Hall of Fame Odds Slip for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens (NYT)

In newly revealed ballots, voters have not changed their minds about two candidates dogged by their association with steroid use

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Maddux, Glavine, Thomas elected to Hall of Fame

Former Atlanta Braves star pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine and slugger Frank Thomas were overwhelmingly elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in voting announced on Wednesday.

Barry Bonds received 34.7 percent of the vote - 75 percent support from 571 votes cast by media is needed to ensure enshrinement,

Bud Selig on Barry Bonds

"It is, what it is."

- MLB Commissioner, Bud Selig

Hall of Fame Voters send Barry Bonds a message

Hall of Fame Voters certainly send Barry Bonds a message in his first year of HOF eligibility. The slugger got 36.2 percent of the vote, less than half of the 75 percent required for election.

Barry Bonds denied Hall of Fame entry

Barry Bonds 

rejected by baseball's 

Hall of Fame in today's vote.

Tommy Lasorda: No on Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens or Sammy Sosa to the Hall of Fame

“To me, they don’t belong in there. They cheated. That’s the way it is. If my brother did that, I’d say the same thing about my brother. I mean, I know those guys. They’re good friends of mine. But by golly, they didn’t do it the right way. I tell you, it’s a shame. How in the hell could a guy hit 73 friggin’ home runs? I mean, Babe Ruth couldn’t do it.”



 --- Tommy Lasorda, Hall of Fame manager, Los Angeles Dodgers

Barry Bonds vs. The Hall of Fame

Voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.

Baseball Writer's Association of America

Thom Loverro: No on Barry Bonds

"Bonds, Sosa and Clemens fail on all three counts." - Thom Loverro


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In time, Barry Bonds should get his bronze plaque

The thorny issue of Barry Bonds’ Cooperstown candidacy


SI.com talks about Barry Bonds:

The wide consensus among voters is that Bonds certainly isn’t going to get in on the first ballot. Unless he receives less than five percent of the vote — highly unlikely given the precedents of McGwire and Palmeiro — he’ll have 14 more years to gain entry. It may be several years before he gets in, but the evolution of the electorate — which began admitting members of the electronic media (such as Rob Neyer, Keith Law, Christina Karhl and even this writer) — in recent years could work in his favor. So too might the pressure on voters to hold their noses and recognize that the Hall is a private institution whose revenue is based upon tourism; a failure to accurately reflect the era as part of baseball history may doom it — and by extension, the voting body — to irrelevance. It certainly won’t be a pretty process, but in time, Bonds should get his bronze plaque.

Barry Bonds vs. Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens is his own manager, lawyer, public relations specialist, strength coach, pitching coach, and now trapeze artist.

Just look at his career. Look at the results:

Career: 354-184 (9th), 3.12 ERA, 4672 SO (3rd), P, 1986 AL MVP, 7xCy, 11xAllStar

How can you argue with the results?

Now, in his most difficult feat of all, he attempts a comeback stunt.

He dislikes being associated with Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire. He dislikes when he hears Barry Bonds say "I'd going to the end of the earth for [Roger]." He dislikes that people laugh at him and will not vote him into Cooperstown.

Roger Clemens wants to end the laughter.



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Rafael Palmeiro Supports Barry Bonds

Rafael Palmeiro says he believes Barry Bonds and Clemens belong in Hall of Fame


The Truth according to Rafael Palmeiro:

"You're talking about, in my opinion, probably the best pitcher of all-time and the greatest player of all-time. Keep them out and then the Hall of Fame has no credibility."

More Rafy:

"I know what kind of career I had. I'm good with it. I can look at myself in the mirror and feel good and proud of what I accomplished. Clemens and Bonds, 10 years before they retired they were the best players in the game. These guys dominated the game before anything was ever mentioned about anything.”

Barry Bonds without-a-doubt belongs in the Hall

"Oh, without a doubt. There's no doubt in my mind," Barry Bonds responded when asked if he feels he belongs in baseball's Hall of Fame.

More about philosophy, voting and opinions from Barry Bonds to MLB.com:

"You have to vote on baseball the way baseball needs to be voted on. If you vote on your assumptions or what you believe or what you think might have been going on there, that's your problem. You're at fault. It has nothing to do with what your opinion is. Period. If that's the case, you better go way, way back and start thinking about your opinions. If that's how you feel life should be run, I would say then you run your Hall of Fame the way you want to run your Hall of Fame. That's what I think. That's my personal opinion. If you want to do the Hall of Fame the way the Hall of Fame is supposed to be done, then you make the right decision on that. If you don't, that's on you. To stamp something on your assumptions, it doesn't work for me."

Deford: Don't Insult Baseball

"To vote for Bonds and Clemens for the Hall of Fame is, above all, an insult to all the good guys who played fair." --- Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated

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Prosecutors continue to prosecute Barry Bonds

Before a three-judge panel of a federal appeals court this week, United States prosecutors urged the judges to uphold Barry Bonds’ obstruction of justice conviction.

U.S. prosecutors also said that U.S. District Judge Susan Illston properly instructed the jury, despite Bonds’ lawyers arguments.

Additionally:

“Contrary to Bonds’s attempts to interpret it as such, Count Five did not charge him with the act of obstructing justice through particular statements he made to the grand jury, but through intentionally evasive, false, and misleading testimony,” prosecutor Merry Jean Chan wrote.

Mr. October says Barry Bonds is not the home run king

Reggie Jackson on Barry Bonds:

 "I believe that Hank Aaron is the home run king, not Barry Bonds, as great a player as Bonds was ... If any of those guys get in, no Hall of Famer will attend." 

Sports Illustrated’s "13th annual Where Are They Now?" issue, July 9, 2012

Another 'No' vote against Barry Bonds

Why I won't vote for Barry Bonds 

By Lowell Cohn
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

I am writing about Barry Bonds and why, at this time, I don't plan to vote for him for the Baseball Hall of Fame. It is not the first time I've written about this and it won't be the last.


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George Brett goes negative on steroid users

"I wasn’t a home-run hitter,” Brett said, “but I know from talking to guys in the 500-home run club, guys like Schmitty (Mike Schmidt) and some other guys like that, if those guys make it in then they’ll never go back.” 

Meaning?

 “Meaning those guys will never go back and attend (the Hall of Fame inductions) if the cheaters get elected.” 

Curt Shilling casts his vote on Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds

Whether Roger Clemens, an early mentor to him, should be in the Hall of Fame:
"No, he shouldn't. I don't believe any of those who cheated should get votes. You never know when they did and when they didn't. I don't know how much was real. That's just me. I don't think anybody who did it should get in.

"Wait, you said [for years] that you never did it? Now [you say] you did? It's the Pete Rose defense. And you got caught the first time you did it? And how about when you [actually] started? That's a whole other conversation. It's just very black and white: They got caught doing it, they're out. Unfortunately, some of my friends and teammates are on that list and it makes me disappointed they made that decision. It doesn't make me like them less. Now, Barry Bonds? How can you even remotely consider that guy a nice guy?"

Sports Illustrated interview

Pat Caputo won't vote for Barry Bonds for the Hall of Fame

Why I won't vote for Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens or Sammy Sosa for the Hall of Fame

The HOF meaning of Barry Larkin for Barry Bonds

Barry Larkin, shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds, got the call on Monday. It was a beautiful call and the call that he was hoping for after playing a round of golf in the morning.

"I'm just incredibly, incredibly moved by this whole experience and so humbled by the experience and so excited about being the newest member of the Hall of Fame," Larkin said.


Barry Larkin will be inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame this summer.

Congratulations, Barry Larkin!


The former Reds shortstop was selected on 495 of 573 ballots (86 percent) in voting announced by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Above the 75 percent vote necessary for induction. This was the third year Barry Larkin was on the ballot.


What is the meaning of Barry Larkin's Hall of Fame vote for the MLB all-time home run leader, Barry Bonds?


Well, we could do an apples and oranges comparison between the two Barry's: one is an infielder, one is an outfielder; one is a hitter for average, one is a slugger, etc., etc.

But that would grow tiresome quickly.


All we know is that the Baseball Writers' Association of America is being very selective these days with its votes. Very selective. Except for the ballot stuffing efforts of Jason Stark, of course.

In fact, for some players, it is not about being selective, it is about being completely ignored.

Mark McGwire, 10th on the home run list, received 19.5% of the vote this year. Rafael Palmeiro, also a 500 home run club member, received 12.6% of the vote. Ignored. Well below 75 percent.

What will this mean for Barry Bonds and his friends Roger Clemens, Mike Piazza and Sammy Sosa? Will they be ignored like Mark and Rafael? Bets are on the Ignore side for round 1 next year.


Bud Selig, enjoy the Hall of Fame induction of Barry Larkin this summer.