In his last eligible year to appear on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, San Francisco Giants living legend Barry Bonds was denied admittance into Cooperstown for his alleged participation and usage of performance-enhancing drugs.
Bonds was rejected for the 10th time in Cooperstown, with a group of baseball journalists saying that the asterisk by his name in the record books has had more of an impact on the game than his record-breaking feats on the diamond.
In his 22-season career, Bonds is the all-time home run leader with 762 HRs, holds the single-season home run record, won seven National League MVP trophies, and appeared in the All-Star Game 14 years in a row.
To the surprise of many, David “Big Papi” Ortiz was voted into Cooperstown with a 541 HR career record and several World Series titles from his tenure with the Boston Red Sox.
Ortiz’s career still doesn’t equate to that of Bonds, Roger Clemens, or Sammy Sosa, two more who were denied induction into Cooperstown this year following their exceptional careers.
The San Francisco Giants put out a statement about Bonds’ shutout, saying, “We remain hopeful that he will gain election into the National Baseball Hall of Fame through the next phase of the voting process.”.