By continuing to keep him out, the Baseball Hall of Fame has actually caused Barry Bonds to be celebrated more.
If the goal was to not honor him and Roger Clemens, it’s actually had the opposite effect. Because if they had gotten in there would’ve been some reaction and then it would’ve been over with. But by still keeping two titans of the game out while enshrining the likes of David Ortiz, who does have a reported PED link, the writers have ensured that this conversation will continue.
And as a result, it has led to what amounts to an annual acknowledgement of how awesome Bonds was in particular, as all baseball fans of a certain era are quick to share the stats that show no player has ever been better.