Rox Pile’s unofficial baseball Hall of Fame ballots (Part 3)

The Case for Bonds and Clemens

Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are two names that some voters struggle with, mostly because of the dark cloud that is the steroid problem that hangs overhead. Yes, they both used steroids. That doesn’t mean they weren’t exceptionally great players during their time on the field.

The reason I would give these two my vote is the fact that I believe these two would’ve been inducted into the Hall of Fame even if they hadn’t made the choice to cheat. After all, the Baseball Hall of Fame is also a museum made to celebrate the greatest talents and records in our favorite game’s history. Like it or not, Bonds still holds the official single-season home run record that he set back in the 2001 season after mashing 73 long balls, as well being the official leader on the all-time Home Runs list with 762.

Starting with Bonds, he hit .298/.444/.607 with 762 home runs and 1,996 RBIs. His career OPS was 1.051, and his park-adjusted OPS+ was 182. He was also a 162.4 win player. His trophy case is busting at the seams, as well. He was a 7-time MVP, a 14-time All-Star and a 3-time Sporting News Major League Player of the Year. He won eight Gold Gloves and 12 Silver Sluggers, as well as two Batting Titles. Someone with a resume like that deserves to be honored in Major League Baseball’s most prestigious museum.

Clemens

Clemens was an equally-distinguished player on the other side of the ball. Throughout his 24-year career, he amassed a 354-184 record with a 3.12 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. He struck out a total of 4672 hitters in 4916.2 total innings. He was also a 140.3 win player and had a park-adjusted  ERA+ of 143, as well as a 3.09 FIP.

Clemens was also a rare MVP-winning pitcher in 1986, a 7-time Cy Young Award winner, 2-time Pitching Triple Crown winner, 11-time All-Star and 7-time ERA Title winner. Additionally, he won back-to-back World Series in 1999 and 2000 with the Yankees, won an All-Star Game MVP, and a Sporting News Major League Player of the Year Award.

Yes, those numbers and awards very well may be tainted, but I believe that in an environment such as the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, Bonds and Clemens both go above and beyond the desired criteria.