Does Barry Bonds belong in the Hall of Fame?

It’s been a good week for Barry Bonds. The former San Francisco Giants star saw the U.S. government abandon its case against him, freeing Bonds from legal worry and wasting about $6 million taxpayer dollars in the process. 

It might’ve been an ever better week for Bonds, though, if he were headed to Cooperstown to be inducted in the Hall of Fame with this year’s crop of four players. Unfortunately, ball writers are about the only crew that can hold a grudge longer than prosecuters and so Bonds won’t be anywhere near the Hall of Fame with Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Craig Biggio and John Smoltz. 

Bonds was named on only 36.8 percent of ballots in this year’s voting, well short of the 75 percent needed for induction. He has only seven years remaining on the writer’s ballot so he has a lot of ground to make up and not that much time to get there. (Bonds could always be named via the veteran’s committee, but it’s no easy feat to sway the handful of HOFers who hold the keys there, either.)

Can Bonds get past his controversy and reputation to eventually give a speech one summer day in central New York? Kevin Kaduk and Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports debate the topic on the latest Grandstanding debate. 

What do you think? Does Barry Bonds belong in the Hall of Fame? Let @KevinKaduk and @YahooSchwab know on Twitter with the hashtag #Grandstanding.