When Houston Astros legend Jeff Bagwell joined chorus of disapproval at Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens' repeated HOF snubs

In February 2022, Houston Astros legend Jeff Bagwell joined chorus of disapproval at former San Francisco Giants star Barry Bonds and former Boston Red Sox Roger Clemens' repeated Hall Of Fame snubs.

It appears that Barry Bonds has been consistently rejected from being included in the Hall of Fame for a period of 10 years starting in 2013. In his first year of eligibility, he received a vote of only 36.2 percent. This was followed by a decrease to 34.7 percent in 2014, and then a gradual increase in subsequent years, with percentages of 36.8, 44.3, 53.8, 56.4, 59.1, 60.7, 61.8, 66.0% until 2022.

Similarly, Roger Clemens experienced an identical fate.

To be inducted into the Hall of Fame, players must receive votes on at least 75% of the ballots cast by qualified members of the BBWAA. Also, Hall of Fame rules allow players to appear on the ballot for up to 10 years. If a player does not receive enough votes to be elected within those 10 years, they are no longer eligible for induction through the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) voting process.

After the duo's exclusion from Cooperstown in their last year of eligibility due to suspicions of using performance-enhancing drugs, Jeff Bagwell expressed his strong viewpoint.

“I am disappointed for Roger and Barry,” Bagwell said. “It’s a tough question — a tough question to field — and I don’t know the answer to it. All I know is those two guys, when I played, were the best at what they did.”

Apparently, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were not found guilty of using Performance-Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) in a court of law. However, their association with steroids still remains a topic of controversy and debate in the world of baseball.

It is worth noting that the pair was cited in the 2007 Mitchell Report, an investigation into the illegal use of PEDs in MLB.

Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens appeared on 2023 Contemporary Baseball Era player ballot

Barry Bonds San Francisco Giants Number 25 Retirement Ceremony: SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 11: Former San Francisco Giants player Barry Bonds looks on during a ceremony to retire his #25 jersey at AT&T Park on August 11, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

The former San Francisco Giants star Barry Bonds and former Boston Red Sox Roger Clemens were among eight players who appeared on the Baseball Hall of Fame's Contemporary Baseball Era ballot for the class of 2023.

Apart from Bonds and Clemens, Albert Belle, Don Mattingly, Fred McGriff, Dale Murphy, Rafael Palmeiro, and Curt Schilling were other candidates who appeared on the ballot.

Out of all, former Atlanta Braves star Fred McGriff made it to Cooperstown. His entry was met with unanimous approval from all 16 individuals comprising the committee.