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It’s time to let Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens in the Hall of Fame

Once again, the voting process has denied Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens induction into the Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, this has become a yearly tradition for the last 9 years. With their last year of eligibility approaching, it’s time to let Bonds and Clemens in the Hall of Fame.

There is no denying that the steroid use of both Bonds and Clemens helped boost their stats and gave them an advantage. But should that advantage deny them access to the H.O.F. No. Not at all. For those who disagree, put yourself in their perspective.

If you’re a player and you want to be the best or the best you can be, you’re going to do everything possible to do so. So if a percentage of the league is using PED’s with no repercussions from Major League Baseball, you join them. At that point, the players aren’t to blame but MLB, especially considering the league obviously knew about the drug use. MLB can’t just knowingly put aside steroid use because they’re making money off of it and then years later hold players accountable. That’s not right. If cops started letting people run red lights, I might run a couple if I’m late to work as long as I know I won’t get any tickets. Is it fair to get those tickets in the mail five years later? No, because I ran those lights with the knowledge that I wouldn’t be penalized. Is it still morally wrong? Yes. But moral beliefs aren’t the only reasons people don’t break rules. The consequences you face matter just as much. And during the steroid era, these players had no consequences because MLB was loving their profits.

In all honesty, steroids were good for baseball. The steroid era was a peak in baseball. It was one of the best era’s of the game, if not the best. During this time, the game grew millions of fans and many of these steroid-using players were inspirations to current MLB players. An era that was so good for growing the game at baseball, is looked at in such a bad light. Compare that era to now. Where the game of baseball is dwindling. Where instead of picking up a baseball, kids are picking up basketballs and footballs. Now before you ridicule and penalize PED players, think about what they did for the game of baseball. Think about the impact this era had on the growth of the sport.

In order to deny Bonds and Clemens access into the Hall of Fame, you need to be able to guarantee that nobody in the Hall of Fame took steroids. And that’s impossible. Ivan Rodriquez is in the Hall of Fame and has been linked and accused of using steroids. Jeff Bagwell is also in the Hall of Fame and he has also been linked to steroids. David Ortiz tested positive for PED’s in 2003. David Ortiz is a well-liked guy in baseball. He is eligible for voting in 2022 and due to how much he’s liked, I find it likely that’ll he’ll eventually get in. So how can H.O.F. voters pick and choose who they let into the Hall of Fame?

It’s incredibly obvious that Bonds and Clemens were H.O.F. players long before they took a PED. Unfortunately, the greatest hitter and pitcher of that era might never get in. I’ll end it with this thought. If MLB didn’t care about steroids when they were making money from it, why should the voters?

Do you think that Bonds and Clemens should be in the Hall of Fame? Do you think they’ll get in next year? Let me know what you think on Twitter @Nolan_DeMelfi