23+ hour, 34+ min ago (1023+ words) It is that time of year again: The Baseball Hall of Fame's hand-picked committee is set to perform its annual ritual of pearl-clutching, moralizing, and hair-splitting that is electing players to the Baseball Hall of Fame. And, once again, Barry Bonds will be left on the outside looking in. Bonds was denied admittance to the hall by the writers for a decade, and now the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee " whatever that is " will deny him admittance. Bonds shares a ballot with Jeff Kent, Roger Clemens, Gary Sheffield, and four others this time around. Their vote will be announced on Sunday. And so we have another opportunity to rehash the debate we've had since 2013. "Is he the greatest? Is he a cheater? Do the cream and the clear negate the 762 home runs?" But as we drift further away from the steroid…...

1+ day, 2+ hour ago (317+ words) There are a couple of former Atlanta Braves players who have been hoping for the Hall of Fame for some time now. One of those is two-time NL MVP Dale Murphy who has had quite the campaign in Braves Country to try and get him inducted into Cooperstow Unfortunately, Murph has never gotten the votes needed to land himself in the Hall. Part of that struggle comes from his short-term window of success. That already made things tough for him to make it to the HOF. Now, he faces a new obstacle in what looks like a completely loaded Contemporary Era ballot vote. However, he has some impressive stats, especially from 1982 to 1985, when Murphy appeared in 162 games each year. He led the NL in home runs, RBI, and slugging percentage twice each and also won back-to-back NL MVP Awards in…...

2+ day, 9+ hour ago (358+ words) St. Louis Cardinals legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith is part of the Contemporary Baseball Eras Committee panel that will help decide the Hall of Fame fate of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Dale Murphy and others this weekend. After missing out on the Hall of Fame for 10 years on the traditional ballot, those three, plus Carlos Delgado, Gary Sheffield, Fernando Valenzuela, Jeff Kent, and Don Mattingly will have a chance to make the Hall of Fame through this method. The vote is Sunday, with the induction ceremony taking place next July. Valenzuela was a brief member of the Cardinals. One of the greatest defenders in baseball history, Smith spent 19 years in the big leagues with the San Diego Padres and Cardinals. A 15-time All-Star, he was a 13-time Gold Glover, a Silver Slugger, a World Champion (1982) and a…...

2+ day, 20+ hour ago (906+ words) Like many of you out there, I'm really looking forward to Sunday, because that's when we find out which player (or players) the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee will elect to the Hall of Fame. Has the time arrived for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens? What about Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy? Not to mention Jeff Kent, Gary Sheffield, Carlos Delgado and Fernando Valenzuela. They'll all be on that era committee ballot, bringing along their own distinctive credentials and storylines. So a few weeks ago, I wrote a column about this vote, laying out five of those storylines that I found the most fascinating. It's an incredibly compelling group. Feel free to read all about it. But I won't be writing about what happens Sunday, because there's something else about this election you should know. This time around, I won't be…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago (637+ words) ATLANTA -- Dale Murphy finds himself incredibly thankful for all that baseball has provided him and his family. This includes the incredible amount of support he has received from countless fans who are hoping he is elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame when the Era Committee ballot results are announced on Dec. 7. "It's been overwhelming," Murphy said. "It's been exciting and it's been fun. I've never felt like this about anything during my career or since I've been retired. I'm just thankful for the involvement." A Murphy to the Hall campaign features video essays written by Wright Thompson and narrated by both country music star Jason Aldean and renowned broadcaster Ernie Johnson Jr. The publicity has reignited debate about a man some considered to be the best player of the 1980s. The site also features these quotes gathered from stars during Murphy's…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago (637+ words) ATLANTA -- Dale Murphy finds himself incredibly thankful for all that baseball has provided him and his family. This includes the incredible amount of support he has received from countless fans who are hoping he is elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame when the Era Committee ballot results are announced on Dec. 7. "It's been overwhelming," Murphy said. "It's been exciting and it's been fun. I've never felt like this about anything during my career or since I've been retired. I'm just thankful for the involvement." A Murphy to the Hall campaign features video essays written by Wright Thompson and narrated by both country music star Jason Aldean and renowned broadcaster Ernie Johnson Jr. The publicity has reignited debate about a man some considered to be the best player of the 1980s. The site also features these quotes gathered from stars during Murphy's…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago (429+ words) Rodriguez's criticism of Bud Selig has reopened an old fight about accountability and PEDs Former major-leaguer Alex Rodriguez had something to say about former MLB commissioner Bud Selig's 2017 induction into the baseball Hall of Fame. Bud Selig was commissioner during what is now infamously known as the "Steroid Era" of baseball, and Rodriguez argues that inducting Selig and keeping players with suspected or proven performance-enhancing drug (PED) links out sends a message that many consider deeply unfair. On a recent appearance on The Stephen A. Smith Show, Rodriguez said, "All of this stuff you're talking about was under Bud Selig's watch. And the fact that those two guys are not in, but somehow, Bud Selig is in the Hall of Fame, that to me feels like there's a little bit some hypocrisy around that." Selig served as acting commissioner from 1992, then…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago (316+ words) The Yankees legend is miffed that a significant figure is in the Baseball Hall of Fame but other former players have not been enshrined. Yankees legend is still irked by Hall of Fame "hypocrisy" The performance-enhancing drugs scandal of the 1990s and 2000s remains one of baseball"s biggest controversies. Former Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez recently questioned why Commissioner Bud Selig is in the Baseball Hall of Fame while players accused of taking banned substances are not. Rodriguez appeared on "The Stephen A. Smith Show" on SiriusXM on Monday and discussed players who were accused of using steroids or admitted to using them, such as Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Roger Clemens, were not enshrined in Cooperstown, but Selig was inducted despite it happening during his tenure. Rodriguez was not thrilled that Selig received the honor. "All of this stuff…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago (576+ words) Fox News correspondent Madison Scarpino reports on the latest sports scandal, this time involving Major League Baseball on 'Fox Report.' Alex Rodriguez will see his name for the fifth time on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for the Class of 2026, but he's not likely to make it given his ties to performance-enhancing drugs despite his illustrious career numbers. But Rodriguez feels "hypocrisy surrounds the Hall" due to Bud Selig, the ex-MLB commissioner who was in charge during the infamous Steroid Era, residing in Cooperstown. "All of this stuff you're talking about was under Bud Selig's watch," Rodriguez said on Stephen A. Smith's radio show after a comment about Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, per Awful Announcing. "And the fact that those two guys are not in, but somehow, Bud Selig is in the Hall of Fame, that to…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (338+ words) Aiken's 32nd Fall Steeplechase brought out big crowds, bold fashion, and a full day of racing as spectators gathered early along the rail to claim their favorite viewing spots. Tailgates and a busy schedule of races helped fuel the energy Aiken is known for'marking the final local Steeplechase Association event of the year. Aiken Steeplechase Association President Frank Mullins says the fall meet continues to grow. "It's really wonderful to see it grow every year. This year is no exception. This is going to be the biggest fall race we've ever had," Mullins said. "It's trending. We don't know yet how much more it was than last fall, but it's definitely going to be bigger." While the event brings out thousands of spectators, Mullins says the impact extends beyond the track. The Aiken Steeplechase Association also awards five $5,000 grants each year…...