FORT BENNING, Ga., (Jan. 18, 2014) -- If you see Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens at the Baseball Hall of Fame ceremony, it won't be because they are being inducted, it will be because they are there wondering what might have been.

Fortunately, the HOF voters saw fit to send three deserving players -- Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas -- into the hall.

The inducted players all were first-ballot inductees, while the McGwires of the world were left sliding off the chart, as they should be.

Nowhere in sports, any sport, should those who violate the rules on performance enhancing drugs, or any drug, ever be allowed the privilege of being considered in the same breath of such recognition as those who reached the hall honestly.

Maddux and Glavine formed one of the best pitching duos of all times with the Atlanta Braves in the 90s under Hall of Fame coach Bobby Cox.

Maddux won four consecutive Cy Young Awards and was eighth on the all-time wins list (355) at the time of his retirement, while Glavine racked up 305 wins over the course of his career.

Thomas, a Columbus High School and Auburn University graduate, nicknamed "The Big Hurt," was a five-time All-Star (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997), four-time Silver Slugger Award winner (1991, 1993, 1994, 2000), and two-time American League Most Valuable Player MVP (1993, 1994). He won the AL batting title in 1997 and was named AL Comeback Player of the Year in 2000.

He hit 521 homers and drove in 1,704 runs in his 19 years of professional baseball. Thomas retired on Feb. 12, 2010.

The credentials the three HOF inductees share are impeccable, and there are many more deserving members who should be in the HOF, like Craig Biggio.

Biggio, who played second base, catcher and the outfield during his career, spent his entire 20-year career with the Houston Astros.

He was a seven-time MLB All-Star and won four Gold Glove Awards and five Silver Slugger Awards. He is 21st all-time with 3,060 career hits and is the ninth player in the 3,000 hit club to get all his hits with the same team.

These are the kinds of players fans want in the HOF.

As players from the steroid era have, and will learn, the only way into the HOF is through the front door, unless they want to buy a ticket to see deserving players inducted.