QUIET COOPERSTOWN: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and Mike Piazza are among those denied entry to the Hall of Fame. No one was elected for induction this year by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. (
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PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. — Engulfed by conflicting and multiple perspectives, the Baseball Writers Association of America pitched a shutout yesterday. For the first time since 1996, no one from the writers’ ballot gained the minimum 75 percent of the votes necessary for Hall of Fame induction.
Seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens and seven-time Most Valuable Player Barry Bonds, both ballot rookies and both highly suspected of using illegal performance-enhancing drugs, received 37.6 and 36.2 percent support, respectively, of the 569 ballots cast. Former Met Mike Piazza, also making his first appearance on the ballot, garnered 57.8 percent, an encouraging sign that he eventually will find his way to Cooperstown.
Ballot rookie Craig Biggio, a lifelong Houston Astro, came closest with 68.2 percent of the votes, while 14th-year candidate Jack Morris placed second with 67.7 percent.
Moments after Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson announced the non-news, MLB commissioner Bud Selig — here at the Major League Baseball owners’ meetings — said, simply, “It is what it is.”
Asked whether he was unhappy, Selig replied, “No. Why would I be? The Hall of Fame is the greatest honor a player can get. … This is not to be voted to make sure someone gets in every year. It’s to be voted on to make sure that they’re deserving. I respect the writers as well as the Hall itself. This idea that this somehow diminishes the Hall or baseball is ridiculous.”
However, Players Association executive director Michael Weiner issued a dramatically different statement.
“Today’s news that those members of the BBWAA afforded the privilege of casting ballots failed to elect even a single player to the Hall of Fame is unfortunate, if not sad. Those empowered to help the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum document the history of the game failed to recognize the contributions of several Hall of Fame worthy players.
“To ignore the historic accomplishments of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, for example, is hard to justify. Moreover, to penalize players exonerated in legal proceedings — and others never even implicated — is simply unfair.”
In a tweet last night, Clemens wrote, “After what has been said and written over the last few years I’m not overly surprised.
“Thanks to all the teams I’ve worked with and to fans and friends for all the fantastic letters, voice mails, and texts of support over the last few years. To those who did take the time to look at the facts…we very much appreciate it.’’
MLB executive vice president of operations Joe Torre, who managed Clemens with the Yankees from 1999 to 2003 and in 2007, said, “It’s just sad. That’s the only word I can think of. Unfortunate and sad.”
Hall of Fame Yankees reliever Goose Gossage had a different take.
“I think the steroids guys that are under suspicion got too many votes,” he told the Associated Press. “To me, they cheated. Are we going to reward these guys?”
This marked the eighth time since the voting began in 1936 that the writers’ ballot produced a goose egg, and it reflected more than just the disagreement over how to treat those linked to illegal PEDs. Morris, who will get one more chance on the writers’ ballot before exhausting his 15 years of eligibility, has considerable support yet hasn’t been able to cross the threshold because the increased emphasis on statistical analysis hurts his candidacy. Tim Raines, who received 52.2 percent of the votes, is a darling of the stats enthusiasts because of his excellent .385 on-base percentage.
Piazza, the all-time leading home run leader among catchers, attained the sort of first-year status that bodes well for him, assuming the vague suspicions about his potential illegal PED usage remain vague. As The Post’s Mike Vaccaro noted, all 16 of the previous players who received between 50 and 70 percent in their first ballot appearance eventually attained induction.
“We hope in the not too distant future that Mike Piazza will take his rightful place in the Baseball Hall of Fame,” Mets COO Jeff Wilpon said in a statement. “The statistics he compiled during his career as a catcher were unmatched by anyone in the history of the game.”
Clemens, Bonds and Sosa have 14 more years on the ballot as well.
“If they let these guys in ever — at any point — it’s a big black eye for the Hall and for baseball,” Gossage told the AP. “It’s like telling our kids you can cheat.”
Lifelong former Yankee Bernie Williams (3.3 percent) and brief Yankee Kenny Lofton (3.2 percent) were the biggest names that fell off the ballot because they didn’t get the 5 percent necessary to stick. Mark McGwire, the first “Steroid Era” player to reach the ballot, got 16.9 percent in his seventh year, while his 1998 record-breaking partner Sammy Sosa, in his first year, picked up 12.5 percent. Rafael Palmeiro, the only candidate to date who actually failed a drug test (in 2005), received 8.8 percent of the votes in his third year.
Next year’s ballot newcomers should include Tom Glavine, Jeff Kent, Greg Maddux, Mike Mussina and Frank Thomas.
“Next year,” Selig said, “I think you’ll have a large class.”
But the conflicting agendas will still be on the table, and nowhere more than surrounding the illegal PEDs issue.
“Where it goes from here,” Torre said, “is basically everybody following their conscience.”
kdavidoff@nypost.com