The parameters of induction into Baseball's Hall of Fame has long been a point of contention in baseball circles, among pundits and fans alike. Compared to basketball, especially, getting into Cooperstown seems so much more daunting a task. The Baseball Writers' Association of America, the award-giving body responsible for deciding which player gets in or not, has notably denied players such as Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens in their first 10-years of “front-door” Hall of Fame eligibility despite putting up Hall of Fame-worthy numbers, PEDs notwithstanding.
Nonetheless, it wasn't the end for Bonds and Clemens' bid to make it Cooperstown. They still had a chance to make it in in their 11th go-around, this time potentially through the Veterans Committee. Instead of 296 or more votes to get elected (the threshold needed during the 2022 voting), they would only need 12 votes to secure entry into baseball's most coveted shrine. And yet Bonds and Clemens, among others, still failed to reach that benchmark.
Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens only received three votes each – nine votes shy of enshrinement – which sent Twitter into a much-deserved frenzy. Fans on Twitter argued that it was beyond time for two of perhaps the greatest ballplayers of all time to receive their due flowers, regardless of performance-enhancing drugs usage.
Glad to see Fred McGriff selected to Hall of Fame. For those who thought that this 16-person committee might overrule the BBWAA on Bonds and Clemens, well….check out these totals: pic.twitter.com/Hs4YnaCu5O
— Larry Stone (@StoneLarry) December 5, 2022
Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds not being in the Baseball Hall of Fame means yo ass Really don’t have a Hall of Fame
— Larry-N-Stafford (@larryinstafford) December 5, 2022
Friendly reminder, it’s not a true Hall of Fame without Bonds, Clemens, or Dale Murphy. The fact that they are disrespected year in and year out is a crime to the history of America’s Pastime.
— Kyle Taylor (@KyleSTaylor27) December 5, 2022
They didn’t even get 4 votes each LMFAO that’s insane pic.twitter.com/DQ0krgOIGn
— Addison (@YankeeWRLD) December 5, 2022
The Veterans Committee deemed that only Fred McGriff was worthy of Hall of Fame enshrinement, unanimously voting the 6'3 slugger into Cooperstown. However, this only fueled the fans' fury over Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens' failure to get in, especially after comparing their respective resumes. Alas, the PED controversy just seems to be too much to overcome for both Bonds and Clemens.
Fred McGriff after making the Hall of Fame over Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens: pic.twitter.com/MNI892htcM
— FAX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFAX) December 5, 2022
The highest Fred McGriff ever finished in the MVP voting was 4th. It was the only time he finished in the top five. Imagine thinking he should be in the Hall of Fame but not Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, Clemens, Schilling…
— Travis Wilson (@travisWSN) December 5, 2022
Perhaps Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens will eventually make it in the more fan outrage there is. For now, however, the two will have to wait yet another year to see if the voters' tunes change into a more favorable one for them.