Barry Bonds Pleads Hall of Fame Case, Says He’s Been ‘Vindicated’

Bonds fell short of induction last year in what was his final year on the ballot.

It’s been over a year since Barry Bonds appeared on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s Hall of Fame ballot for the 10th and final year of his eligibility. And though MLB’s home run king remains on the outside looking in at Cooperstown he still believes that he deserves a place among the game’s all-time greats.

Bonds’s exclusion from the Hall of Fame is certainly not a reflection of his production, as he remains one of the most dominant hitters in baseball history. But he has failed to garner enough support for election because of his connection with the steroids era of the 1990s and early 2000s, as it is widely believed that he used performance enhancing drugs during his career.

Speaking on an episode of the Hollywood Swingin’ podcast with Stephen Bishop and Jerry Hairston Jr., Bonds said that his Hall of Fame snub still bothers him, though he felt “vindicated” about accusations of steroid usage since a 2003 jury did not reach a verdict on whether or not Bonds committed perjury when he testified in front of a grand jury that he did not knowingly using PEDs.

“Sure, it bothers you. But at the same time, I also know who I am,” Bonds said. “And the thing is that people have to understand … I was vindicated. I went to the court, I was in federal court, and I won my case, 100%. Where is the vindication of me in my own sport? That’s what bothers me.”

Bonds is out of eligibility for BBWA election into the Hall, but can still get in via committee vote. He appeared on the Contemporary Era committee ballot last December, but received fewer than the necessary 12 votes from the 16-person panel to be inducted.

Bonds played 22 seasons in the major leagues, and holds MLB’s all-time (762) and single-season (73) home run records. He won seven MVP awards, including four straight with the Giants from 2001 to ’04.