Looking at the HR numbers on the linked page I would think possibly as early as 2000, but definitely 2007. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bondsba01.shtml
being an asshole should be irrelevant,.. Bonds was a great Giant, I rooted for him every pitch,.. as @Bengal B noted, his stats scream Hall of Fame,.. but he cheated and he didn't need to, it's a pity that he fucked away his heroic legend,.. I feel the same way about Roger Clemens
Unfortunately a lot of members of the media who are HOF voters don't agree with you. I agree that it shouldn't be a factor. Juicing is enough to keep him out.
Giants won 3 of 4 from the Mets, all 3 wins in extra innings,.. SF, 11-2 in extras this year,.. today, Yastrzemski walk-off HR in the 12th
Hard to say when but Mark McGee and Sammy Sosa were putting up huge numbers it was in the late 90s. Bonds must have noticed their numbers and jump on the PED train. I don't think being an asshole is the sole reason he doesn't get enough votes for the Hall. McGwire and Sosa were both likable and they haven't gotten in either. I think McGwire would have gotten in if he hadn't done steroids. His numbers were big even before they jumped off the page. He took 49 yard in his rookie season and had a shot at being the only rookie to ever hit 50 but he took the last game of the season off to see his son get born. Of course he was teammates with Jose Conseco so who knows when he started Sosa was just a so so player until he started juicing. Roger Clemens could be an asshole sometimes but he should be in the hall. Like Bonds he had the pre juice numbers. And it was never proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he took PEDs. He never admitted to it and he was acquitted at a trial by a jury of his peers. I would vote him in.
Roger certainly has the numbers to get in. Some think he's the greatest pitcher of all time. I certainly think he's the greatest modern day pitcher. Unfortunately he's got that PED cloud hanging above him.
Nolan Ryan was Clemen's boybood idol and he adopted the same grueling workout regimen as Ryan. Andy Pettite was his workout buddy when they were teammates. Pettite has talked about how it almost killed him trying to keep up with Clemens.
Although I feel like I'm leaving someone out, those three pitchers were the greatest ever for the Astros.
