COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Enhancements have been made to the veterans committee system of the Hall of Fame to address the recurrence of candidates with minimal backing on future ballots. This strategic move aims to potentially tighten the gateway to Cooperstown for players implicated in steroid controversies, notably Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.
According to the revised guidelines, any candidate appearing on the eight-person ballot who fails to receive at least five votes from the 16-member panel will be ineligible for the same committee’s ballot during the subsequent three-year cycle. Furthermore, if a candidate reemerges on a ballot after being previously dropped and once again fails to secure five votes, they will be permanently excluded from future ballot considerations.
Bonds, Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro, and Albert Belle each garnered fewer than four votes in December 2022, when Fred McGriff was unanimously elected. This was the first instance that Bonds and Clemens were on a Hall of Fame ballot since concluding their decade-long eligibility on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot. The new regulation could curtail renewed evaluations of their cases in the future.
Additionally, the Hall of Fame has mandated that the historical overview committee, tasked with selecting ballot candidates and appointed by the BBWAA, must obtain approval from the Hall’s board of directors. The board implemented these decisions during a meeting held on February 26 in Orlando, Florida.
This series of changes follows the Hall’s third restructuring of its veterans committees in 12 years, which established distinct panels to evaluate contributions from both the contemporary era, starting in 1980, and the classic era. The contemporary era ballot is divided into separate categories for players and another for managers, executives, and umpires.
Each sector meets every three years, with current players from 1980 onwards being assessed this December, while managers, executives, and umpires will be evaluated in December 2026, followed by pre-1980 candidates in December 2027.
Notably, Dave Parker and Dick Allen were inducted last December, and distinguished manager Jim Leyland was recognized in December 2023.
