Strike Three for Barry Bonds

 

BREAKING: David Ortiz was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first turn on the ballot, while Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were denied entry in their final year under consideration amid suspicions they used performance-enhancing drugs. https://t.co/CNdcXcJZpc

— The Associated Press (@AP) January 25, 2022

RT if Barry Bonds (@BarryBonds) belongs in Baseball Hall of Fame

🐐: https://t.co/tyVthktpvi pic.twitter.com/4Aw9vJ45wx

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) January 25, 2022

So many current and ex players tweeting about Barry Bonds being a Hall of Famer. It’s recognized within the game. He had 494 HR and 1,405 RBI prior to the year 2000, which is when he supposedly began using PEDs. You can’t tell the story of baseball without Barry Bonds.

— Will Middlebrooks (@middlebrooks) January 25, 2022

Okay. So what rules do you want changed? What (if anything) should keep a player out of the HOF even though his accomplishments on the field warrant induction. Not that what does/doesn't warrant induction is 100% obvious to begin with. In large part it's a popularity contest.

— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) January 26, 2022

I could not agree with this statement more, especially since EVERY OTHER COMMERCIAL on TV these days is for legally betting on sports from the comfort of your own phone. As for Clemens & Bonds, they cheated the game so I'm fine with keeping them out of the HOF for however long. https://t.co/jh54BHJRuw

— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) January 25, 2022

I think it's obvious that Pete Rose should be in the HOF. His gambling was not performing enhancing. But based on antiquated MLB rules voters have every right to keep him out. I agree that some induction rules should be tweaked, but I'm not the one in power to tweak them.

— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) January 26, 2022

Via A Line A Day: By any other name he would still be PETE ROSEhttps://t.co/kL93l35dys https://t.co/AwOUy8ydjr

— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) January 25, 2022

As for Barry Bonds, one of the greatest we ever got to watch play the game of baseball, remember when he was just "one swing away" yet we didn't even care any more? https://t.co/LSCVAWjQSw IMAGINE how heralded he would be had he never cheated the game: https://t.co/EAF7Pd5i75

— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) January 25, 2022

Personally, I don't think seditionists belong in the Baseball Hall of Fame. I'd put the juicers and gamblers in first. https://t.co/TBMgW3WIbo

— Tom Watson (@tomwatson) January 25, 2022

Personally, I don't think seditionists should have statues erected in their honor, especially using money from tax payers. But seditionists/bigots/xenophobes/sexists/& all other manner of unpleasant people are capable of being good at stuff. Schilling was very good at baseball. https://t.co/y324tJpmq5

— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) January 25, 2022

If you don't like Curt Schilling personally, I get it & agree with your stance. Go to his induction day and boo him if you want. But his play on the field was sufficiently impressive that he deserves the opportunity to make that speech imho. But not before Pete Rose. He goes 1st.

— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) January 25, 2022

No Hall of Fame for Barry Bonds but at least he had this day. A Line A Day: He's not one away any more https://t.co/q91Eo4ojpV

— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) January 26, 2022

https://t.co/8jcop4O5fd pic.twitter.com/yU1m2KkkND

— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) January 26, 2022

Trying to make sense of it won't get you far. But yes, this is a valid point. If you declare someone to be a cheater because they juiced or messed with the ball or the bat or whatever, then any records they broke via cheating should be stricken. Not in HOF b/c stats don't count. https://t.co/BQcta2TdRk

— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) January 26, 2022

That's true. He could have become a muscle bound guy who struck out all time. Instead they couldn't get the ball past him. Steroids don't improve hand eye coordination. They probably helped him recover from fatigue/injury faster & maybe turned some deep fly balls from outs to HRs

— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) January 26, 2022

by those who vote players into the #MLB Hall of Fame (or refrain from doing so)? Not really, especially since Barry Bonds was less than charming to them. In baseball as in life and even Twitter, likability goes a long way as does the opposite.

— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) January 26, 2022

Barry Bonds at this stage was the Mike Tyson in his prime of baseball. Opponents were shook from him just walking up to the plate. https://t.co/24qRqVb1hc

— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) January 26, 2022

If you only counted Barry Bonds stats from prior to him putting on quite a few pounds of juiced muscle, he had a Hall of Fame worthy career. If he went from mediocre to great, that's 1 thing. He went from amazing to superhuman and lost credit for the amazing portion of his career

— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) January 26, 2022

If the stats still count then eligibility for HOF induction shouldn't be affected. Keeping players out for moral reasons is ridiculous. It isn't Heaven, it's the #MLB Hall of Fame. You either get in because your play was good enough or you don't get in because it wasn't. No gray.

— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) January 26, 2022

So what's fair for someone like Barry Bonds (Trump s/b jailed, enough about him)? He got caught. He wasn't kicked out of the league. He continued to be paid well for his services. His records count. BUT he wasn't inducted into the HOF? If that too harsh, not enough, just right?

— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) January 26, 2022

Or do we just stick with RULES ARE RULES? Break them & you pay the price. End of story. Unless this alienates your fan base so much that it starts affecting your pockets. Then perhaps you rewrite some of those #MLB rules. Even the holy Constitution needed Amendments.

— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) January 26, 2022

Barry Bonds, did steroids, kind of a dick: no hall of fame

Alex Rodriguez, did steroids, kind of a dick: no hall of fame

Roger Clemens, did steroids, kind of a dick: no hall of fame

David Ortiz, did steroids, likable dude: 1st ballot Hall of Fame

Lesson: do roids, be nice

— Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) January 25, 2022

David Ortiz gets the call to the Hall of Fame pic.twitter.com/HSRbBRoU63

— Baseball Quotes (@BaseballQuotes1) January 25, 2022

MLB players should start their own Hall of Fame. ‘Players only’ vote.

— Gary Sheffield Jr. (@GarysheffieldJr) January 25, 2022

You know who the one person is that I never hear complaining about Barry Bonds not being in the Hall of Fame? Barry Bonds. I haven't see so much as a single think piece or peep out of him on the subject. I guess he's a Que Será, Será kind of guy.

— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) January 26, 2022

Here's a POV on Barry Bonds becoming a Hall of Famer that ISN'T dominating my timeline. https://t.co/B7JA5KJLI8

— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) January 26, 2022

 

Switching briefly to another sport, two NFL quarterbacks that I'm pretty sure will be in their own league's Hall of Fame retired after their final games this season. Both of them made it to the playoffs in their final season but not quite to another Super Bowl. One of them had such a remarkable career that I wouldn't be surprised if they made his image into a league logo someday. I wrote a blog post about the other guy once. Both of them, the latter in particular, stood in the way of my Jets winning a championship (in the seasons that they were actually halfway decent) time and time again. No hard feelings though. Bon Voyage Ben and Tom!