COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- As the debate rages over whether a place should exist in the Baseball Hall of Fame for players whose names are linked to performance-enhancing drugs, former home run king Hank Aaron said Saturday that he's willing to accept steroid users into the club.

But Aaron also believes players linked to performance-enhancers should have asterisks posted beside their career numbers. And he's convinced that some of his fellow Hall of Famers would walk off the stage in protest if a confirmed steroid user is ever inducted.

Hank Aaron, shown here at the 2008 ceremonies, believes a number of Hall of Famers would walk off the stage if a confirmed steroid user were inducted. George Napolitano/Getty Images

"The thing is, do you put these guys in, or do you put an asterisk beside their names and say, 'Hey, they did it, but here's why?'" Aaron told several reporters in Cooperstown. "To be safe, that's the only way I see that you can do it."

Aaron is one of 50 Hall of Famers in attendance for the induction of Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice this weekend. The steroid issue is particularly hot in the aftermath of Manny Ramirez's 50-game suspension; Alex Rodriguez's admission that he used performance-enhancing drugs while with the Texas Rangers from 2001 to 2003; and a recent New York Times report that Sammy Sosa flunked a drug test in 2003.

Aaron, 75, held baseball's career record with 755 home runs until he was passed two years ago by Barry Bonds, who has pleaded not guilty to lying to a federal grand jury investigating BALCO. Bonds, who hasn't played since 2007, finished his career with 762 homers.

Although Aaron is not as vehement in his stand against performance-enhancers as some of his fellow Hall of Famers, he believes the gargantuan power numbers amassed in the past decade should be viewed rightfully with skepticism.

"I played the game long enough to know, and it is impossible for players -- I don't care who they are -- to hit 70 home runs," Aaron said. "It just does not happen. I think that's one reason why people's eyes started opening up and they said, 'How can this guy do this?'

"It's hard to say the reason you hit a home run is because you're on steroids. I don't believe that. I believe your body can recuperate quickly to come back on the field. But 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.''