Gossage: Steroid users don't belong in Hall

Goose Gossage watched Mark McGwire's televised confession to steroids use and was happy his former teammate came clean. That's where the praise ended, with the Hall of Fame reliever saying there should be no place in Cooperstown for McGwire or any other player who used performance-enhancing drugs.

"I definitely think that they cheated," Gossage said Tuesday. "And what does the Hall of Fame consist of? Integrity. Cheating is not part of integrity."

For Gossage, Hank Aaron still holds the career record of 755 home runs and Roger Maris owns the season record of 61. The Goose tosses out the fantastic figures posted by Barry Bonds, McGwire, Sammy Sosa as part of a "cheating era," dismissing them as if they were scuffed baseballs being rolled to the clubbies. He equated them with Pete Rose, barred from the Hall ballot because of his lifetime ban for betting on Cincinnati while managing the team.

"The integrity of the Hall of Fame and the numbers and the history are all in jeopardy," said Gossage, inducted two years ago. "I don't think they should be recognized. Here's a guy Aaron, we're talking about the greatest record of all records. And he did it on a level playing field. He did it with God-given talent. And the same with Maris, absolutely. These are sacred records and they've been shattered by cheaters."

Hall of Famer Willie McCovey wouldn't factor drugs into the equation and said he likely would vote for McGwire if he had the opportunity.

"Whether he took steroids or not, he did so much for baseball," McCovey said. "He almost helped save baseball for a few years there."

U.S. Anti-Doping Agency executive director Travis Tygart dismissed McGwire's claim that steroids didn't help him become a better player, that they only allowed him to become more healthful.

"It's just crazy. I don't buy that for a second," he said. "It's sort of disappointing you don't just come clean, take full responsibility. But the trend is with most athletes we've seen in baseball that they take half responsibility."

Former Cub Steve Trachsel, who gave up McGwire's historic home run No. 62 a dozen years ago, was saddened by McGwire's admission.

"It's disappointing because it's such a great moment in the history of sports. So many people were rooting for him and Sammy, not just in America but all around the world," Trachsel told the AP. "It's kind of disappointing the whole thing is kind of dirty now."

Byron Dorgan, a U.S. Senator from North Dakota, used McGwire's confession as an opportunity to urge the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee to elect Maris, a two-time AL MVP who grew up Grand Forks and Fargo.

"More than forty years after breaking Babe Ruth's home run record, Maris now stands as the only player to do so without the use of steroids," Dorgan said. "It's important to set an honest example for our nation's children who put themselves in danger when they try to emulate their sports heroes by bulking up with performance-enhancing drugs."