Results of the voting for the 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame class came out on Tuesday, with the trio of Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton, and Joe Mauer making it to Cooperstown. But amid those three's deserved induction, one notable exclusion stole headlines, with New York Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez being left out yet again in his third year of eligibility.
Eligible voters from the Baseball Writers' Association of America have long been stringent towards rewarding players whose pasts are checkered with an induction into the Hall of Fame. And there may not be a more egregious offender during the Steroid Era than Rodriguez, who split his career with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, and Yankees. As a result, Rodriguez received just 34.8 percent of possible votes — 41 percentage points (or 155 votes) shy of the necessary number for inclusion.
Nonetheless, even though Alex Rodriguez's legacy is as tainted by performance enhancing drugs as it can get, fans think that this should not prevent him from making it into Cooperstown. After all, the former Yankees third baseman is one of the best hitters in league history, and in his heyday, he was also a high-caliber defender.
“Can’t believe he’s not in,” @TheJoezilla wrote. Wrote @Romano_718, “Arod is one of the greatest baseball players anyone alive has ever witnessed play the sport smfh.”
To some, it remains confusing as to why the voters continue to punish the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens (among others). They may have taken some supplements to enhance their performance on the diamond, but in the end, they are huge parts of baseball's legacy. The Hall of Fame should immortalize players who are important to the history of the game, and their exclusion makes some fans think that the exclusive club is losing its prestige.
“Until you have Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez etc in the Baseball Hall of Fame… it’ll continue to be a sham,” @GinaMuscato wrote. Added @RawrEWreckz, “Can't tell baseball's story without them. Juiced up or dehydrated.”
The retired Yankees slugger still has seven more years of eligibility, so he has time to get those numbers up. But knowing how strict the voters are with their Hall of Fame-induction standards, Alex Rodriguez will be fighting an uphill battle to get into Cooperstown.
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