Hall near-misses wait turn
Guerrero fares well in first year on ballot, stand against Bonds and Clemens softening
NEW YORK— While Tim Raines, Jeff Bagwell and Ivan Rodriguez celebrated election to the Baseball Hall of Fame, Trevor Hoffman and Vladimir Guerrero fell just short.
Steroids-tainted stars Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were also passed over for the fifth straight year by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. But they received significantly more votes this time and could be in position to gain election in coming years.
Players needed to make 75 per cent of the ballots, which came to 332 votes this year, for induction. Hoffman wound up five votes shy and Guerrero 15 short.
Edgar Martinez was next at 58.6 per cent, followed by Clemens 54.1 per cent, Bonds at 53.8 per cent, Mike Mussina at 51.8 per cent, Curt Schilling at 45 per cent, Lee Smith at 34.2 per cent and Manny Ramirez at 23.8 per cent.
Players will be inducted July 30 during ceremonies at Cooperstown along with former commissioner Bud Selig and retired Kansas City and Atlanta Braves executive John Schuerholz, both elected last month by a veterans committee. Bonds, a seven-time MVP who holds the season and career home run records, jumped from 44.3 per cent last year. Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner, rose from 45.2 per cent last year.
Bonds was indicted on charges he lied to a grand jury in 2003 when he denied using PEDs, but a jury failed to reach a verdict on three counts he made false statements and convicted him on one obstruction of justice count, finding he gave an evasive answer. The conviction was overturned on appeal in 2015.
Clemens was acquitted on one count of obstruction of Congress, three counts of making false statements to Congress and two counts of perjury, all stemming from his denials of drug use.
A 12-time all-star on the ballot for the first time, Ramirez was twice suspended for violating baseball’s drug agreement. He helped the Boston Red Sox win World Series titles in 2004 and ’07 and hit 555 home runs in 19 seasons.
Several notable players will join the ballots in upcoming years: Chipper Jones in 2018, Mariano Rivera and former Toronto Blue Jay Roy Halladay in 2019, and Derek Jeter in 2020.