Forgiveness in Sports and the Baseball Hall of Fame
How will fans react if next summer in Cooperstown, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, and Carlos Beltrán receive Hall of Fame plaques despite their controversial histories?
Concerns Across Sports Halls of Fame
There is also uncertainty about whether the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will act if Chauncey Billups faces prison over alleged involvement in gambling and money laundering.
Hall of Fame Expulsions and Controversies
- O.J. Simpson was never removed from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
- Alan Eagleson remains the only individual expelled from the four major sports Halls of Fame.
- Hockey Hall of Fame’s Bobby Orr’s agent resigned in 1998 just before an expected expulsion.
Baseball’s Current Tone of Forgiveness
Baseball appears more forgiving now, especially seen at Fenway Park. Alex Cora, a top Red Sox manager, was involved in the 2017 Astros cheating scandal but faces little ongoing criticism. MLB suspended Cora and Astros manager A.J. Hinch for a year, yet both have returned to managing playoff teams and the issue is rarely discussed.
"MLB suspended Cora (a bench coach then with the Astros) and Houston manager A.J. Hinch for a year, but both are back in the dugout with playoff teams and nobody really brings it up anymore."
Author's summary: Sports culture today leans toward forgiveness, leaving questions about how past controversies will shape the legacy of Hall of Fame inductees in baseball and beyond.
Would you like the tone to be more formal or conversational?