If you’re a baseball fan who has never been to Cooperstown, it is a must atop your “bucket list.” This quaint, cozy little town in upstate New York will be abuzz this weekend, as tens-of-thousands of fans make the pilgrimage to baseball’s shrine – The National Baseball Hall of Fame.

And make no mistake, the sound of cash registers ringing along Main Street and in the Hall of Fame shop will be music to the ears of baseball’s sacred community. Induction Weekend is critical to the town and its baseball monument. And, whenever a Red Sox or Yankee great is inducted, the dollars usually flow in record numbers. So with Sox legend Jim Rice and 5-year Yankee Rickey Henderson being honored, everyone will be running to the bank this year.

The question is, what about the future of this American landmark?  What effect will the steroid-era have on the Hall of Fame and Induction Weekend?

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Major League Baseball needs to keep honoring its greatest assets. Like no other professional sport, baseball’s tradition is part of the game itself. So, with the likes of Bonds, Clemens, McGuire, Sosa, Palmeiro – and now Alex Rodriquez and Manny Ramirez all questionable future Hall of Famers – where does that leave the business of the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Could the steroid-era be the demise of this great baseball and American tradition and the beautiful town of Cooperstown?

Without great players being inducted on a yearly basis and those registers making music on Induction Weekend, where will the revenue be generated? How long would MLB and philanthropists keep the doors open at 25 Main Street?  And even if indefinitely – or, at least until we move away from this cheating era – what about the small, independent stores and vendors in this little community?  Who will save them?

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Major League Baseball need to make some tough decisions in the near future regarding the fraudulent numbers these great players allegedly perpetrated on baseball and its fans. The business of Cooperstown was looking forward to the induction of these great players. Without them, they could be doomed.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and MLB cannot leave these critical decisions in the hands of baseball writers who vote for players eligible for the Hall of Fame. That burden is not their responsibility – nor should it be.

It’s time for the leaders of the game to step up and set new guidelines to ensure the business of baseball and pilgrimage to Cooperstown continues for years to come.

It’s hard to believe the MLB All-Star break is upon us. With summer yet to arrive in the northeast, the weather here still feels like NBA playoff time. When do the Lakers arrive in Boston for yet another NBA Finals? Is Garnett’s balky knee good enough to play? What…you mean we have to wait another year to see that? The addition of Ron Artest and Rasheed Wallace to the Lakers and Celtics, respectively, has all but assured that rematch in 2010. But that’s for another Blog.

So, I guess it really is MLB All-Star week. For some reason the lure of the game no longer exists for me. Is it my age, or has the steroid era dampened my enthusiasm for the game and its stars? Probably a little of both.

However, for me, the game of baseball, once filled with statistics that mattered and star players who gathered yearly to put on a “show” for baseball purists, no longer exists. Oh, sure, the All-Star game now “counts,” as the winner provides its league with home field advantage for the World Series. But that, too, is a joke. Why they allow an exhibition game to carry so much weight for its historic Fall Classic is mind-boggling.

I also wonder; do the names Pujols, Utley, Beltran, Teixeira, Longoria, and Bay bring as much excitement to today’s young fans as did Mantle, Mays, Aaron, Williams, Musial and Clemente did for my generation? I hate to sound like an old fart, but I think not.

Don’t get me wrong. Players of my youth were no angels. They drank and chased women with the best (or worst) of men. We just seldom heard about it. But there was a “star power” in those days that simply doesn’t exist today. I’m sure being a kid and only getting to see baseball games on TV on weekends helped make players larger than life during those innocent years, but I think it goes beyond just that. Times have changed – and so has the game of baseball. Sadly, for the worse.

How does that song go? “Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio – a nation turns its lonely eyes to you.”

Do you think Albert Pujols and his fans know Simon and Garfunkel?

Manny Ramirez, called by many the greatest right-handed hitter of his generation (along with Albert Pujols), is the latest potential casualty to become a Hall of Famer. Hit with a recent 50-game suspension for violating the MLB drug policy, Manny joins the likes of McGwire, Bonds, Sosa, Clemens, Palmeiro, and A-Rod who will be keenly scrutinized for possible entry in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

McGwire’s fate seems to be determined, as he has already failed to gain sufficient votes. We’ll soon find out about a few others, as their five-year retirement from baseball approaches. The wait on Manny and A-Rod could be to their advantage, as they are years from retirement. Time can deter memory. However, whether any of these cheaters get into the Hall of Fame, they have already ruined the fabric of the game. And who’s to know whether others who have been inducted weren’t also guilty of steroid use? I have my suspicions.

What made baseball so different from other major sports was its stats. Numbers have always been part of the game. As kids, we all knew 714, 61, and 2,130. Today, those numbers have been shattered. However, can you instantly tell me what the new numbers representing those records are today? Personally, those old numbers, along with 755, are the one’s I’ll forever remember.

Unfortunately, baseball stats have gone the way of basketball and football statistics. No one knows … and no one cares.

SI.com has reported Alex Rodriquez tested positive for an anabolic steroid and testosterone in 2003.  Rodriguez chose not to comment to a SI.com reporter. He stated, “You’ll have to talk to the Union.”

Is anyone really surprised? It’s disappointing, but not surprising. The only negative is that we’ll now be talking steroids again rather than the enjoyment of Spring Training.

So, we now have the greatest home run-hitter of all time, arguably the greatest pitcher of all-time (at least of his time), and, now, possibly the best all-around player of all-time, all tainted by the steroid era. What does the future hold for inductions into the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Is it time for Bud Selig to take a look at the record books? Should MLB begin thinking of restoring the records held by Aaron and Maris? Should there be an asterisk on Clemens’ 354 wins? These are questions that need to be asked and answered. MLB and Selig can no longer hide their heads in the sand.

Get ready… ESPN and your favorite sports talk-radio stations will be all-over this story in the coming days. If A-Rod thought Madonna was a magnet for the media, she has nothing on a good steroid story!

Maybe our government should be going to MLB for loans rather than the Peoples Republic of China. I would feel more comfortable with a $1-trillion debt to them than China (which, frightfully, it will soon be). Giving my tax dollars to Mark Teixeira as apposed to a communist nation might not be an economically sound investment, but it would certainly be more entertaining.

Sarcasm aside, are MLB owners paying attention? They appear to be throwing money around with their heads in the sand. Are they not aware of the economy and the big-3 U.S. automaker problems? Don’t MLB executives see how the automakers’ Boards of Directors let their executives and the United Auto Workers dictate their demise? The game is the same, just flip the names. Replace Board of Directors with MLB. Change GM, Ford, and Chrysler to Yankees, Red Sox, and Mets. And call the UAW the MLBPA (players association). For years, auto executives couldn’t see the forest for the trees and spent their way to failure. They wouldn’t stand up to the union, thus payroll got out of control. Sound familiar?

We can talk about foolish baseball owners and the oft-used quote, “If they couldn’t afford it, they wouldn’t pay it.” That carries some truth. But when compensation to players are open books, which is precisely what unions want, contracts get out of control. If you’re not a union person, do you know exactly what the workers next to you are being paid?

Unions had their place in time, but times have changed. I’m all for buying American, however, many American products have become inferior due to the need to cut cost-of-goods to supplement payroll and hit competitive price points. However, Americans want both affordable prices and quality. Hence, they can’t buy American. They buy Toyota and Honda.

I recently read a column by a New York sports writer regarding the Yankees spending $161 million on C. C. Sabathia. He stated, “It’s a natural progression of the market.” What market is he looking at?  The only “market” I see grossly over-spending during these difficult times is MLB (and other professional sports leagues).

MLB has been riding a wave of success for a number of years. The league is more popular than ever. However, not so long ago, the real estate market was booming too.

I hope MLB and the owners have long-term fiscal planning in place, because I don’t think corporate America will be filling their wallets as in years past.

As the saying goes, “Be careful what you wish for.”

It appears Red Sox Nation has had enough of Manny being Manny. For the past week, Boston sports talk-radio airwaves have been inundated with callers who appear to have had enough of the savant slugger, who recently pulled himself out of the Sox lineup twice. Manny stated it was due to a cranky knee, but MRIs came up negative on both knees.

It was one thing for Ramirez to pull himself out of the lineup against the lowly Seattle Mariners, but when he sat again in the first game of the most recent Yankees series at Fenway Park, all hell broke loose in New England. More important than fans and radio talk-show hosts, it also appears the Red Sox brass has had enough of Manny’s quirkiness. What appeared to be a no-brainer two weeks ago – that the Sox would pick up the team’s $20M 2009 option for Ramirez – now seems as likely as John McCain winning Massachusetts in November.

Manny quitting on loyal Sox fans and, more importantly, his teammates is deplorable. Letting teammates down is the mortal sin of an athlete. However, let’s not kid ourselves. Pro sports are all about winning. As a reminder, until 2004, Sox fans had not seen a World Championship since 1918. They’ve now witnessed two since 2004. Would they have done so without Ramirez? Probably not. Had they not won those two championships, would fans and Sox brass still want Manny to walk? My guess is no.

Manny Ramirez is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Does that forgive him for his recent actions? Not in real life, but this is not real life. It’s Major League Baseball. Lest we forget the indiscretions of Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Juan Marichal, Mickey Mantle, Barry Bonds, et al.

David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are the best 3-4 hitters the game has seen since Ruth and Gehrig. So, be careful what you wish for Sox fans … and enjoy it while you can. Those days may be gone soon. And with it, championships.

The Texas Con Man was a name given to Roger Clemens during his tenure with the Boston Red Sox by the late, great Boston Globe sportswriter William “Will” McDonough. Will took much grief from Sox fans and some media colleagues for what many thought a harsh title for one of the Red Sox all-time greats. Little did we know the true wisdom of Will.

Unfortunately, McDonough passed away on January 9, 2003 at the tender age of 67. However, I’m sure those who knew him – or was occasionally in his company at sporting events, as was I – know that Will has a huge grin on his face today. How right he was.

I was a huge Clemens fan. I remember the skinny kid’s debut with the Red Sox in May of 1984. I watched him pitch many times at Fenway Park and saw every one of his 20-strikeouts in the historical game versus the Seattle Mariners in April 1986. It was a masterpiece – and, to this day, probably one of the great pitching performances of all-time. I also recall numerous arguments with a New Jersey friend – a Mets’ fan, regarding who was better; Clemens or Dwight Gooden. That argument faded after the 1986 season when Clemens posted a 24-4 record and won both the CY Young and MVP awards.

For many Sox fans, McDonough’s The Texas Con Man name began gaining popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s, as Clemens’ words became more confounding and nonsensical. But, little did we know how much real truth there was to Will’s insightful nickname.

Has any sports hero fallen from grace as quickly as Roger Clemens? In 2006, a poll of 32 ESPN analysts voted Clemens the greatest living pitcher – and many considered him the greatest pitcher of all-time, or at least of the modern game. However, in a matter of a few months, Clemens has been accused of possible steroid use, potential infidelity, a questionable relationship with an under-age girl, and only God (and the New York Daily News) knows what’s next.

Clemens has gone from Cooperstown to OJ-town … the town of non-desirables.

My apology to Will McDonough. You were accurate from the beginning.

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Would you vote Roger Clemens into the Baseball Hall of Fame? Cast your vote on The Hall Of Fame Network poll: www.HOFN.com.

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While opinions regarding whether of not Roger Clemens used performance enhancing drugs may not have been altered by the recent Congressional hearings…you must admit, it was great theatre. And even better politics.

Make no mistake about it, good ‘ole boy politics’ was at work. The Clemens – McNamee Congressional hearings had nothing to do with gaining the truth or protecting America’s youth from drugs. It was Democrats versus Republicans. It was time to call-in political favors. Clemens’ Texas roots were prevalent. How else can one explain this becoming a battle of political parties? Do you think it was a coincidence that most Republicans came to Clemens’ defense? Do you think it was coincidence that leading Republican Tom Davis rushed to Clemens side immediately after the hearing?

American politics is often behind-closed-door deals. Unfortunately, we saw it at its worst during this hearing. And politicians wonder why Americans question the integrity of its leaders? When lobbying is allowed during depositions and prior to Congressional hearings regarding the use of illegal drugs, it has gone too far.

My opinion as to whether Clemens used steroids or HGH is irrelevant. However, I find it difficult to believe that McNamee was telling the truth about Pettitte, Knoblauch, and Debbie Clemens, yet lying about Roger. Why? I also find it difficult to believe Debbie Clemens would get a shot of HGH from McNamee without her husband’s knowledge. Plus, if Roger wasn’t getting shot-up by McNamee – nor did he ever discuss drugs with him (as he claims), how did Debbie know to go to McNamee for the injection?

In every poll I’ve seen, most American’s believed McNamee. So what did the Republicans hear that the rest of us didn’t, which led them to support Clemens? Maybe they heard a Republican “voice” who was the former General Managing Partner of the Texas Rangers.

By the way, that former Managing Partner currently lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

A three-ring circus has nothing over Major League Baseball. Whatever happened to arguments about who’s better – Mantle or Mays, Williams or DiMaggio, Koufax or Gibson? What about a good old-fashioned debate regarding the designated hitter? Or how about this one: Who hit the greatest home run ever – Bill Mazeroski, Bobby Thompson, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Joe Carter, Calton Fisk or Roger Maris?

Nope…none of that talk anymore. This good ole baseball bar-room banter is now replaced with talks of steroids, cheating, congressional hearings, and phone-tap conversations. Thank you Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, MLB, et al.

To make matters worse, we now have a potential cheater even downplaying the importance of his election into the Baseball Hall of Fame. If he made nothing else clear in his recent press conference charade, Roger Clemens made it perfectly clear that he doesn’t give a “rat’s ass” about getting inducted in baseball’s most treasured shrine in Cooperstown. I wonder how that plays with some of the legendary players of the game who cherish their place in the Hall – or, even more so, with those still waiting for the honor like Rice, Blyleven, Dawson, or Lee Smith?

Whether innocent or guilty, I hope writers remember how important the Hall of Fame is to Clemens. A one-time first-ballot lock, I guess he now has more to worry about than Cooperstown.

As I listen to admissions and denials of players named in the Mitchell Report regarding steroid use in Major League Baseball, I am neither surprised nor disappointed. Since the McGwire-Sosa run at immortality in 1998, it has been apparent that Major League Baseball players had joined the ranks of Olympians and other professional athletes using performance-enhancing drugs. But for those thinking drugs in baseball began in the 90s, keep sticking your head in the sand – as most did during that fraudulent year the Maris family politely watch Roger’s record demolished by the two Hulk-like characters.

Denial is a trait most often used when it relates to oneself or a loved one. To be in denial regarding a baseball player’s use of steroids is bewildering. No one questioned the use of testosterone by the Soviet Union’s Olympic team in 1954. And lest we forget Dr. John Ziegler who aided the CIBA Pharmaceutical Company in the development of the drug Dianabol (methandrostenolone) in the mid-50s to help western Olympians compete with the Soviet Union. So, to think performance-enhancing drugs were only available to modern-day baseball players is naive.

How will all this steroid-use influence baseball writers who are entrusted with the privilege of voting for a player’s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame? They negated McGwire in his first year of eligibility. What about Bonds, Sosa – and now Clemens? Is it a vote for all, or a vote for none? Are we to believe only Olympic athletes used performance-enhancing drugs during the Dianabol years?

So many questions, so many decisions for Baseball Hall of Fame voters.