Hall of Fame Chair: Why Bonds and Clemens Remain Excluded

This article digs into the shrinking Hall of Fame hopes for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens as Major League Baseball’s veterans committee system keeps shifting. Despite their wild on-field achievements, both icons of the so-called Steroids Era now face a pretty harsh reality. Unless something dramatic changes in how people judge their legacies, their path to Cooperstown might just be closed for good.

The Contemporary Era Committee and a New Roadblock

The Hall of Fame’s Contemporary Baseball Era Committee was supposed to give players with polarizing or overlooked cases a second shot after the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) passed them by. In theory, legends like Bonds and Clemens would get a fresh audience and maybe a fairer shake. But honestly, for these two, it’s just become another wall.

Recently, both players got fewer than five votes from the committee. That’s a shockingly low number for two of the most decorated players in MLB history. And with a rule change announced in March, that lack of support comes with some big consequences for their future chances.

A Rule Change With Lasting Consequences

The new policy says that if a candidate doesn’t get at least five votes from the contemporary era panel, their eligibility takes a major hit. Bonds and Clemens only have one more scheduled appearance on this committee’s ballot, and that’s not until 2031.

If either guy fails to clear the five-vote bar in 2031, the committee will bar them from future consideration under current rules. The Hall says this clears space for other players who deserve a closer look. But let’s be real—the window for Bonds and Clemens is about as narrow as it gets.

Echoes of the BBWAA: The Steroids Era Standard

Hall of Fame chairman Jane Forbes Clark has said that committee members are basically using the same standard on the Steroids Era that the writers did. That matters, because the unwritten but unbreakable rule that kept Bonds and Clemens out before is still holding strong here.

The controversy over alleged performance-enhancing drug use is the main roadblock. Both Bonds and Clemens have consistently denied knowingly using PEDs. Still, that cloud hangs over their careers and just won’t go away.

The BBWAA Verdict Still Looms Large

In their final year on the BBWAA ballot in 2022, both came up short of the 75% needed for induction:

That’s solid support, but there’s a clear ceiling. Voters put their foot down on the Steroids Era. When the contemporary era committee met in December 2022, nothing changed—both Bonds and Clemens got fewer than four votes each. Meanwhile, Fred McGriff sailed in with plenty of backing.

On-Field Greatness Versus Off-Field Controversy

If you ignore the controversy, their stats are untouchable. In a Hall of Fame that only cared about performance, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens would’ve been first-ballot guys, no question.

Barry Bonds might be the most complete hitter the game’s ever seen. His resume:

Bonds didn’t just put up numbers—he changed how pitchers attacked hitters. His walk numbers and on-base percentage in his prime? Honestly, they almost look fake.

Roger Clemens: A Pitching Colossus

Roger Clemens put together a career that stands with the best pitchers ever. His highlights:

Clemens overpowered lineups in the American League East and later reinvented himself. He mixed longevity and dominance in a way that’s pretty rare for pitchers.

What 2031 Means for Their Hall of Fame Legacy

Looking ahead to 2031, the stakes couldn’t be clearer. That ballot is shaping up to be the final word on how the Hall of Fame views the Steroids Era’s most polarizing stars.

Unless the Hall changes the rules again, or the committee suddenly changes its mind on alleged PED users, Bonds and Clemens are staring down the real possibility that their cases will stay stuck—legendary numbers, but still no plaque in Cooperstown.

A Larger Debate That Won’t Go Away

The dwindling chances for Bonds and Clemens point to a bigger, messier question: How should baseball honor an era tangled up with PED suspicion?

Right now, committee voters seem fine with keeping the door mostly closed—even for two of the sport’s most dominant stars.

 
Here is the source article for this story: HOF chair ‘not surprised’ Bonds, Clemens still out