I may as old as you but the steroids bother me. Bennies are good for a wake up but you don’t get super human strength. NFL guys used to take them by the handful.
Arod has been a great player. Who cares about HOF? Don Sutton, Gaylord Perry and Kirby Puckett are in there. Enough said.

Rogers. Hornsby.

While ARod might have benefitted from Steroids, look at BEFORE and AFTER pictures of Bonds, Sosa and Big Mac. Would you even recognize them as the same guy? Now do it for ARod. See ANY difference?

If ARod can hit 54 HRs in YS (28 Away) at age 31, is it that much of a stretch to think he could average 52 HRs over 3 years (ages 25-27) in Texas (avg 25 Away) ?

With many players, you can look at their HR stats and see the really strange anomally.
A-Gon. Best HR year: 57. 2nd best: 31. But… who really knows.
Bonds and Sosas before and after HR numbers jump out at you.

You can’t believe everything ARod says, but when he says he’s not sure he even used PEDs correctly (as opposed to Bonds and Mac who made a science of it), well….. I believe that. Kind of typical ARod.

Is ARod the greatest overall middle infielder in MLB history?

This whole steroids thing is bullshit.
Bonds is a no doubter HOFer, steroids or not.
Big Mac…. probably.
Sosa…. close, but could be debated.
ARod is first ballot HOF material.

P.S. Thome has the same career OPS+ as ARod… 146.
No SBs or running skills, no great D, and a 1st baseman. But still, the guy was pretty freakin good.

Indeed, and this is why I hate the whole PED mess, because it has tarnished everybody. Since I am one of those who happens to be more bothered by PED use, where others have reconciled themselves (and yes, we all know the arguments…no need to rehearse them here), I am forced when presented with the choice to yes to all of them or no, to say no. Whether the HoF actually blocks out this era or not is of little consequence to me personally, because I have already done so. The pursuit of various single season and career records, and entry the HoF itself, simply hold very little interest for; they generate no passion or enthusiasm or excitement or anticipation.

That said, I would be surprised if Rodriguez got the same amount of dunning that those who continued to deny their use have had. That would really be hypocritical; punishing someone who tells the truth (and few people like “the truth” as much as they say they do) just as hard as if they didn’t. Some players are probably thinking, “what’s the point? It’s not going to change anything with these people…” and unless we’re shown otherwise, it’s a rational defense. It’s a “mute” argument at best; if Rodriguez cannot be in the Hall of Fame, then nobody should; in effect you are blacking out a couple of decades of baseball greatness and calling into question any present players recently inducted; not to mention the validity of the HoF itself. Hell, you might want to rename it the Brotherhood of Fame.