IS THE ROAD TO THE HALL OF FAME GINNED WITH ASTEROIDS?

By Matthew Cullen

New York Times

The Morning

Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens both failed to make the Baseball Hall of Fame this week, in their 10th and final year on the ballot. But the debate over their candidacies — both their undeniable statistical greatness and their presumed steroid use — is hardly over.

There are two paths to the Hall of Fame. In the first, sportswriters vote on candidates, and a player must receive at least 75 percent of the vote. Bonds received 66 percent this year, and Clemens 65 percent. 

The voters who kept them out of the Hall of Fame have, in effect, labeled them cheaters. In the second, a group called an era committee – composed mostly of Hall of Fame players and baseball executives – will evaluate players from 1988 onward. That group votes later this year.

Many writers, fans and players say Bonds and Clemens deserve to be inducted. For one thing, some current Hall members have their own history of cheating: Pitcher Gaylord Perry was inducted in 1991 despite doctoring baseballs, and for decades much of the league used amphetamine pills known as “greenies.” 

For another, Bonds and Clemens weren’t simply great players; they were among the best ever, dominating the sport at a time when many others used performance-enhancing drugs.

Some players accused of doping have already gotten in, including David Ortiz, who was elected this week. Others, such as Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez, have not, though they remain on next year’s ballot.