Former MLB stars Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens will get another chance to enter the National Baseball Hall of Fame after failing to be elected via the traditional BBWAA (Baseball Writers’ Association of America) way for 15 years.
On the field, both were among the most dominant players of their time.
Bonds has the record for most home runs in a season (73) and career (762), while Clemens won an MLB-high seven Cy Young awards in his brilliant MLB tenure.
Both, however, are linked with the use of steroids and weren’t exactly popular among media members.
The Contemporary Era committee will vote on whether the two players make the Hall.
Thanks to Bill Shaikin, we have the names of the 16 people who will vote on both stars’ destiny.
“The committee that will vote next month on whether Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens make the Hall of Fame,” Shaikin tweeted, with the 16 names.
The committee that will vote next month on whether Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens make the Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/Xo29dtaL5k
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) November 28, 2022
All candidates receiving votes on at least 75% of ballots cast will earn election, meaning that Bonds and Clemens will need at least 12 yes votes.
Will They Make It To Cooperstown?
That group includes several players who shared a field with Bonds, as well as historians who made their career in the Bay Area, where Bonds played for more than a decade.
There is a considerable chance both players eventually make it to the Hall.
Former Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz was the only player to make the Hall in the last voting process.
Bonds finished with 66 percent and Clemens was at 65.2 percent: they were both relatively close, but fell short.
They both used steroids in an era in which a considerable percentage of the league did, too, and their use didn’t carry a penalty at the time.
Will they make the Hall?
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