Steroids and the Hall of Fame

I was shocked to hear that Rafael Palmiero tested positive for banned substances. He has very quietly put together a career with HOF numbers, ranking as one of the best to play the game. He testified under oath to Congress, denying that he used steroids, despite the assertions of Jose' Canseco. He doesn't have the physique of a McGwire, a Sosa, or a Bonds. He's probably one of the last players that you would think from looking at him would use steroids, much less Viagra.

So, where do we go from here? MLB's drug testing program is full of holes. Players can get access to designer steroids or growth hormones that cannot be detected under MLB's testing program. And yet, a player that could pretty much guarantee HOF induction in a few years gets caught redhanded.

If Palmiero has been doing steroids as long as Canseco alleges, what do you do? Disregard his records? If he's gotten away with it this long, who else has been doing it? Who is guilty, but just hasn't been caught yet? People point to Barry Bond's swollen body and head, but he hasn't tested positive yet. Is that because he's innocent, or because he can afford better designer drugs, or masking agents? Who knows? How about Arod, Jeter, Manny Ramirez, or Piazza?
They've tested negative to this point. If my memory serves me correctly, Canseco implicated Cal Ripken. What do you do if a sure 1st ballot inductee like Ripken gets sucked into all of this?

As a kid, I grew up following future HOF'ers like Aaron, Mays, Bench, Morgan, Seaver, and of course, the ineligible Rose. Who do kids have to follow now? Do we now say that records and careers from the last 15 years don't count towards the Hall, because of the suspicion of steroid use?

The floor is open for discussion, Ladies and Gentlemen....