Alex Rodriguez Wants Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens to Get Hall of Fame Induction to Help His Case
Former Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez wants Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Rodriguez told ESPN's First Take on Wednesday that the former players' induction would also help his own case.
"Of course I want them to get in, because that would mean that I have an opportunity to get in one day," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez retired in 2016 after playing 22 seasons in the major leagues. He split the first half of career between the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers before playing for the New York Yankees for 12 years. He is a two-time Gold Glove winner, 14-time All-Star and three-time American League MVP. Rodriguez is fourth on the all-time home run list with 696.
Major League Baseball suspended Rodriguez for the entire 2014 season due to his use of performance enhancing drugs and his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal. The former infielder has also admitted to using steroids from 2001-2003 while playing with the Rangers.
Clemens and Bonds have also been accused of steroid use, which has hurt their Baseball Hall of Fame induction case. Bonds, who retired in 2007, leads the major leagues all-time home runs list with 762 after 22 seasons. Clemens also retired in 2007 after pitching for 24 seasons and winning seven Cy Young Awards.
Bonds received 59.1% of Hall of Fame votes this year, which was up from the 56.4% he received last year. Clemens got 59.5% of votes this year and 57.3% last year. They both have three years left on the ballot. Players need at least 75% of votes to be inducted.
"If you stopped [Bonds and Clemens' careers] at the age of 33 or 34, they were both first ballot and then the noise [about PEDs] started," Rodriguez said. "For me, it's just a shame. I am certainly cheering for both of them. I like them both very much. They're both friends, and I'm in their corner."
Rodriguez has admitted to the mistakes he made during his career and understands the impact that could have on his own chance to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He becomes eligible for induction in 2022.
"I would love to get in [to the Hall of Fame], but I understand that I made my own bed," he said. "So if I don't make it to the Hall of Fame, I can live with that. I will be bummed, it would suck and I can't believe that I put myself in this situation. But if that happens, I have no one to blame but myself."
