Forgiveness in Baseball and Sports Halls of Fame
How will fans react if next summer’s Cooperstown induction includes Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, and Carlos Beltrán holding Hall of Fame plaques?
Concerns Across Sports
There are questions about whether the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will respond if member Chauncey Billups is convicted for alleged involvement in a gambling and money laundering scheme.
Hall of Fame Expulsions
O.J. Simpson was never expelled from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Alan Eagleson stands as the only person removed from any of the four major sports Halls of Fame. In hockey, Bobby Orr’s corrupt agent resigned from the Hockey Hall in 1998 just before the board planned to expel him.
Baseball’s Culture of Forgiveness
Currently, baseball seems focused on forgiveness. Alex Cora, recognized as one of the greatest managers in Red Sox history, was involved in the 2017 Astros cheating scandal but has since returned to managing playoff teams.
- MLB suspended Cora and Astros manager A.J. Hinch for one year.
- Both are now actively managing and the scandal is largely forgotten by fans.
MLB’s leniency towards Cora and Hinch underscores an environment of forgiveness within baseball that contrasts with stricter standards expected in other sports.
Author’s summary: Baseball’s Hall of Fame and baseball culture increasingly embrace forgiveness, raising debates about accountability in sports history and ethics.