This Weekend's Vote Is Bad News for the PED Players

Former Atlanta Braves star Fred McGriff was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame over the weekend, and Jayson Stark at the Athletic writes that the honor is well-deserved. But in this case, the bigger story might be about who the Hall of Fame committee passed over—specifically Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds. This vote means "it's over" for them, writes Stark of their hopes of ever entering the Hall. And it's similarly over for the "whole generation of PED history makers who haven’t already sneaked into the Hall," he adds, referring to performance-enhancing drugs.

Yes, it's possible some future committee years from now will be in a more forgiving mood, but Stark doesn't see it happening. "So let’s stop and recognize what just happened," he writes. "The PED sentences have been handed down now. And it sure looks as though they’re lifetime sentences." For baseball fans, this is bittersweet stuff. It means the all-time home run king (Bonds) will not be in the Hall, nor will the Cy Young king (Clemens), nor will the likes of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. "Is it the kind of Hall of Fame baseball should want?" he writes. "Just asking—because I’ll admit I feel a little funny about that." Read the full piece. (More Baseball Hall of Fame stories.)