The biggest voice—and the one that is possibly the most directly affected—is Hank Aaron's. He was widely quoted this weekend for saying that anyone who has been proven to use steroids should be banned from the Hall of Fame. That would conveniently eliminate both the man who broke his biggest record (Barry Bonds) and the man most likely to break it in the future (Alex Rodriguez) ... but not Mark McGwire, who is currently being "banned" anyway. He also wants the 102 names from the infamous list of 2003 released, as if that would solve anything.

"My feeling has always been the same – the game of baseball has no place for cheaters," Aaron said Sunday morning. "There's no place in the Hall of Fame for people who cheat."

He's right cheating is bad. But is using steroids really cheating? Let's ask another current Hall of Famer:

"I certainly don't think you can stand up there and hit a Nolan Ryan 100-mph fastball just because you put something in your arm or took a pill," he said.

Oh, wait ... that was Hank Aaron again. But at the same time, Aaron has no problem with Pete Rose joining the club. In the same impromptu press conference, Aaron said that Rose belongs in Cooperstown and he would like to seem him there. He says that Pete's situation is different than the steroids question. (It is. It's worse.) But if Pete would just ask for forgiveness and admits his faults, this could all be over.

There's the rub, isn't it? Pete Rose doesn't want forgiveness and will never say he's sorry. That's always been part of the "conditions" for the removal of his lifetime ban and that's why it hasn't happened yet. Even if Pete does get the ban lifted, he would be relying on the Veteran's Committee to get him into Cooperstown, which is not a lock. Aaron and two prominent former teammates of Rose (guess who?) have been lobbying Selig on his behalf, but there are just as many Hall members who want to see Rose humbled first. Maybe he broke one of their records?

If there's one thing that induction weekend never fails to reminds us of, it's that there is no more arrogant group of people on the planet than Baseball's Hall of Famers. (Except maybe the baseball writers who put them there.) If you think Rickey Henderson is the new king of that mountain, you're sadly mistaken. (See also: Reggie Jackson.)

MLB commissioner Bud Selig mulling pardon for hit king Pete Rose [NY Daily News]
Aaron wants past steroid users exposed, banned from Hall [Atlanta Journal-Constitution]
MLB: Aaron says Rose belongs in Hall [Honolulu Advertiser]
Rickey has last laugh [Daily Star]

Call him Kennsaw "Mountain" Selig.

From USA Today:

"It was against the law, so I would have to think about that," Selig told USA TODAY's Christine Brennan in his first comments since Rodriguez's admission. "It's very hard. I've got to think about all that kind of stuff." Rodriguez would be the first to serve a suspension without testing positive during the penalty years.

Selig said he also is considering reinstating Hank Aaron as baseball's home run king in the record book. Barry Bonds broke Aaron's record of 755 home runs in 2007 but is scheduled to stand trial March 2 on charges he lied to a federal grand jury about performance-enhancing drugs. "This is breaking my heart, I don't mind telling you that," Selig said.

However, only hours after making the comments, Selig seemed to lose his nerve. From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

Reached later Thursday, Selig said he would not comment further on the matter involving Aaron or Alex Rodriguez, who admitted using performance-enhancing substances. Selig told USA Today that Rodriguez might be suspended for his actions.

Bob DuPuy, baseball's president and chief operating officer, said in an e-mail to the Journal Sentinel this morning that he had not seen the Selig comments. But he added that, in previous comments, Selig has said the issue of rewriting baseball's record books is a "slippery slope and that no one should get their hopes up."

Yeah, sorry for suddenly growing a spine there, people. I'll have that immediately removed.

UPDATE: Selig has issued a statement. No plans to punish Rodriguez at this time.

Selig Might Make Aaron The Home-Run King [Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel]
MLB Commissioner Selig Considers Suspending A-Rod [USA Today]
Selig: A-Rod Has 'Shamed The Game' [NBCSports]

Alas, Barry Bonds has finally broken the record — our sister was there, and was a little too happy about it during a 12:30 a.m. phone call — and, most notably, Hank Aaron showed up on the Jumbotron to congratulate him. We're not sure we find Aaron's move particularly classy; either he should shun Barry or embrace Barry, but it's a bit late to be switching sides. Regardless: It happened, and we can all move on with our lives now. Barry Bonds has his silly fake record, and now he can go home.

When asked by ESPN's Erin Andrews what's next for Barry Bonds, he said, "A lot more baseball, hell yes, I'm not quitting."

Aw. Well, christ.

"I'm sorry Barry feels that way, and I don't have any resentment toward him whatsoever, but I have no intention of trying to get in contact with him or doing anything with him in regard to his [chasing the record]. Nothing. Why should I?" said Aaron, who discovered only recently that the privately sensitive slugger for the San Francisco Giants wants to become pen pals or something. "It's really not a big concern of mine. I don't know why I should have to do anything. I might send him a telegram, and that would be the extent of it."

First off: A telegram! How cute! Only if he gets the ribbon changed on his typewriter! Whatever your thoughts on Bonds, it's incredibly bizarre that neither Aaron nor commissioner Bud Selig will show up if Bonds breaks Aaron's record. Please let hit happen in Florida. It'll just be Barry, Anibal Sanchez and Pedro Gomez.

Aaron Owes Bonds Nothing [Atlanta Journal Constitution]
Aaron To Bonds: Screw You, Barry. Screw You Very Much. [Ump Bump]

10:25: The four people backing up commissioner Bud Selig today are, to say the least, an improvement on the last bunch of jokers he brought with him. Hank Aaron leads it off: "I think that we need to be concerned about our young people because they re the future of this country, and if we don t protect them, we ll have no future." Which is totally true.

10:28: Lou Brock follows up. (Our mom played golf with him once, by the way.) He s wearing a very bright tie. Ernie Broglio must have not gotten his invite. Ryne Sandberg is here right now; the dude has no hair. You know he s just licking his chops to pour a little more poop onto the carcass of Rafael Palmeiro. Giving mustache rides to a guy s wife, it ll give one a grudge.

10:31: You know, Robin Roberts looks totally different than she does on "Good Morning America." What can t those makeup people do?

10:45: Hey, we never realized Don Fehr was an albino.

10:51: Paul Tagliabue just looks happy not to be talking about Janet Jackson, frankly. Does he kind of look like Deputy Dawg to anybody else? Just us?

11:07: In the middle of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman s opening remarks, ESPN News cuts back to the studio and then to a commercial break. This is what happens when the Outdoor Life Network isn t showing the hearings.