Yankees legend believes Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens should be in Hall of Fame

The Baseball Hall of Fame will always be a lightning rod for controversy. This time, Yankees postseason hero, Reggie Jackson, attracted attention by staking his claim for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens to be enshrined in Cooperstown.

On January, 22, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America will announce the 2019 Hall of Fame class. And as far as 1993 enshrinee and Yankees legend, Reggie Jackson is concerned, both Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens deserve to be among the names called to Cooperstown.

Despite once being a staunch defender, that the Baseball Hall was no place for those linked to — or convicted of using steroids and other forms of PED’s, the man known as Mr. October, recently sung a different tune to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.

"“Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens should be in,” Jackson told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions LPGA tournament. “It’s time.”"

Needing 75 percent of the total vote to gain entry into the hallowed halls of Cooperstown — both Bonds and Clemens have been incrementally advancing on the field in recent years.

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In 2018, Bonds, the all-time leader in home runs gained 56.4 percent of the vote — while Clemens and his seven Cy Young Awards received 57.3 percent.

Though both will still have three more years on the ballot before the 10-year drop off, as of Jan 20, 2:14 PM, noted Baseball Hall of Fame ballot tracker, Ryan Thibodaux reported that with 200 ballots cast — and 48.5 percent of the vote unknown, Bonds (71 percent) and Clemens (71.5 percent) remain on the outside looking in.

As for a few Yankees that more than stand a chance — though the great Mariano Rivera still holds 100 percent of the ballot, some dope will keep him off because of pure bias.

Then there’s Mike Mussina, who won 270 games to finish 11th all-time. The eight-year Bomber was at a seemingly comfortable 81.5 percent; however, another ballot tracker from Jan. 21, projects Moose to fade down the stretch — eventually succumbing to 73.5 percent of the vote.

Although it would be unfortunate to watch Mussina fall 1.5 percent shy of induction, it would signify an even greater of a chance of his enshrinement in 2020 (his sixth try), when Derek Jeter, in my opinion, should mark a second consecutive unanimous decision (behind his former teammate, Mo).

The only other apparent locks this year seem to be Roy Halladay (first-year on the ballot) and Edgar Martinez (his 10th and final).

The Baseball Hall of Fame will always be a lightning rod for controversy. This time, Yankees postseason hero, Reggie Jackson, attracted attention by staking his claim for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens to be enshrined in Cooperstown.

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