New book addresses steroids and baseball Hall of Fame

[0:03] ..." his latest Cooperstown confidential heroes rogues and the inside story of the Baseball Hall of Fame. -- thanks for taking time of us this morning. You know as you point out your book about 350000."...

[1:23] ..." you mentioned Bill James in your book in his historical perspective on baseball he mentioned that in the early days the sport virtually. All the players were most of them anyway were Neer do wells"...

[1:41] ..." first of all it used to be for many decades of baseball writers more or less work for the teams that they covered. Protected the players and -- in the age of Internet that's"...

[2:18] ..." Genoa I think that's definitely the case in. -- you mentioned the baseball writers course the players are at the mercy of the members of the baseball writers of America who are the electors to Cooperstown. It had to be one of the biggest indications of perhaps something being"...

[3:19] ..." a lot of them have turned down actually have a game of baseball. You know prologue time. Players use steroids. On the diamond you know in in huge numbers. And these writers completely missed that nobody even thought. -- police steroids changed the game but 700 baseball writers didn't see it happen. And then after it was revealed by political pickle in the other players and and so --"...

[4:16] ..." know lose I don't know how much the Hall of Fame -- baseball writers but I am very positive that it can't survive without confronting. The best players anybody's ever seen before."...

[5:01] ..." that the more to promote the bats of anybody who ever played baseball. Keeping them out of the fall all of thing he made the hall of fame and incomplete. This institution in my opinion he should the end and then should be. No -- his plaque if that's what they wanna do. Indicating that he was suspended death throughout his career for gambling in the chronicle let's find. I think the fans have grown up enough for the general corporate and confidential of the book. That I wrote for grown up. It's not a budget period stories about baseball heroes it's the actual. Reality political economic and social of the hall of fame and that includes. A guy like those who"...

[6:30] ..." Flood and Albert Belle all of whom were you know. Superior black baseball players -- did not cooperate with the writers and didn't behave in ways that many -- thought was appropriate. And I believe they've they've an extra penalties for this -- I think that. Barry Bonds. Is in the process of paying that penalty. And of course. It's kind of penalty that self defeating because it turns black baseball fans diminishing number of black baseball and that there are. It completely turned them off because of this they see that there. Favorite players and heroes are being you know. He dissed by these baseball. Primary. Institution of honor all of thing."...

[7:28] ..." the same thing that I came away with reading the -- important baseball book that I. Read in my -- kimbo look in Michael lewis' book money ball and build -- book. I'm not comparing mine to theirs but but they were models for me and what. Serious. You know writing of the book but baseball is really like. And you like -- about respective. As a player but I. I am a professional journalists and and a researcher until. I've spent a lot of time on this trying to understand. The real dynamic I think the people who love baseball. And who read this book will -- hope -- love baseball even more and BI hope that they'll understand that the Hall of Fame has the power. To Make or Break baseball in the steroid era and that perhaps people will be able to influence the two do the right thing."...

[0:00]" Joining us this morning is have tickets author of eleven books including his latest Cooperstown confidential heroes rogues and the inside story of the Baseball Hall of Fame. -- thanks for taking time of us this morning. You know as you point out your book about 350000. People flock to Cooperstown annually to visit the Hall of Fame. After reading your book it seems that they may see a lot in Cooperstown but they don't really know a lot about the Hall of Fame."

[1:18]" You know 11 of the things that I didn't of the many things that I find interesting is. And you mentioned Bill James in your book in his historical perspective on baseball he mentioned that in the early days the sport virtually. All the players were most of them anyway were Neer do wells are mystery answers some even bordering on criminal and seems like little really has changed through the decades hasn't."

[1:39]" I don't know I think that the -- attempting to -- first of all it used to be for many decades of baseball writers more or less work for the teams that they covered. Protected the players and -- in the age of Internet that's not really possible anymore. And the other thing is that I think there's really today is clearly -- much more professional than the guys in the old days -- mean they're paid. Big salaries they're not chattel property anymore of some team. They work out all year round and I think that all things being equal they're probably just as good if not better. Citizen than the guys who played fifty -- hundred years ago."

[2:18]" Yet in Genoa I think that's definitely the case in. -- you mentioned the baseball writers course the players are at the mercy of the members of the baseball writers of America who are the electors to Cooperstown. It had to be one of the biggest indications of perhaps something being amiss with the Hall of Fame is the fact that no player has ever been elected. Unanimously and I just find that absolutely incredible."

[3:17]" Well I think that the writers have to have turned a lot of them have turned down actually have a game of baseball. You know prologue time. Players use steroids. On the diamond you know in in huge numbers. And these writers completely missed that nobody even thought. -- police steroids changed the game but 700 baseball writers didn't see it happen. And then after it was revealed by political pickle in the other players and and so -- I think that the writers global humiliated and infuriated. And a lot of them have formed into a kind of the -- communicating. Committee to keep the greatest players of today out of the Hall of Fame starting with Mark McGwire. But you know I think a lot of them planning to keep Clemens a bomb and you know A-Rod and others out of the game on the underground that they use substances. And you know lose I don't know how much the Hall of Fame -- baseball writers but I am very positive that it can't survive without confronting. The best players anybody's ever seen before."

[4:40]" Yeah outlook Jackson you know my feeling about Jackson they should they should put him in whatever he did and he was acquitted actually in court. But whatever he did -- it was you know right after World War I. In the meantime we managed to preview good Nazi Germany and Japan for World War II I think I'm good you do get them a break. As far as he -- concern he's booed and you don't that the more to promote the bats of anybody who ever played baseball. Keeping them out of the fall all of thing he made the hall of fame and incomplete. This institution in my opinion he should the end and then should be. No -- his plaque if that's what they wanna do. Indicating that he was suspended death throughout his career for gambling in the chronicle let's find. I think the fans have grown up enough for the general corporate and confidential of the book. That I wrote for grown up. It's not a budget period stories about baseball heroes it's the actual. Reality political economic and social of the hall of fame and that includes. A guy like those who gambled but wasn't great the great ballplayer."

[6:08]" He did and I wish that I could -- the group was the racial element in that. But I believe that there is an -- the racial element I think that he belongs to group of players that you could -- Big gallon and you could dead. Dave Parker. And Andre Dawson. And for different reasons Curt Flood and Albert Belle all of whom were you know. Superior black baseball players -- did not cooperate with the writers and didn't behave in ways that many -- thought was appropriate. And I believe they've they've an extra penalties for this -- I think that. Barry Bonds. Is in the process of paying that penalty. And of course. It's kind of penalty that self defeating because it turns black baseball fans diminishing number of black baseball and that there are. It completely turned them off because of this they see that there. Favorite players and heroes are being you know. He dissed by these baseball. Primary. Institution of honor all of thing."

[7:25]" You know what I hope that they come away with the same thing that I came away with reading the -- important baseball book that I. Read in my -- kimbo look in Michael lewis' book money ball and build -- book. I'm not comparing mine to theirs but but they were models for me and what. Serious. You know writing of the book but baseball is really like. And you like -- about respective. As a player but I. I am a professional journalists and and a researcher until. I've spent a lot of time on this trying to understand. The real dynamic I think the people who love baseball. And who read this book will -- hope -- love baseball even more and BI hope that they'll understand that the Hall of Fame has the power. To Make or Break baseball in the steroid era and that perhaps people will be able to influence the two do the right thing."