Speculation surrounding MLB player, Barry Bonds, along with Roger Clemens, as accusations continue to swirl regarding steroid use during their time in the league, hindering entry into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Former New York Yankee and boyfriend to Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, had a thing or two to say about it considering he’s dealt with the same issues.
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“Of course I want them to get in,” he told ESPN. “Because that would mean that I have an opportunity to get in one day.”
According to USA Today, Rodriguez, who admitted to using performance enhancing drugs during his time playing before retiring in 2016, says it cost him $40 million dollars and potentially the opportunity to make it into the Hall of Fame one day — which he’ll be eligible for in 2022.
“I remember sitting there at night at maybe 4 or 5 o’clock in the morning — I probably did this a hundred nights — and I would look up with tears and say, ‘How the f— did I get myself in this position? I’m the only jackass that has pocket aces and figures out a way to lose the hand,” he said during an interview with the Audience Network show Undeniable.
In order to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, former players must have 75 percent of votes needed. Bonds did push forward a small bit from 56.4 percent in 2017 to 59.1 percent in 2018 — but still not enough to make his mark in history.
“If you think about Roger and Barry specifically…if you stopped their career at the age of 33 or 34, they were both first ballot and then the noise [about PEDs] started,” Rodriguez said. “For me, it’s just a shame. I am certainly cheering for both of them [Bonds and Clemens]. I like them both very much. They’re both friends, and I’m in their corner.”
“Look, I pray every day I get a chance to get in,” he continued. “The Hall of Fame is the ultimate place.”
Out of 232 Baseball Writers Association of America voters, whom consist of the likes of general sports columnists, football, golf and hockey writers, and digital marketers, only about 60 of them did not vote for either Bonds or Clemens.
Dan Shaughnessy, a columnist at The Boston Globe, essentially summed up the thoughts each writer who responded to ESPN’s, Jeff Passan, when asked questions regarding this topic.
“In my view,” Shaughnessy wrote via email. “They used and therefore cheated. I don’t buy ‘they were already Hall of Fame players.’ If you lead the Masters by 10 strokes and cheat on the 18th hole of the final day, you are DQ’d [disqualified]. You lose. Because of the cheating.”
Bonds and Clemens have three more years to be considered for the glorified title next to their name, but only time will tell whether they’ll reach it or not.
