SAN DIEGO — Former power hitter Fred McGriff was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday.
Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling however were not given the same honor by the committee.
It was the first time the careers of Bonds, Clemens and Schilling had been scrutinized by the Hall of Fame committee since their 10th and final appearance on the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) ballot. .
Bonds and Clemens were accused of using steroids while Schilling lost support when he shared hateful remarks about Muslims, transgender people, journalists and others.
McGriff finished his 19-year career in the Majors with a .284 batting average, 493 home runs and 1,550 RBIs. The first baseman was a five-time All-Star selection and won the World Series with the Atlanta Braves in 1995.
The 59-year-old McGriff received unanimous support from the 16-member Contemporary Baseball Era Committee, made up of Hall of Famers, executives and columnists.
McGriff received 169 votes (39.8 per cent) in his final year on the BBWAA ballot, 2019. He will now be inducted in Cooperstown on July 23, along with whoever is chosen by the BBWAA ballot, on January 24 .
The Contemporary Era of Baseball Committee considers applications from players who primarily played in the 1980s and later. A player needs to get 75 percent of the votes.
Don Mattingly was the player closest to 75 percent, getting 50 percent of the vote. Schilling amassed seven votes.
Bonds, Clemens and Schilling came up short in January, in their last attempt at the BBWAA. Bonds received 66 percent of the votes, Clemens received 65.2 percent and Schilling got 58.6 percent.
