the season led by Jason Bay, the Red Sox fizzled as their starting pitching fell apart and their offense went quiet. Limping into the playoffs, the Los Angeles Angels made quick work of the Sox and sent them home for an early fall vacation.
The Red Sox went to work in the offseason, opening their wallets and spending big to secure free agents that will plug the holes which troubled them in 2009. The big acquisition was John Lackey, whom Red Sox fans hope will be the Yankee killer he was in Los Angeles. Despite recent injury woes, the Red Sox unloaded a huge contract on a pitcher that has flown under the radar for most of his career. In Boston, he will be unable to avoid the spotlight and how he responds to the glare will be the big story in Beantown. A player known to unleash on his teammates that make errors, Lackey will be under a microscope early and often.
Offensively, the Red Sox have major question marks. The loss of Jason Bay is huge, especially when you replace him with journeyman Mike Cameron. Bay was the lifeblood of last year’s offense, carrying the team of his back as David “Big Papi” Ortiz watched his skills evaporate as he came down from his steroids abuse behavior. While Victor Martinez brings some added pop to the lineup, his hitting is already beginning to tail of with age and his ability to call a game behind the plate pales in comparison to Jason Varitek. The left side of the infield is brand new, as Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro bring less than adequate pop to a struggling lineup.
The Red Sox changes really came off unbalanced. The pitching staff was less of an issue than the bats in the field and they went for the arms in the free agency. Acquisitions like Cameron and Beltre are unlikely to payoff and the Red Sox will struggle to earn second place in the division.
Key Additions: John Lackey (SP), Mike Cameron (OF), Adrian Beltre (3B), Marco Scutaro (SS)
Key Losses: Jason Bay (OF), Billy Wagner (RP)
Prediction: 90-72
Tampa Bay Rays
The biggest disappointment of 2009 was without a doubt the Tampa Bay Rays. With huge expectations on their shoulders, the team got off to a rocky start and never recovered. The starting pitching was average, the batting was underwhelming and the bullpen was a disaster. It was a fraction of the performance from a team that surprised the baseball world and finally broke through in 2008.
Despite the issues, the Rays held pat during the offseason, being their usually frugal selves. The main move was to secure Rafael Soriano, who will without question help them maintain a few more leads than they did in 2009. But keeping up with the Yankees and Red Sox required more than hoping the young players will improve significantly after a poor campaign. The pitching staff is anchored by Matt Garza and Jamie Shields, but the Rays success will hinge on the growth of Jeff Niemann, David Price and Wade Davis. The offense can plate runs, but they aren’t going to knock the cover off the ball, so their success will ultimately reside on their bullpen delivering, which is unlikely.
Key Additions: Rafael Soriano (RP)
Key Losses: Akinori Iwamura (2B)
Prediction: 85-77
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles finally look to be moving in the right direction in hopes of breaking the annual losing record streak that has stretched now for 13 years. The Orioles made a few nice veteran additions during the offseason that will likely blend well with the stream of young future stars that the Orioles are banking their success upon. The young offensive core is led by Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, Matt Wieters and Nolan Reimold. On the mound, the Orioles have a legitimate AL Rookie of the Year candidate in Brian Matusz.
For the first time in many years, Orioles fan have some optimism that is well deserved. The team should improve significantly over a lost 2009 campaign and set itself up to be a future contender in the AL East.
Key Additions: Kevin Millwood (SP), Mike Gonzalez (RP), Garrett Atkins (1B), Miguel Tejada (3B)
Key Losses: None
Prediction: 75 – 87
Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays cut ties with GM J.P. Ricciardi after a host of awful contract extensions and inability to develop a minor league system to build for the future. Ricciardi’s tenure has likely set this team on a direction to be the cellar dwellars for the next few years as they rebound from his poor decisions.
In the offseason, the big move was sending Roy Halladay on his way to a winning ballclub for minor-league prospect and budding star pitcher Kyle Drabek. Unfortunately for Jays fans, Drabek is at least one, perhaps two years away from making it to the bigs, as is Brett Wallace, the budding third base prospect that was the other keystone of the Halladay trade.
For the Blue Jays just to stay out of the cellar, everything will need to go right. With a below average pitching staff and struggling offensive output, the Jays will find a 4th place AL East finish to be a huge accomplishment.
Key Additions: Alex Gonzalez (SS), Kevin Gregg (RP)
Last week Derek Jeter addressed the media on what he foresees in the future when his contract ends after the 2010 season. He sees himself as being in the pinstripes till he is done playing. In a class act, he told the media that he will not answer anymore questions regarding a new contract until the season is over and never wanted to become a free agent. Jeter has always put his team first and that is one of the reasons he is so loved by Yankee fans…
Jeter is coming off a great season in which he lead the Yankees to another World Series title. He batted .334 to go along with 18 homers and 66 RBI’s. He was the most consistent Yankee all year long and kept them on the positive road when they were not playing at their best to start the season. He personifies the word Captain as he leads by example on and off the field. Jeter was open to discussing a contract extension but team rules prevent negotiating when a contract is current. Jeter will abide by these rules and get ready to defend the World Series title with his teammates. He wants no distractions to effect his team, again team first.
I have watched Derek Jeter since he was a rookie and consider it a real privilege to watch his whole career as a Yankee fan. He was a clutch player from the start as has never stopped being clutch for one minute. He takes his legacy as a Yankee legend very seriously along with being a role model. The youths of America need to look up to someone like Jeter. Sports icons are role models whether they believe it or not.
Will Derek Jeter get a contact extension after the 2010 season?
It would be a devastating thing for Jeter to be in any other uniform other than pinstripes. The Yankees need to reward Derek with a contract extension that will set him up in pinstripes for the rest of his career. Jeter will likely surpass the magically 3000 hit mark in 2011. Could you imagine him doing it in another uniform. Yankee brass, do it for Derek, do it for the fans. I have no doubt that Derek Jeter will be a Yankee Forever.
Kenny Rogers made famous these riveting lyrics many years ago, “You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em. Know when to walk away and know when to run.” Somebody should have played the song for Johnny Damon, as his gamble didn’t pay off today as the New York Yankees signed former San Francisco Giants OF Randy Winn today as his replacement. The signing most likely is the final chapter of Damon’s tenure in New York.
Damon's Days In Pinstripes Appear Over
Winn’s signing comes shortly after Damon’s agent, Scott Boras, rejected the Yankees latest and final offer. Winn’s contract is a one-year deal for $2 million, providing the Yankees with an economical replacement whose fielding capabilities are superior to Damon. Winn will likely platoon in the outfield with Brett Gardner and Nick Swisher. Winn struggled last year, batting just .262 with only 2 home runs and 51 runs batted in.
The decision by the Yankees to go economical signals they will likely be players in the 2011 free agency market for an outfielder. Carl Crawford, Jayson Werth, Brad Hawpe and Magglio Ordonez are all expected to test the waters after the upcoming season. That’s so long as the Yankees still have money left over after unloading their riches on Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer.
As for Damon, he wins this year’s Scott Boras Bonehead Client of The Year. Previous winners of the award are Alex Rodriguez and Bobby Abreu, who earned the same distinctions following the 2007 and 2008 season’s respectively. To earn the award, you must display unshaken faith in your agent, believe all of his shoe shining about how great you are and leave yourself out on the free agency marketing until there are no suitors interested in your services.
The Yankees had offered Damon early in the free agency signing period a two-year deal worth $14 million. Boras directed Damon to request a higher annual salary and three years…call their bluff. Sorry Scotty, they weren’t bluffing.
There aren’t a lot of options out there for Damon, as most teams have addressed their needs and don’t have a budget for Damon. The Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds probably have the inside track, but their offering won’t be nearly as good as the Yankees. Perhaps the Florida Marlins may pursue as well now that they have been mandated to spend more money or feel the wrath of the other MLB owners.
It is disappointing to see this happen to a class act like Johnny Damon. He’s done nothing but play his heart out for every team he’s played for, been loved by the fans in each town and provided a positive influence in the locker room at every stop. Due to his agent’s bad advice, he’ll likely be taking a bargain price 1-year deal on a non-contender team as he fades into the pasture.
The saddest part of this story is that when and if Damon does sign, Boras will actually get paid for his top-shelf services. It is almost criminal.
The Oakland A’s made a surprise announcement today, confirming they had signed former All-Star pitcher Ben Sheets for the upcoming season. The deal is for one year at a price tag of $10 million. Sheets immediately becomes the ace of one of baseball’s most inexperienced pitching staffs.
Sheets, who missed the entire 2009 season due to an elbow injury that required reconstructive surgery, recently impressed during a workout session in Monroe, Louisiana. Sheets tossed 50 pitches during the session, topping out at 92 MPH on the radar gun.
Considered an outside pursuer, the Oakland A’s surprised the other suitors in the mix. It was believed that the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers were the favorites to land Sheets. Instead, Sheets took the highest offer on the table to lead the staff of one of baseball’s worst clubs.
It appears that Oakland’s motives may be more for trade bait at the baseball trade deadline given the price tag and length of contract offered. General Manager Billy Beane is the master trade dealer and is probably looking at Sheets as an opportunity to obtain a promising prospect come July.
A masterful move by one of the brightest minds in baseball, especially if he is able to parlay Sheets into multiple prospects.
Mark McGwire has been taking hits left and right this week. First it was Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk taking aim saying that McGwire cheated the game and that his use of steroids for injury recovery was a cop out. Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins called on McGwire to apologize to every pitcher he cheated. Now comes revelations from his former steroids dealer, Curt Wenzlaff.
In an interview conducted Thurdsay for ESPN’s Outside the Lines (to air this Sunday), Wenzlaff confirmed rumors that McGwire’s steroid abuse began in the late 1980s. During the interview, Wenzlaff shared McGwire’s drug regimen:
½ cc of testosterone cypionate every three days
one cc of testosterone enanthate per week
one-quarter cc of Equipoise and Winstrol V, every three days
McGwire would inject the drug cocktail into his buttocks, confirming accusations made by Jose Canseco in his now famous book that outed Major League Baseball and its steroids abuse among players.
When asked how the drug combination would help McGwire, Wenzlaff shared, “Will it help you hit a baseball? Let me put it to you this way. If Paris Hilton was to take that array, she could run over Dick Butkus.”
The new allegations of steroid use in the late 1980s were confirmed by FBI documents related to Wenzlaff’s arrest during the landmark Operation Equine steroids case that resulted in 70 convictions. These new findings, confirmed by Wenzlaff, contradicts McGwire’s claims during his recent press conference where he admitted he used steroids and that he began taking steroids in the early 1990s to combat persistent injuries.
Wenzlaff response to McGwire’s claim that he took steroids to stay healthy was comical. “I chuckled. If excelling and kicking ass on the field is the end result I guess that’s a healthy, good feeling. But for health, there are other things you can take for health that are anabolic, but it wouldn’t be that type of combination.”
It’s time for Mark McGwire to come completely clean or the St. Louis Cardinals need to reconsider his involvement with their ballclub. If his steroid use spanned his entire career, there is no place for him in basball.
Without question, this latest information all but seals McGwire’s doom for Hall of Fame entry. It is quite obvious he cheated from the very beginning of his career and his stats are entirely tainted. It time for McGwire to turn the page and head off into the sunset for good.
Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum is looking for a record $13 million in salary arbitration. The Giants have offered $8 million. Last season Lincecum made just $650,000, truly a bargain for sure. If the Giants and Lincecum do not settle, there will be a hearing next month to settle somewhere between the two amounts.
Even if he settles for the $8 million, Lincecum salary will increase by twelve times. Not a bad raise. The question arises on whether Tim is worthy of breaking the bank.
Tim Lincecum is looking for a record breaking salary arbitration deal.
Lincecum more than has the stats to substantiate the thirteen million he has sought. He will turn just 26 this year and has many great years ahead of him. He boasts a career record of 40-17 with a 2.90 ERA. His last two seasons speak volumes. He is 33-12 with a poultry 2.55 ERA.
Lincecum lead the league with 526 strikeouts for a league best also 10.5 per nine innings. Hitters only batted .214 against him and his .733 win percentage was also a league best.
These outstanding stats led to back to back NL Cy Young awards. Lincecum has the stats and youth to be more than worthy of a earned raise of this magnitude. Lincecum has some of the most electrifying stuff in the game today.
He has won the Cy Young award in each of his first full two seasons. How many more can he win is a intriguing question? Pitchers like him don’t come along very often. He is truly a diamond in the ruff.
You also got to remember that he has done all of this winning and league leading a Giant’s team that has been less than dominant. I remember the first time I saw him pitch. I was amazed that a little guy could have the torque to produce the velocity and movement on his pitches. I was impressed then and could not be more impressed now.
In conclusion, I obviously agree that Lincecum should get the $13 million. He not only deserves it, but it will establish goodwill between him and the Giants, squashing any chances of bad feelings between them.
He is in the top tier of starters in baseball. This annual salary is a good start at him being paid as much as them. I hope Lincecum gets his money and breaks the salary arbitration record.
A comeback story is the most heartwarming situation in sports. Everyone likes to pull for that guy that is down and out, trying to make it back. Yesterday, the spotlight was on former Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Ben Sheets as he hosted a workout at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
Sheets Impresses At Workout
Sheets put together perhaps his best year in 2008, dueling side-by-side with C.C. Sabathia down the stretch as they helped get the Brewers into the playoffs. Sheets season came to an unfortunate early end due to a torn flexor tendon in his throwing arm elbow.
Sheets had hoped that rest would allow for the elbow to get heal, but a physical exam with the Texas Rangers in February 2009 revealed otherwise. Sheets opted for surgery, having renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews conduct the repairs. The surgery was covered by the Milwaukee Brewers despite no longer having a contract with them given he was placed on their disabled list due to the injury.
According to a report on AOL Fanhouse, Sheets first threw 20 fastballs during his workout, maxing the radar gun at 91 mph. After a quick break, he threw a second session of 20 pitches, mixing in curveballs. His third session consisted of 10 pitches, where Sheets’ fastball was clocked at a top speed of 88 mph. The report noted that Sheets appeared to be “gassed,” near the end of the session.
Not too bad for a guy that hasn’t thrown meaningfully in 16 months.
He had a number of scouts from ballclubs in attendance to watch. The teams reviewing Sheets included the Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics, and Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs, Mets and Rangers are believed to be the favorites.
Whoever gets Sheets will likely get a major bargain. Given the injury, Sheets cannot demand a lengthy contract or any guarantees. The contract will be incentive laden, so whatever club gets him pays for performance. If Sheets can return to the form he displayed in 2008, the club that takes the risk on him could be rewarded with a top of the rotation stud at a great price.
At this point, I’d put my money on the Texas Rangers. With his former pitching coach Mike Maddux now heading the staff, it looks like the most appropriate landing spot. Not to mention the respect and courtesy that the Rangers organization has shown Sheets during his recovery. It would be nice to see a player show the same respect back to a team that cared about him, even if they don’t bring the best offer to the table.
What did Tony La Russa know and when did he reallyknow it?
That is the question that is swirling in Major League Baseball as part of the fallout surrounding Mark McGwire’s admission that he used steroids. Former St. Louis Cardinals Jack Clark and Andy Van Slyke have shared their disappointment in McGwire and the Cardinals’ organization over his admission and current employment as hitting coach.
Larussa Needs Help With His Math Skills
The former Cardinal first baseman Clark has been very vocal, not only about McGwire, but La Russa’s involvement. Clark shared his opinion with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that McGwire should not be allowed to make a living in major league baseball and that he “should be banned from baseball more than ever.”
But Clark didn’t stop there. “His own manager never knew that Canseco and McGwire and anybody else ever had taken steroids? Trust me, from [a former player], I have a lot of insight into who did what and when but I’m not even going to talk about it. It really doesn’t matter.”
On the other side of the debate, La Russa’s former players have come to his defense. Former Oakland A’s pitcher Dave Stewart has stated, “I trust Tony fully on this. I believe what he says. I’ve been asked a lot about McGwire and what I knew. And the answer is ‘absolutely nothing.’ That’s the truth.”
Former A’s outfielder Dave Henderson’s position on the subject hedged better than a Washington politician. “The manager doesn’t shower with us. We all have clothes on when we’re with the manager, but I’m sure he probably figured something was up,” Henderson said. “But it’s not his job to be a cop. He was in quite a quandary. If you accuse a player of doing steroids and he’s not, you’re in big trouble.”
The comments from Henderson really are a cop out. La Russa’s job is to understand what is going on with his players and help them not only become better ballplayers, but also better people that represent the organization that he helps lead. It is absolutely his job to be a cop.
La Russa is one of the brightest minds in baseball, nobody will disagree with that. He is a sure fire Hall Of Famer when he retires for his contributions to the game as a manager. So we have to ask, if he is that smart, how on earth did he grow so stupid so quick in not knowing about McGwire’s steroid use until just prior to his admission.
Please Tony, we all know better and you are embarrassing yourself here. La Russa has more knowledge about baseball in his little pinky finger than the everyday fan. All you need to do is look at the stats.
McGwire’s batting average rose by 29 points post 1994. His singles ratio went slightly down. His doubles ratio went slightly down. The only thing that went up was his home run ratio, improving from one homer every 14 at bats to one every 8.2 at bats. These improvements happened on the backside of his career, which is not typical.
Even a moron can figure out what occurred. McGwire’s previous flyouts turned into home runs. His contact with the ball declined based on the singles and double ratio drops, consistent with his age. He just got an extra 50 feet on his flyballs by juicing and they cleared the fence. It is as simple as that.
La Russa needs to understand he is doing a disservice to himself and the Cardinals organization by saying he never knew and had no reason to suspect that McGwire was taking performance enhancing drugs.
If that is the case, and La Russa wants to stick by his story, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak should fire La Russa immediately. If La Russa really didn’t know, then he is incompetent. If he can’t do the same simple math that a sixth grade student could produce, he shouldn’t be leading the Cardinals any longer.
After Mark McGwire’s recent admission to what many have assumed for years, steroid users and their chances of getting in to the Hall of Fame has again come to the forefront.
Should he get in?
To be honored with a plaque in Cooperstown, a player must garner at least a 75% voting percentage from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Recently, ESPN’s Buster Olney stated that he doesn’t believe that he and other writers should be a part of the voting process. Part of his reasoning is because he believes that the writers’ responsibilities are to report the stories, not be the stories. This is exactly what has happened, though, as different writers have voiced their opinion on why some of the PED users should or should not get into the Hall of Fame. Without a strict guideline, there is no starting point for these writers to base their vote.
The Baseball Hall of Fame and top officials of the MLB need to collaborate and decide how they want to handle the voting process for players from the “steroids era.” Both ends of the spectrum could be debated equally, but without coming to a consensus on how the writers should vote, the story will not go away. Either give everyone a fair chance to get in based on their career numbers, or state that any known user will not be eligible for the honor.
Should the decision be made to not allow anyone who juiced up in their career into the Hall, there would be some hurdles that would have to be cleared. Only a select few players have come out and publicly admitted their use. For seasons where testing was minimal or where the rules did not specifically ban the use of steroids, this could become problematic. Are there test results incriminating many players? Will the names of everyone be released? Are there players who may have passed tests but were still users? Surly the answer to those questions is ‘yes’, but especially with the last question, without concrete proof, how does one vote?
The easiest course of action would be to allow everyone the same opportunity to get in. If their numbers support it, let them be enshrined. Release all prior test results and known users. If they did use, let that be noted on their plaque for everyone to frown upon years from now when they visit the wing of jacked up Hall of Famers.
