Baseball Hall of Fame Uproar: No Bonds Nor Clemens
On Tuesday night, David Ortiz was announced as a part of the 2022 National Baseball Hall of Fame class, but players such as Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were left out of the class.
Ortiz received 77.9 percent of votes, surpassing the 75 percent of votes threshold to be inducted. Bonds received 66 percent and Clemens received 65.2 percent of the votes. This was both of the two legends’ final year on the ballot.
Ortiz belongs in the Hall of Fame. Let’s get that out of the way. He had a huge impact on the sport and has the numbers to back it up.
But, Ortiz did steroids and that’s a fact. He appeared on the 2003 List of users that tested positive for steroids. This is the same list that the likes of Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Maguire, and many others appeared on.
This test in 2003 was supposed to be a benchmark for how many players were juicing. 104 players tested positive in the test that was supposed to be anonymous and the results were destroyed. But, that’s not how history played out.
Ortiz’s career lasted for 20 seasons starting in 1997 and ending in 2016. He played for the Minnesota Twins until he signed with the Red Sox and skyrocketed to fame. Ortiz’s career was a great one, he ended with three World Series titles, a World Series MVP, seven Silver Sluggers and 10 All-Star selections.
Ortiz is best known for his time as a Boston sports icon where he delivered in big moments. The Sox took home three titles with him including the 2004 one, where they broke the curse ending their drought that lasted since 1918. Ortiz blasted 541 homers in his career putting him at 17th all-time for career homers. He also posted a career .931 OPS, primarily as a designated hitter.
In a 15-year span from 2002 to 2016 with the Red Sox, he hit 503 home runs with a .950 OPS and posted 1,076 extra-base hits. This was nearly 300 more extra-base hits than any other left-hander.
What’s important to note here is that Ortiz tested positive for steroids in 2003, right when he started blasting these homers. Before this, he only posted 58 home runs with the Twins for six seasons. Before he tested positive, his season-high home run count was 20. The season directly after was 41. The first time he made an all-star appearance was during the 2004 season, also the year after he tested positive. More than 500 of his career homers came after he tested positive.
Now let’s take a look at Bonds. Bonds is considered one of if not the greatest baseball players of all time. He finished his historic career with a record seven MVP awards, 12 Silver Slugger awards, eight Gold Gloves, two batting titles and 14 all-star appearances. Nobody in the history of the MLB has come close to his career 762 home runs and his career walks of 2558. The closest person to Bonds’ seven MVPs is Mike Trout who has four. Another notable achievement for Bonds is his single-season record of 73 homers.
The thing that has kept Bonds out of the Hall has always been his appearance on that same 2003 list that David Ortiz is listed on. He never tested positive in any Major league testing and never admitted to doing steroids. It’s the same thing as Ortiz.
Now, let’s bring up Clemens. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest pitchers of all time. He has a record-setting seven Cy Young awards. No one else even has five. He also took home an MVP, which is incredibly impressive as a pitcher.
Clemens, also known as the “Rocket” for his electrifying arm, pitched for 24 seasons in the MLB. He most notably pitched for both the Red Sox and the New York Yankees. In his seasons, he has a career .658 win percentage with 354 career wins. He also posted 4672 strikeouts which ranks top three all-time only behind Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson.
In July of 2014, the Hall of Fame changed its rules. In the past, the rule has been if a player receives at least five percent of the vote he can stay on the ballot for up to 15 years, assuming he didn’t get inducted or dipped below five percent. After the change in 2014, players were capped at 10 years on the ballot. The rule hurt Bonds’ chances at getting in as he has already been on the ballot for two years.
It became more clear this rule change was directed at steroid users in 2017. In this year the late Hall of Famer and Sunday Night baseball broadcaster, Joe Morgan wrote a letter to the association pleading for players who were accused to not be placed in the Hall.
Looking at who is already in the Hall it is quite the hypocrisy. Looking back at Pud Galvin, Hall of Famer, who admittedly pumped monkey testosterone in the 1880s. We can also look at the rampant use of amphetamines also known as “greenies” in Morgan’s era. No time in baseball history has ever been clean. Never.
The Hall of Fame is supposed to celebrate baseball’s history and its great history. But, two of the greatest players of all time will now fall off the ballot thanks to the rule change. But, an undoubtedly lesser player who took steroids will be placed in the hall.
Bonds and Clemens’ last hopes will be the Cooperstown veterans committee who will get a say in if they get in. Both will undoubtedly get in 40 years from now, now it’s a matter if it is when they are both alive to celebrate it.
