His Story Is Injected With a New Finish

Does Rafael Palmeiro deserve to be in baseball’s Hall of Fame? Yes -- in the new, soon-to-be-crowded Doper’s Wing.

JERRY CLARK

Glendale

Rafael Palmeiro is smart enough to sign million-dollar contracts, Viagra and shoe deals. But he is stupid enough not to know what he is putting in his body.

Now that’s a first-ballot Hall of Fame liar.

JACOB PEREZ

La Verne

I personally take no issue with poor Rafael being inducted into the Hall of Fame under the given circumstances, but only if he goes in under the name Rafael Palmeiroids.

JUAN BALBUENA

Studio City

Rafael Palmeiro’s testing positive for steroids is hardly surprising. His continued denial of ever “intentionally” taking any banned substances in the face of a failed drug test is pathetic. Palmeiro is not sorry for what he did -- he is only sorry he got caught.

MARK S. ROTH

Los Angeles

I guess the three biggest lies now are:

1. The check is in the mail.

2. I never had sex with that woman.

3. I never used steroids, period.

The only good out of all this is that we can start to admire the real stars of baseball such as Aaron, Mays, Mantle and Killebrew. Instead of pointing the finger at Congress, Palmeiro should have been pointing at himself. Period.

RICHARD KATZ

Los Angeles

Is taking steroids considered a greater transgression than betting on baseball games? Betting must be a greater sin, because it will keep a player out of the Hall of Fame. The proof, of course, is Pete Rose. On the other hand, it’s a pretty good bet that Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro all will make it to Cooperstown.

Eventually.

JOE LYOU

Santa Paula

With Rafael Palmeiro caught red-handed and Sammy Sosa unable to approach his pre-steroids-scrutiny numbers, isn’t it time to cut Mark McGwire some slack for his refusal to answer questions regarding his alleged steroid use in his testimony before Congress?

I don’t condone McGwire’s apparent use of steroids, but he should be commended rather than crucified for his refusal to lie to Congress while those around him were obviously doing just that.

JEFF KANDEL

Los Angeles

Rafael Palmeiro tested positive for steroids, but he claims it was an accident. I guess that’s what he gets for showering downstream of Sammy Sosa.

JEFF ZIMMER

Sherman Oaks

And baseball stuck an asterisk next to Roger Maris because of eight additional games. Go figure.

RODNEY K. BOSWELL

Thousand Oaks