When Jose Canseco came out with the book in which he admitted using steroids during his career, Mike Greenwell asked for justice. The former Boston Red Sox outfielder finished second in the 1988 American League MVP voting behind Canseco. So after Canseco said he used performing-enhancing drugs en route to baseball’s first 40-40 season, Greenwell asked, “Where’s my MVP?”
The question was ignored. The trophy remained in Canseco’s possession — or perhaps in some pawn shop considering his bizarre life.
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America, which awards the honor, could not give Greenwell justice. And it likely won’t give Matt Kemp justice. He finished second in the National League MVP voting last season behind Ryan Braun, who reportedly tested positive for a banned substance and faces a 50-game suspension.
But the writers group — of which I am a member — can take steps now to ensure future award winners don’t get to hold on to their hardware.
Greenwell made his claim 17 years after the vote. Several years ago we learned Alex Rodriguez used steroids — specifically during the 2003 season in which he won the AL MVP award.
Going back to fix or erase history is problematic. It is why the record books likely always will include the tainted records of Barry Bonds and others.
The only hope for those who put up historic, important numbers that have since been passed by cheaters is that future generations will understand the meaning of the words “steroid era” just as past generations recognized “Black Sox Scandal” long after members of the Chicago White Sox fixed the 1919 World Series.
So if Braun is indeed found guilty of using a banned substance and suspended after his appeal, he likely will keep his MVP award.
But no matter what happens, this is the perfect time for the writers to establish a policy for future votes. At the very least, they need to set a date by which a positive test can result in the revocation of the award.
That doesn’t necessarily mean a revote, either. It could work just like the Olympics — the next finisher gets the gold medal.
Critics may charge that this wouldn’t work because perhaps the next finisher cheated, too. It’s the same charge made by those who are unwilling to take a position on cheaters up for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
It is a position frozen by fear of the unknown.
Have some guts — the guts we all accused baseball of not having when it pretended nothing shady was going on in an era of cheaters.
Examiner columnist Thom Loverro is the co-host of “The Sports Fix” from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on ESPN980 and espn980.com. Contact him at [email protected].
