It feels strange that legends like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were snubbed by the Baseball Hall of Fame while Bud Selig is embraced.
It’s official: we have a three-peat of Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez headed to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Just missing the cut was Vladimir Guerrero and Trevor Hoffman.New Kids in the Hall: Ivan Rodriguez, Jeff Bagwell and Tim Raines elected to the @baseballhall. #HOF2017 pic.twitter.com/EKseHcf9sM
— MLB (@MLB) January 18, 2017
Hoffman missed the Hall by a mere one percent of the vote — absolutely heartbreaking. Raines made it during his last year of eligibility, as expected.
While the gateway drug was delayed, otherwise known as the steroid users, we were aware of who on the ballot didn’t get in. Even though Barry Bonds (53.8 percent) and Roger Clemens (54.1 percent) didn’t make the cut, they did continue to gain ground in the voting.
For those paying attention at home, Clemens received 45.2 percent of the vote a year ago, while Bonds polled 44.3 percent. But perhaps the biggest hypocrisy is that Bud Selig, the overlord of the PED era, is getting into the hall.
If the guy who turned a blind eye to the PED era got the red carpet treatment, how can you say Clemens, Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa aren’t allowed in the clubhouse? That’s a joke. Although a lot of the requirements to get in are laughable, i.e., a limit of 10, plus requiring 75 percent consensus … I digress.
While Selig’s enshrinement isn’t “new” news, it’s worth bringing up at the same time baseball legends, who happened to be PED users, get neglected. Manny Ramirez was a first ballot guy this year, another guy who wasn’t expected to get in.
This marks only the seventh time since 1955 that the Hall has welcomed a new class of three members or more. It has happened three times in the past four years.