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A22 SPORTS
Thursday 23 November 2017
Morgan urges voters to keep steroid users out of Hall

By JAY COHEN covering the game for an email. “They took the
AP Sports Writer more than a decade were lead and asked us to pro-
Hall of Fame second base- eliminated from the rolls in vide administrative sup-
man Joe Morgan is urging 2015, creating a younger port to help get their mes-
voters to keep “known ste- electorate that has shown sage out.” Jeff Bagwell, Tim
roid users” out of Cooper- more willingness to vote for Raines and Ivan Rodriguez
stown. players tainted by accusa- were inducted into the Hall
A day after the Hall re- tions of steroid use. Barry in July. They were joined by
vealed its 33-man bal- Bonds and Roger Clemens former Commissioner Bud
lot for the 2018 class, the each received a majority Selig and retired Kansas
74-year-old Morgan ar- of votes for the first time in City and Atlanta executive
gued against the inclusion 2017 in their fifth year on John Schuerholz, who were
of players implicated dur- the ballot. voted in by a veterans
ing baseball’s steroid era Morgan said he isn’t speak- committee.
in a letter to voters with the ing for every Hall of Famer, Some baseball writers said
Baseball Writers’ Associa- but many of them feel the the election of Selig, who
tion of America. The letter same way that he does. presided over the steroids
from the vice chairman of “Players who failed drug era, influenced their view
the Hall’s board of directors tests, admitted using ste- of whether tainted stars
was sent Tuesday using a roids, or were identified should gain entry to the
Hall email address. as users in Major League Hall.
“Steroid users don’t be- Baseball’s investigation into Morgan praised BBWAA
long here,” Morgan wrote. steroid abuse, known as voters and acknowledged
“What they did shouldn’t the Mitchell Report, should they are facing a “tricky is-
be accepted. Times not get in,” Morgan wrote. sue,” but he also warned
shouldn’t change for the “Those are the three crite- some Hall of Famers might
worse.” ria that many of the players not make the trip to Coo-
Hall voters have been and I think are right.” perstown if steroid users are
wrestling with the issue of In this July 28, 2013, file photo, Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Jon Shestakofsky, a spokes- elected.
performance-enhancing Morgan speaks during ceremonies in Cooperstown, N.Y. man for the Hall of Fame, “The cheating that tainted
drugs for several years. Associated Press called Morgan’s letter “a an era now risks tainting the
Baseball held a survey drug in strength from allegations BBWAA for 10 consecutive Hall of Famer initiative.” Hall of Fame too,” he wrote.
test in 2003 and the sport with no evidence to posi- years, and a player needs “Our role at the Hall of “The Hall of Fame means
began testing for banned tive tests that caused sus- at least 75 percent for elec- Fame was to support our too much to us to ever see
steroids the following year pensions. tion. Ballots are due by players who feel strongly that happen. If steroid users
with penalties. Accusations About 430 ballots are be- Dec. 31 and results will be enough about this issue get in, it will divide and di-
connected to some of the ing sent to voters, who must announced Jan. 24. that they decided to speak minish the Hall, something
candidates for the Hall vary have been members of the Writers who had not been out,” Shestakofsky said in we couldn’t bear.”q

Yankees OF Judge has shoulder

surgery, should be OK by camp

NEW YORK (AP) — After champion Astros. He rebounded to bat .311
insisting during a summer He was a unanimous se- with 15 homers and 32 RBIs
slump that he was not ail- lection for AL Rookie of in the final month of the
ing, Yankees slugger Aar- the Year and finished sec- season.q
on Judge had arthroscop- ond to Houston infielder
ic surgery on his left shoul- Jose Altuve in the AL MVP
der. race.
The operation was per- Judge was hitting .329
formed Monday by Dr. with 30 homers and 66
Neal ElAttrache in Los An- RBIs at the All-Star break,
geles. then batted .179 with
The Yankees said Tuesday seven homers and 16 RBIs
the procedure involved a with 67 strikeouts in his
loose-body removal and next 44 games through
cartilage cleanup and the end of August.
Judge should be recov- He made several crashes
ered ahead of spring train- into outfield walls and of-
ing. ten was seen with packs
The 25-year-old Judge of ice on his shoulder.
hit .284 with 52 hom- While it looked as if an in-
ers and 114 RBIs in 155 jury might be preventing
games this season, help- him from swinging freely,
ing the Yankees advance but the right fielder and
In this Sept. 10, 2017, file photo, New York Yankees’ Aaron to the AL Championship manager Joe Girardi re-
Judge hits a two-run home run during the third inning of a
baseball game against the Minnesota Twins in New York. Series, where they lost to peatedly said his shoulder
Associated Press the eventual World Series was fine.