*Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were disfellowshipped from the Baseball Hall of Fame this year while David Ortiz single player was chosen.
Here’s what ESPN writes:
“Big Papi” was the only player to clear the required 75 percent threshold, according to the results of this year’s Baseball Writers’ Association of America poll. Ortiz became the 58th player to be selected in his first year of eligibility with 77.9%. At 46, he will also be the youngest of the 75 living members of the Hall.
Bonds, baseball’s all-time all-time home run leader; 354-game winner Clemens; Sammy Sosa, member of the 600 Homer Club; and longtime pitcher ace Curt Schilling were in their 10th and final year of eligibility for the annual BBWAA vote.
“David Ortiz is the most important player to ever wear a Red Sox uniform,” Red Sox President & CEO Sam Kennedy said in a statement. “He came to Boston relatively anonymously, and with his compelling personality and impressive racquet, he shattered expectations and paved the way for the franchise’s future in championships.”
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In a statement, Clemens said: “My family and I did that [Hall of Fame] in the rearview mirror 10 years ago. I didn’t play baseball to get into the game [Hall of Fame]. I played to change my family’s life across generations. Then focus on winning championships while giving back to my community and fans. It was my passion. I gave everything I had in the right way, for my family and for the fans who supported me.”
Pro TMZ, Bonds “was disapproved of by a group of baseball writers who believe his association with performance-enhancing drugs overshadowed the brilliance he displayed on the diamond,” the outlet writes.
“To be honest, I don’t even compare myself to them when I see these guys,” Ortiz said of Bonds and Clemens. “I’ve seen them perform so many times and it was very special. Well, I have a hard time believing that they’re not coming to me at this point. These guys, they did everything.”
Bonds could be added to the hall as early as December via the Today’s Game Era vote, according to TMZ.
The San Francisco Giants said in a statement, “We continue to hope that he will be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame at the next stage of the voting process.”