2014 MLB Hall of Fame picks: Why the Writers are Lacking Basic Knowledge

     Today, Major League Baseball announced who the writers elected to the Hall of Fame as the class of 2014. Congratulations to the three players chosen: Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and Frank Thomas! All three players deserve the recognition based on their numbers, but the selection still comes with puzzlement. My problem comes with Frank Thomas being selected during his first year of eligibility.
     Frank Thomas was a First Basemen turned DH (Designated Hitter). He did win an MVP award playing First one year, but the majority of his great statistics came as a DH. The role of the DH is to sit on the bench and wait until it is their turn to hit without ever taking the field. The writers of baseball are saying that this is all a player needs in order to be selected as a first ballot Hall of Famer. Oh, and don't let me forget, they still have not elected Barry Bonds, the league's home run leader into the Hall. Bonds did Thomas' job better plus played the outfield every game, and he doesn't deserve the nod?
     Many of the writers say this is because Bonds used steroids, forever classifying him and all the other greats as tainted. Forever the era of baseball he played in will be known as the steroid era. I guess the writers didn't realize that Thomas played during this era as well. Myself and many other people are wondering how come Thomas gets in automatically while Bonds does not? What makes Thomas excused from the "steroids era?"
     I grew up watching this kind of baseball. I grew up watching players crush balls out of the park, watching Bonds, Sosa, and McGwire smash records. I thought this was okay and I bet at the time, many others did too. Looking back not so much, but during the time I believe people did. So why are the writers voting for what they see now and not from what these players did for my generation. I never cared for Frank Thomas, hardly even knew who he was growing up.
     I don't want to take anything away from Frank Thomas. He put up great numbers and definitely deserves the recognition. However, what I long for is to see the greatest players I grew up with get the same recognition. The writers write off (look at the pun I made!) Bonds, Sosa, and McGwire as not deserving the recognition but give it to Thomas, who put up less great numbers than all three and played during the "steroid era." I believe that if Bonds, our home run king who everybody my age grew up watching and admiring, doesn't deserve to get in, then Thomas doesn't solely on the fact that he put up less significant numbers.
     Does Bonds deserve a first ballot nod? I'm not sure. Even with all the great numbers, he did cheat. But hopefully the writers will eventually give him recognition down the road when steroids figures itself out. For my picks? I chose Maddux, Glavine, Mike Mussina, and Curt Schilling.