Trump Loomed Over Baseball’s Hall Of Fame. But Voters Still Said No To Bonds And Clemens

Since mid-May, erstwhile Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred announced Pete Rose would beryllium eligible for Hall of Fame consideration and explained his specious reasonings down it, past week’s Hall of Fame ballot by nan 16-member Classic Era committee carried pinch it a definite aerial of inevitability for Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, nan 2 top players presently not enshrined successful Cooperstown.

Rose was championed by Donald Trump, who utilized his populism to request nan Hit King yet beryllium allowed into nan Hall, an grant denied Rose since 1989 erstwhile shot placed him connected nan permanently ineligible database for betting connected games erstwhile he managed nan Cincinnati Reds. After Rose died successful September 2024, Trump past won nan presidency 5 weeks later and instantly accrued nan unit connected Manfred to extremity Rose’s 36-year banishment – contempt nan absence of immoderate grounds suggesting Rose was immoderate little blameworthy successful decease of gambling connected nan athletics than he had been alive. Nevertheless, Manfred acquiesced to Trump, and successful 2027, for nan first time, Pete Rose will beryllium eligible for induction into nan Hall of Fame.

That specter of that capitulation, nan brutish exertion of powerfulness has defined some nan existent governmental and taste moment. Integrity has been arsenic overmuch nether battle arsenic populist – it’s a connection for wimps and hand-wringers. Accountability is for suckers – nan ones excessively anemic to get their ain way, not man capable to return what they want. People consciousness numb, and pinch numbness comes surrender. Relentlessly battered by wanton statesmanlike pardons, indifference to nan deconstruction of stabilizing norms, each amid rampant oligarchal pillage – and it becomes seductive to clasp nan lukewarm cocoon of nihilism. Nobody cares. The President of nan United States is aft all, not anecdotally but legally, a convicted felon, but not only has this truth not been disqualifying, it is hardly mentioned.

Whether its betting aliases NIL, nan latest assemblage ungraded aliases labor, sports has been enveloped successful its ain waves of destabilization and numbness, fatigue and cynicism, and successful nan weeks starring up to nan vote, Bonds and Clemens were expected to use from these sentiments. Beyond Trump’s America, nan tallness of nan PED ungraded occurred astir a 4th period ago, and nan reflex that capable clip has passed, each has paid a cost, and its clip to adjacent nan section connected nan Steroid Era is simply a powerful and communal one. Both Clemens and Bonds retired successful 2007. Both fell disconnected of nan Baseball Writers Association of America’s writer’s ballot aft a 10-year odyssey of discomfort. (Needing 75% of nan votes for induction Bonds topped retired astatine 66%, Clemens arsenic 65.2%.) Both person been denied for astir a decade and a half, and nan abrupt creation of a pathway for Rose seemed to supply sunlight for nan simultaneously disgraced and legendary players of nan Steroid Era – Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, and perchance Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, excessively – to 1 time person a reappraisal.

They did not. Neither was inducted. Both were rebuked, receiving little than nan 5 votes required to beryllium reconsidered successful 2 years. Incidentally nan 1 subordinate elected, Jeff Kent, was a teammate of some Bonds (San Francisco, 1997-2002), and Clemens, (Houston, 2003-04). Many of nan voters were erstwhile players, and nan while they did not and person ne'er doubted nan greatness of Bonds, Clemens aliases nan numbers they produced, they did, however, determine not to succumb to nan creeping nihilism of today. It has its limits.

Ironically, nan value of upholding nan game’s integrity has been a week’s worthy of ridicule. Kent has not been warmly embraced arsenic nan newest personnel of nan immortal club, but impervious that without Bonds and Clemens, nan Hall of Fame is now a lesser place, little relevant, little morganatic spot arsenic agelong arsenic Bonds and Clemens stay uninvited. He deed much location runs than immoderate 2nd baseman successful history but must walk nan adjacent 7 and a half months until nan July induction ceremonies creating a protective scaffolding astir his enshrinement, for nan infinitesimal his defender drops, nan speech will displacement distant from him and backmost to Clemens, backmost to Bonds.

Pete Rose’s arguable candidacy for nan Hall of Fame was championed by Donald Trump, who utilized his populism to request nan Hit King yet beryllium allowed in. Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

None of which is to propose that nan group who tally shot heroically protected nan sport’s liking during a cynical clip – that favoritism belonged to nan postulation of 16 erstwhile players, executive and media, who person not forgiven nan era – particularly nan erstwhile players, who whitethorn beryllium accused of settling aged scores, but besides were brought up successful nan crippled pinch a hardline cognition toward gambling – its prohibition is nan first motion connected each clubhouse doorway – and steroids. Ex-players, particularly astatine Hall of Fame level from nan pre-1994 onslaught years, person been threatening to boycott induction ceremonies of known steroid users for 2 decades, and counting.

Manfred, meanwhile, is perfectly consenting to clasp nan times. In reversing nan game’s prohibition connected Rose, nan commissioner reasoned that posthumously, Rose nary longer posed immoderate threat to nan integrity of nan sport. Under nan aforesaid reasoning, Manfred besides returned nan Joe Jackson of the infamous 1919 Chicago White Sox to nan ballot, 1 of nan game’s original casualties of betting connected baseball. As portion of nan Black Sox, Jackson has been banned since 1920, and dormant since 1951 – intelligibly posing nary threat to nan integrity of nan game. Manfred has been commissioner for nan past decade, but it was only erstwhile Trump pressured him connected Rose did Manfred use nan aforesaid logic to Shoeless Joe.

Black players are disappearing from nan sport. There was a higher percent of African Americans successful shot successful 1965 than location was successful 2025, yet successful currying favour to Trump and his onslaught connected alleged “DEI”, nan commissioner eliminated programs designed to amended those numbers it erstwhile said it was committed to – and profits from each 15 April, erstwhile it celebrates Jackie Robinson moreover arsenic Black players are actively erased from nan sport.

And location is nary greater illustration of cynicism and greed successful shot than its top-rope leap headfirst into gambling – conscionable for illustration nan different sports. The consequences are already emerging. The game’s top player, Shohei Ohtani, was progressive successful (and yet recovered to beryllium nan unfortunate of) a gambling scandal, and 1 of nan game’s champion closer’s Cleveland’s Emmanuel Clase, is presently nether investigation and whitethorn ne'er transportation successful nan awesome leagues again.

Their shot organization peers choosing not to elite Bonds and Clemens is not a triumph – if keeping them retired is necessary, it is done truthful uncomfortably for nary affirmative tin beryllium taken from nan top pitcher and top hitter of their times ne'er having their infinitesimal astatine nan podium. Everyone has lost, and continues to do truthful – conscionable arsenic they person pinch Rose and do pinch Alex Rodriguez and his 3,115 hits and 696 location runs connected nan extracurricular of enshrinement. The triumph lies not successful their banishment but – contempt nan eyerolls – successful nan little rejection of cynicism, nan rejection of nan thought that history does not matter, that rules and standards do not matter, accountability is simply a nuisance, that thing matters. The conception itself has ever been thing of an ahistorical misdirection designed to addict dissidence, because neither Bonds nor Clemens, nor inclusion to Cooperstown has ever produced indifference. It’s always mattered. Last week’s ballot was conscionable nan latest reminder.

• Howard Bryant is nan writer of 11 books, including Kings and Pawns: Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson successful America, to beryllium published by Mariner Books successful January 2026.