So far, MLB has refused to welcome players linked with steroids to the Hall of Fame.
Eventually, that needs to change, because everybody, including executives, fans, media members, and former players, celebrated their achievements during the steroid era.
MLB decided to ignore the issue for a long time, and now, some of the best players ever haven’t been able to go to Cooperstown.
These three are prime examples.
3. Alex Rodriguez
Besides Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez may have the most extensive and impressive statistical profile of those not yet in Cooperstown.
However, he just got 34.3 percent of votes during this past Hall of Fame round.
Why?
Not only did he use steroids and deny it, but he later admitted it, clashed with his team over his role in the Biogenesis scandal, and missed the whole 2014 season because of a related suspension.
Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, and other players in the steroid era weren’t caught and suspended.
You could say, however, that A-Rod did his time and his penalty.
He still deserves a place among the greatest, because he was one of the best in the league even before steroids grew in popularity.
He played in Seattle, Texas, and New York, and was a star everywhere he went.
Overall, he hit .295/.380/.550 with 696 home runs, 2,021 runs scored, 2,086 RBI, 329 stolen bases, and 113.7 Wins Above Replacement (WAR).
Additionally, he won multiple MVP awards (three) and was one of the best right-handed hitters of his generation.
Silver Sluggers, batting crowns, Gold Gloves, RBI leads, 14 All-Star games…it may take a while, but A-Rod belongs in the Hall of Fame.
2. Roger Clemens
Clemens, like Rodriguez, Bonds, and many other stars of the steroid era, was already a monster before steroid allegations started to appear.
He won a record seven Cy Young awards, at least one with each team he played with: the Boston Red Sox, the Toronto Blue Jays, the New York Yankees, and the Houston Astros.
Clemens also leads all pitchers in history with 133.7 Wins Above Replacement, or WAR.
He finished his career with a 3.12 ERA and more than 4,500 strikeouts.
He also won 354 games.
Oh, and he lifted a couple of World Series trophies with the Yankees.
He has a case to be considered the best pitcher in the history of the game, and even if he falls short, he is surely a top five arm.
He clearly belongs in Cooperstown.
Barry Bonds deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
So does Roger Clemens.
And Alex Rodriguez.
And David Ortiz.If Bud Selig is in, then let everyone he enabled to use PED’s to get in as well.
— Doug Rush (@TheDougRush) January 25, 2022
1. Barry Bonds
Bonds is, quite likely, the best player ever to step on a baseball field.
Before any steroid allegations, he already had more than 300 home runs, almost 400 stolen bases, and multiple MVP awards.
He retired with seven MVPs, four more than his closest competitors.
Bonds broke two of the most celebrated records in MLB: most home runs in a career (762) and in a single season (73, in 2021).
He was known for his power-speed combo in his early days, but for his keen eye at the plate and prodigious power in his late years.
Baseball keeps punishing him for allegedly doing steroids at a time the league didn’t conduct consistent testing and virtually looked the other way for years.
Bonds was an incredible offensive force without substances.
He wasn’t the most pleasant teammate and there was a mutual hatred with the media, but talent is talent, and achievements are achievements.
And, as far as talent and achievements go, Bonds’ legacy is undeniable.
It’s 1 am. Barry Bonds is the best baseball player of our generation and deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
— Jimmy Randazzo (@JimmyRandazzo) January 23, 2022
He certainly deserves to be enshrined eventually, and will have his next chance in December, when the Today’s Game committee meets and discusses his case.
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