MLB discovered Sunday that there are just some things better left unsaid on X (formerly Twitter).
MLB’s official X account (@MLB) tweeted out a lengthy post for Black History Month. Hard to go wrong there, because there are plenty of deserving candidates worthy of honor.
MLB chose Barry Bonds. That turned out to be the wrong choice.
Bonds, of course, had an amazing career, with an MLB record 762 home runs and numerous other single-season and career records. Yet he also became the name and face most often associated with MLB’s infamous “steroid era.” That period cast a black eye on the sport that still leaves baseball fans and historians arguing what to think of players’ statistics during that period.
Baseball Hall of Fame voters passed over Bonds during his 10 years of eligibility and it remains to be seen if he’ll ever be honored in Cooperstown.
MLB honored him without mentioning any of the issues associated with his career.
Barry Bonds had one of the best offensive careers in history. He hit a record 762 home runs and compiled a 1.051 OPS over 22 seasons.
Bonds won an unprecedented 7 NL MVPs to go along with 12 Silver Sluggers and 8 Gold Glove Awards. Bonds was a 14-time All-Star who led the league… pic.twitter.com/UQfaocPbbM
— MLB (@MLB) February 11, 2024
No one can dispute Bonds had a great career, and many fans point out he had elite Hall of Fame numbers in the books long before anyone associated him with PEDs. Yet the fact remains he is a polarizing figure, and for MLB to tweet that without even acknowledging that aspect of his career is puzzling.
Fans vented about the MLB tweet. It’s worth noting that a majority who spoke out firmly believe Bonds deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. Also, MLB does not operate the Hall, which is run by private interests, and it doesn’t select who gets into the HOF.
If only there was a museum to memorialize his achievements, a room at least…or even a hall https://t.co/b45wgSFEEP
— Razzball (@Razzball) February 11, 2024
I don’t follow sports, so I’m just going to assume this man is in the Hall of Fame if they’re celebrating him like this. https://t.co/gbyHxJWmuD
— Jeff D. Lowe (@JeffDLowe) February 11, 2024
I really don’t think celebrating a cheater does anything to celebrate black history. There are so many other athletes the MLB can acknowledge who didn’t cheat. https://t.co/q2hA57ixwp
— Caleb McDonald (@McD7575) February 12, 2024
@MLB got balls of steal posting this and not placing the greatest baseball player ever in the Hall of Fame. Baseball Hall of Fame is a joke till Bonds is in it https://t.co/NAtCkcbCtj pic.twitter.com/8nfRvJoHDn
— Ethantaj (@Ethantaj_49ers) February 11, 2024
Have no problem using Barry Bonds for clicks but won’t put him in your museum https://t.co/E9icDg6I0N
— Candlestick Will (@CandlestickWill) February 11, 2024
happy black history month to the man we’ve blacklisted from the hall of fame because we made him the face of an entire generation of steroid usage while honoring his peers 🙂👍 https://t.co/i6tOUb5y7v
— kero kero muttniko (@muttnik) February 11, 2024
Celebrating a man you won’t put in the hall of fame is wild. https://t.co/GSQf5fzGzS
— Parrish Mitchell (@pmidnight16) February 11, 2024
And yet the idiots over at @officialBBWAA still dont put him in the hall https://t.co/tKtPtgwxlm
— whit 🇺🇸⚾️ (@whit_y0) February 11, 2024
I can’t wait until the intern that posted this learns what they started. https://t.co/pR0H7ELq6P
— profloumoore (@loumoore12) February 11, 2024
Perhaps MLB was actually sly like a fox with the Bonds post, encouraging discussion on his Hall of Fame case.
[@MLB]
