Barry Bonds seems unlikely to gain induction into the Hall of Fame on his seventh try Tuesday night.
Ryan Thibodeaux has been able to accumulate 52.7 percent of the ballots cast in this year’s election on his Hall of Fame tracker website. Bonds, the all-time home run leader who began his career with the Pirates from 1986-92, has been named on 70.5 percent of the ballots. A minimum of 75 percent is needed for election.
Bonds’ 762 home runs and seven National League MVP awards – two with the Pirates -- would seemingly make him a lock for Cooperstown. However, the latter stages of his career with the Giants were tainted by suspicions he used performance enhancing drugs.
Bonds would remain eligible for election through 2022 before his 10-year maximum time limit on the ballot expires. His percentage of votes since first appearing on the ballot in 2013 have been 36.2, 34.7, 36.8, 44.3, 53.8 and 56.4,
DKPittsburghSports.com has two writers with the requisite 10 consecutive years in the Baseball Writers Association of America required to be an elector. DK did not vote for Bonds, which he explains here. Conversely, I did vote for Bonds, which I explain here.
Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson will announce the voting results shortly after 6 p.m. on MLB Network. Mariano Rivera, Roy Halladay and Edgar Martinez are all expected to reach the required 75 percent mark and Mike Mussina could join them.
Jason Bay, another former Pirates outfielder, is also up for election for the first time. However, the 2004 NL Rookie of the Year is not expected to receive the minimum five percent of the vote necessary to stay on the ballot next year.
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