Bonds, Clemens Hall of Fame bids now on even shakier ground

Baseball

Published 05.12.2022

Bonds, Clemens Hall of Fame bids now on even shakier ground

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens have been rejected by baseball writers of their bids for the Baseball Hall of Fame ten instances. On Sunday, the duo chased by steroid suspicions acquired one other rebuke from a panel that included a lot of their friends.

The door hasn’t formally shut on their Cooperstown possibilities. But the newest letdown means the pair — with eight MVPs and 7 Cy Young Awards between them — might by no means be celebrated with the game’s best particular person honour.

Fred McGriff was the one participant elected Sunday to the Hall of Fame by a 16-member up to date period committee, one in every of a number of teams credentialed to seal a participant’s enshrinement. McGriff was chosen unanimously, whereas neither Bonds or Clemens acquired greater than three votes.

When it involves the Baseball Hall of Fame, there are a number of potential avenues to induction, however it may be a really bumpy street for all however essentially the most simple instances.

HOW CAN PLAYERS BE ELECTED TO THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME?

Players are first thought of by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America no earlier than 5 calendar years after their huge league profession ends. A BBWAA screening committee creates the annual poll, and members who’ve been energetic baseball writers for a minimum of 10 years are eligible to vote.

Players on Major League Baseball’s ineligible checklist can’t seem on BBWAA ballots, the mechanism by which Pete Rose has been excluded from consideration. Voters are instructed to base their selections on “the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.”

The results of this yr’s writers’ vote — which requires 75% for induction — can be introduced Jan. 24.

Players are faraway from the BBWAA poll in the event that they obtain lower than 5% of the vote. They are also taken off after 10 appearances. Bonds (66%), Clemens (65%) and Curt Schilling (58.6%) fell effectively brief of their last possibilities on the BBWAA poll final January.

Once a participant is now not being thought of by the BBWAA, his case shifts to the Hall’s committee system — divided into the up to date and traditional eras. The up to date period committee considers candidates whose careers have been primarily from 1980 on. The traditional panel examines gamers who had their most important affect on the sport previous to 1980.

The committees rotate yearly. The up to date committee authorized McGriff on Sunday at baseball’s winter conferences in San Diego. Another up to date committee meets subsequent yr to think about managers, executives and umpires. The traditional committee votes in December 2024.

The poll for every panel consists of eight candidates chosen by a BBWAA-appointed historic overview committee. There isn’t any restrict in relation to how typically a candidate can seem on an period poll.

Rose is also ineligible for period ballots due to his inclusion on MLB’s ineligible checklist.

The 16 members of every period committee — comprised of Hall of Famers, executives and writers — are appointed by the Hall’s Board of Directors. Voters can choose as many as three candidates, and the assist of 75% of ballots solid are required for induction.

WHAT NOW FOR BONDS, CLEMENS AND SCHILLING?

The subsequent time Bonds, Clemens and Schilling may very well be thought of could be by a recent committee for the 2026 Hall of Fame class.

Bonds and Clemens seem like no-doubt Hall members on the backs of their baseball playing cards, and Schilling has a powerful case, as effectively.

A seven-time NL MVP, Bonds set the profession residence run report with 762 and the season report with 73 in 2001. A seven-time Cy Young Award winner, Clemens went 354-184 with a 3.12 ERA and 4,672 strikeouts. Schilling went 216-146 with a 3.46 ERA in 20 seasons, successful the World Series with Arizona in 2001 and Boston in 2004 and 2007.

But Bonds and Clemens have been accused of utilizing performance-enhancing medicine, and assist for Schilling dropped after he made hateful remarks towards Muslims, transgender folks, reporters and others. Bonds has denied knowingly utilizing performance-enhancing medicine, and Clemens maintains he by no means used PEDs.

Schilling acquired seven votes Sunday, and it’s attainable a future committee might swing in his favour. For Bonds and Clemens, that now appears unlikely.

There was a thought that perhaps Bonds and Clemens would get extra sympathy from their friends than writers for his or her suspected steroid use throughout an period tarnished by the stain of PEDs. That clearly wasn’t the case.

This yr’s up to date committee included Hall of Famers Greg Maddux, Jack Morris, Ryne Sandberg, Lee Smith, Frank Thomas and Alan Trammell, plus executives Paul Beeston, Arte Moreno, Kim Ng, Theo Epstein, Dave St. Peter, Derrick Hall and Ken Williams; and media members Steve Hirdt, LaVelle Neal and Susan Slusser. Chipper Jones was purported to be on the committee however missed Sunday’s vote on account of COVID-19. He was changed by Hall.

The Hall of Fame didn’t reveal all down-ballot totals, saying solely that Bonds and Clemens acquired fewer than 4 votes — a powerful indication that until new proof exonerates them from PED prices, they could by no means get their day in Cooperstown.