On June 28th, 1987, Mark McGwire homered twice to tie a Major League record with five homers over two games as the OAKLAND Athletics beat Cleveland, 10-0.

Mark McGwire won the 1987 American League Rookie of Year vote when he hit 49 HR. Born to hit homers (he hit 583 HR in his 16 year career) he is somehow not in the Hall of Fame.

Even though McGwire hit a ton of home runs before the “Steroid Era”, many Hall of Fame voters continue to want him excluded. Just like they do with Bonds and Clemens.

Regular readers of ClimbingSky know I have no patience for this kind of hypocrisy. Babe Ruth never played against a Black baseball player, but he is in the Hall of Fame.

Everyone in baseball turned a blind eye during the so-called Steroid Era, but only a few players now continue to be penalized for what everyone may or may not have been doing.

Anyone lucky enough to have seen McGwire play from his rookie season on knows that he was special. A once in a generation kind of power hitter.

Someday, he and Bonds and Clemens will be there. I hope it is within their lifetimes. Though I suspect it may not.

If Donald Trump, a convicted felon, can be President of the United States, how can anyone say that McGwire doesn’t belong in the Baseball Hall of Fame?