Hall of Fame Worthy? Pt. 8: Roger Clemens

The Hall of Fame has inducted many players who were borderline choices, and many players who deserve induction have been on the outside looking in. I want to look at some players to determine if they deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.

ROGER CLEMENS
Okay, statistically, there is no doubt that Roger Clemens should be in the Hall of Fame. The big right-hander is one of the best pitchers of all time. Hands down. His record is 354-184. He had a career 3.12 ERA, and struck out 4,672 batters. He won seven Cy Young Awards.

He did most of his damage with the Red Sox too, winning 192 games and three of his Cy Young Awards. He also pitched for the Blue Jays, Yankees, and Astros, winning at least one Cy Young Award for each team.

Statistically, he's clearly in. But will voters only consider his stats? Clemens is at the center of the ongoing steroid controversy, and with Barry Bonds, has the biggest black mark on his career because of it. Many voters will be unable or unwilling to look past that, just as they have continued to snub Mark McGwire. This year, Rafael Palmeiro, who was actually suspended for testing positive for PEDs, will be on the ballot for the first time. I will be very interested in what happens with his vote. That should help us get a clearer picture of what will happen when Roger Clemens is eligible.

THE VERDICT
He should be in, regardless of the steroid controversy.