Jeff Kent elected to baseball Hall of Fame, which again keeps doors shut for Bonds and Clemens

MSN ^ | 12/07/2025 | Jeff Chiu

[Az Joe]

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Elected to baseball's Hall of Fame more than 17 years after his final game, Jeff Kent couldn't control his emotions. “Absolutely unprepared. Emotionally unstable,” he said after Sunday's vote announcement. “Thoughts are so far clouded." Kent received 14 of 16 votes from the contemporary era committee, two more than the 12 ballots needed for the 75% minimum. Steroids-tainted stars Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were among seven players who fell short once again. Kent will be inducted in Cooperstown, New York, on July 26 along with anyone chosen by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, whose balloting will be announced on Jan. 20.

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TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bonds; clemens; halloffame; kent

[montag813]

If Jeff Kent, then why not Keith Hernandez or Don Mattingly?

[Jonty30]

I can understand why Rose is banned, but I don’t understand why Bonds is banned. Everybody was using steroids when he was using them. He just got caught.

[ConservaTexan]

Kent was really good, but not HOF in my opinion. Years ago it became the Hall of Really Good.

[Az Joe]

IDK, I really liked Donnie Baseball when he was playing, career cut short at 34. I think Kent has his play at 2nd base in addition to his bat.

[Az Joe]

He used them A LOT! Plus, he was basically an asshole.

[Right_Wing_Madman]

If Jeff Kent, then why not Keith Hernandez or Don Mattingly?

I looked up the career stats. Jeff Kent's numbers are better than I remember, more accomplished than Mattingly and Hernandez. I threw in Dale Murphy too, another famous Hall of Fame snub.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Bonds, Clemens, McGwire, Palmeiro, Rodriguez, Sosa

[whitney69]

“He just got caught.”

Nope. Barry Bonds was never officially suspended by Major League Baseball for a positive steroid test, but he was found guilty of obstruction of justice in a federal case related to the BALCO steroid scandal, though the conviction was later overturned. So they literally have nothing other than the news writer’s opinion on any of it. And they went after Bonds big time and were made fools trying to get him. It’s not his use that kept him out. It’s the writer’s vanity.

wy69

[dznutz]

Everybody was using steroids when he was using them.

Frank Thomas wasn’t using steroids.

[Right_Wing_Madman]

So they literally have nothing other than the news writer’s opinion on any of it.

We have nothing on Barry Bonds other than: (1) records seized from BALCO indicated that Bonds tested positive on three occasions in 2000 and 2001 for the steroids methenelone and nandrolone; (2) a 2003 urine sample provided by Bonds as part of Major League Baseball's anonymous survey testing, and later seized by federal investigators, was re-tested and found to contain traces of the designer steroid THG ("the clear"), the female fertility drug Clomid, and foreign testosterone; (3) a secretly recorded conversation with Greg Anderson in the Giants' clubhouse in 2003 where they discussed Bonds' steroid injections; (4) in his mid-30s, Bonds' hat size grew by one size and he gained 40 additional pounds of muscle mass; and (5) Barry Bonds transforms from 34-year-old aging and declining baseball player to 35-year-old super Babe Ruth.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bondsba01.shtml

[KC_Conspirator]

Juiced era

[dznutz]

Bonds trainer from BALCO refused to testify in front of a Grand Jury and was thrown in jail for a year. Bonds claimed he didn’t know that the clear and cream administered to him were steroids and a masking agent.

Good thing those sportswriters voting on candidates for the H.O.F. see through Bonds B.S.