Eric Byrnes: Hall of Famer from '70s and '80s used steroids

Eric Byrnes said he knows of a prominent Hall of Famer who used steroids. (John Williamson/Getty Images)

Former major leaguer Eric Byrnes, writing for checkswing.com, attempts to provide some perspective for those debating Major League Baseball's steroid era and how it relates to Hall of Fame selection. His main contention is that some players have been using steroids long before Jose Canseco helped lift the veil on the formerly taboo topic, specifically regarding MLB players in the '90s.

As a result, record-breaking players such as Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Mark McGwire -- who were later linked to performance-enhancing drug use -- have failed to receive enough votes for Hall of Fame induction.

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Byrnes, who is now an analyst for MLB Network after an 11-year MLB career, said he was shocked to hear that a prominent Hall of Fame player used steroids:

Disturbingly, not long ago I was having dinner with a former long time Major League player that spoke about the steroid use of a prominent Hall of Famer that played the majority of his career in the 70′s and 80′s… Ha! Not like I was shocked but damn… So many members of the Hall of Fame, including this character, have recently spoken out and condemned guys who have had ties to performance enhancing drugs, saying there is no place for “cheaters” in the HOF… I just wonder how many of the other guys in the “Hall” were actually cheaters themselves?