Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens Fall Short of Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Amidst Controversy
Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were not inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the 16-member Classic Era ballot, receiving 66% and 65.2% of votes respectively, both well short of the 75% threshold needed for induction. Neither player gained the required five votes for reconsideration in two years. Jeff Kent, a teammate of Bonds and Clemens, was the sole player elected in this cycle and will be inducted at the July ceremony.
Pete Rose's candidacy was championed by former President Donald Trump. Rose, who was banned in 1989 for betting on games as the Cincinnati Reds manager, was posthumously allowed back into consideration following pressure on MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred after Rose's death in 2024. Rose will become eligible for induction in 2027. Manfred invoked a rationale that Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson no longer posed a threat to the integrity of the game, applying this logic posthumously and extending it to Jackson.
This decision reflects a larger political and cultural moment in which integrity and accountability are portrayed as being under assault. The Hall of Fame vote is seen as a test of these values. Ongoing issues in baseball, such as Shohei Ohtani’s gambling scandal—where he was a victim—and Emmanuel Clase’s ongoing investigation, are cited as signs of destabilization and consequences of a permissive climate.
The article also highlights a decline in the number of Black players in baseball since 1965 and notes rollbacks of diversity, equity, and inclusion-inspired programs. This suggests that social and racial dynamics are deeply intertwined with the sport’s governance and legacy.
The column argues that history matters and that rejecting cynicism—rather than celebrating the banishment of Bonds and Clemens—should be the takeaway. It acknowledges that the Hall of Fame’s stature feels diminished without these notable players.
