The HOF case for Roger and Barry

While the four who did get voted into the baseball Hall of Fame (Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome, and Trevor Hoffman) are certainly worthy of the honor, Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds fell short -- again -- for the fifth year.

The latter two garnered only about 55% of the 75% needed for induction. Well short. But their totals keep rising every year, and it probably wouldn't come as too much of a surprise if they made it in eventually. Another year or two.

Yet something has always been wrong with this, and it involves the dreaded "public perception", sometimes known as "arm-chair prosecutors", or even self appointed "judge/jury/executioners".

Yes, we get it. It's all about the steroids -- right? They were the proverbial "poster boys" for what went so horribly wrong in baseball a generation ago.

But not so fast.

Were they indeed?

A look at the factual record says quite the opposite.

As we all know, the institution of Major League Baseball itself, not to mention no shortage of prosecutorial types, spent countless millions of dollars, and moved heaven and earth in an attempt to nail these guys.

Allegations, accusations, and guilty declarations were flying around like snowflakes in a blizzard. Everybody knew they did it.

Thing is, in the end, neither was ever found officially guilty of anything regarding using "performance enhancing drugs" (PEDs). (Though Bonds was convicted of a minor obstruction of justice charge, for which he received probation.)

So if "innocent until proven guilty", the supposed benchmark of the American jurisprudence system, still applies, one can only logically concluded these guys remain innocent.

And if they're innocent, why didn't they get elected into the Hall on their first ballots?

Nobody can seriously question either of their career statistics. Good grief, Bonds is the all-time leading home run hitter. With the recent retirement of Alex Rodriguez, it is highly unlikely anybody will get anywhere near approaching his record -- ever.

Clemens won 353 games. It's also unlikely we'll ever see a pitcher win even 300 again. He was a lock as a 20 game winner every year. In recent times, it is rare when a pitcher surpasses that mark -- for even ONE year.

Both were perennial All-Stars.

Both have steadfastly maintained throughout they "didn't do it".

Few believe them, of course.

That is the result of the League and, to a much greater degree, the media whipping the masses up into a frenzy by coming to the conclusion Clemens and Bonds were "dirty", but not being able to prove it. The classic example of putting the cart before the horse.

To this day, it still remains a "given" in the minds of the majority of sports writers, talking heads, and the public. It's assumed Roger and Barry were just as guilty as, say, the late Charlie Manson. But unlike CM, BB and RC were never convicted of anything, though a mountain of resources was thrown against them in the trying.

Just recently, the mostly stodgy scribes of the Baseball Writers Association of America have finally begun to at least loosen that knot they've had in their shorts all along. Hence, every year Bonds and Clemens inch a little close to induction.

It should be noted the Hall of Fame is already chock full of unsavory characters. Drunks, unfaithful spouses, and it was once rumored Ty Cobb even killed a man. But they're all in, and there's no "outing" them.

So does yours truly think Bonds and Clemens used PEDs back in the day?

Probably. But if I was sitting on a jury in a criminal trial involving same, would I vote to convict?

Absolutely not. Show me the proof -- dammit -- or they walk. Innocent coming in is, by law, innocent going out, sans a conviction.

So would I vote for them to be enshrined?

Of COURSE. Given the spectacular careers both had in MLB, how can any objective person (see no agenda/grudge/axe to grind) NOT?

This is way, WAY overdue, just like Pete Rose (the all-time hits leader) rightfully getting his bronze plaque. That will happen some day too, hopefully while he's still alive to enjoy it. But that's a story for another day.