For Frank Carey, Hall of Fame Picks Not So Easy

Frank Carey is a man with an opinion, even if it's not the one you might expect.

With the announcement of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame vote coming January 18, Carey, the former North Reading High School coach of 47 years and the winningest baseball coach in Massachusetts history, has heard all the noise regarding this year's vote. Steroids. Character. Twitter rants. And with that, he also understands many voters who previously opposed players linked to performance enhancing drugs are reconsidering their vote. Is it time to let everyone in?

Surely a man with 736 career wins and thousands of days on local diamonds until he retired in 2014, knows how he'd vote when it comes to Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, etc.

But it's not that easy said Carey. When asked about players linked to steroids, Carey morphed from baseball coach to a coach wrestling with his opinions.

"[Voters] were wavering over the last few years a little bit but they seemed steadfast enough as a group that Bonds and Clemens were not going to get in. But in my opinion what I think they've used as an excuse is the fact that they let Bud Selig into the Hall of Fame and they're claiming that it's hypocrisy that he got in and he was kind of in charge when all this took place. I think some of these guys are using Selig as rationale to say, "ok, that gives me a good excuse to rationalize why I'm going to vote for Bonds, Clemens." That's why I think they're beginning to waiver."

If Carey had a ballot, would he vote for Bonds?

"No. I'll tell you why ... you know what, I shouldn't say that. I wasn't a big Bonds fan because I heard some things about him personally and that's not supposed to enter into the Hall of Fame. But I think that may have hurt someone like Schilling, that sports writers have a bias toward some guys. I've talked to some people who played in the major leagues who say by far Bonds is the best hitter that they've ever seen. Prior to the steroids, he's another one who would have got in, a shoe in."

So what's the bottom line on Bonds, yes or no?

"Well, here's the thing," said Carey, after a long pause, still struggling with his answer. "If you adhere to the fact that these guys used performance enhancing drugs, and if you feel that that's cheating, then you don't put them in. I have always said that it may have helped you hit the ball a little further, but in no way in my opinion do the drugs enhance your vision or enhance your ability to react in 4/10ths of a second, to see that pitched ball and hit it square."

Carey knows something about Halls of Fame. He was inducted into the National High School Coaches Hall of Fame and is also a member of three Hall of Fame selection committees. As if he was hearing the reporter repeat his question, he laughed at his own answer.

"That being said ... I'm biased because I don't like Bonds. I'd put Clemens in, I guess ya, that's the bottom line. I don't understand the hypocrisy. I had no problem with Pete Rose and his gambling situation. Pete Rose was an addicted, compulsive gambler. That's a fact. Pete Rose should definitely be in the Hall of Fame. Those other guys, I'm conflicted."

It's not an easy question. Where do you draw the line?

"That's a difficult thing. If they are going to adher to that rule that anyone caught using performance enhancing drugs does not get into the Hall of Fame then so be it. On the other hand, there's no in between. if they say that's off the table then Bonds belongs in there, Manny Ramirez as a two-time offender, he should get in. Clemens, no question, should get in.

"I didn't really give you a good answer. There are some people who are hard and fast about it, if they used drugs they're not in the Hall of Fame. There are some people who are just completely opposite. I guess I'm kind of on the fence."

And what about Schilling, the former Red Sox pitcher who has attracted attention in recent years with his use of twitter. How do you separate his politics with his pitching?

"For me I can because I kinda like Curt Schilling. So I'm biased. He's very outspoken and he can piss people off. But his statistics ... his recent political feelings may hurt him.

"I'm one of those guys who's kind of biased. So I would put Clemens in. And obviously if you put Clemens in, then you have to put the rest of them in. But I don't think Clemens and those guys are going to get in."

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