The greatest hitter in the history of baseball has been left off the Hall of Fame ballot for the 10th and final time.
I’m going to tell you the least surprising news. The news that you’ve known was coming for days, weeks, years, and heck, now even a decade: San Francisco Giants legend Barry Bonds did not get elected to the Hall of Fame.
In his 10th and final appearance on the ballot, Bonds received his highest number of votes, but even that put him well short of a place in Cooperstown, as 75% of the vote is required.
Barry Bonds got 66 percent. A bump from 61.6 percent last year. But not nearly enough.
— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) January 25, 2022
Bonds, who has hit more home runs than any player in the history of the sport, will not be in the Hall of Fame.
Bonds, who holds MLB’s record for the most home runs in a single season, will not be in the Hall of Fame.
Bonds, who drew more intentional walks than the next two most-walked players combined, and also more than the entire Tampa Bay Rays franchise, will not be in the Hall of Fame.
Bonds, who was in his age 28 season and already had a pair of MVPs in his closet when he joined the Giants, and was forced off the team while still a top-five hitter in baseball, but still would be a top-10 all-time home run hitter if you only count his time in San Francisco, will not be in the Hall of Fame.
Bonds, who won seven MVP awards, which is seven more than 2022’s lone inductee, David Ortiz, will not be in the Hall of Fame.
And he won’t be on the ballot again.
You’ve known this was coming for some time, but don’t let that keep you from being mad. Don’t let that keep you from stomping around the house, and hanging out in your yard, hoping your neighbor will come out so you can tell them about this grave injustice.
The people entrusted with choosing who belongs in a museum dedicated to the great things done on the baseball diamond looked at the man with 762 home runs, 2,558 walks, seven MVPs, eight Gold Gloves, 12 Silver Sluggers, and 14 All-Star appearances, who was the epitome of a must-watch athlete in a sport designed to not be must-watch, and said, nah.
I don’t like those people.