The 2016 BBWAA Hall of Fame votes were revealed Wednesday and MVPs Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were left off.
Nowhere near the 75% of votes needed — Bonds received 44.3% of the vote — Clemens: 45.2%. They both gained about 8% more votes apiece — but the prospects look dim right now.
Bonds can go stat for with both Mike Piazza and Ken Griffey Jr. — so to miss out on the other 55% that the former Mariners star gained is mind-boggling.
Bonds debuted with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986 — finish sixth in Rookie of the Year voting at the age of 21 and totaling 176 career home runs, batting .275 and winning two MVP awards, by the time he was 27.
In 14-years with the San Francisco Giants — after signing as a free agent — Bonds destroyed the history books winning six more MVP awards — 586 additional home runs — including a record 73 home runs in 2001.
Griffey Jr. debuted with the Seattle Mariners three-years later — at the age of 19 and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting. In 11 seasons with the Mariners, Griffey won one MVP award — hitting 398 career home runs — while batting .299 over the 11-year span.
It wasn’t close between the two players before the steroid accusations, and no one can deny that Bonds was Hall bound before he went to San Francisco.
Steroids — HGH or whatever, both are worthy of Cooperstown, but it might take a long time — maybe never.
