A-Rod: 'It's just a shame' Clemens, Bonds aren't in Hall of Fame

Alex Rodriguez wants Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Rodriguez, a three-time AL MVP and a current Sunday Night Baseball analyst for ESPN, believes his own case for Cooperstown will be strengthened if Clemens and Bonds are eventually enshrined. All three players faced steroid accusations in the past, and A-Rod was given a season-long suspension in 2014.

"Of course I want them to get in, because that would mean that I have an opportunity to get in one day," Rodriguez said while making a Wednesday appearance on ESPN's First Take.

Rodriguez retired after the 2016 season and won't be eligible for induction until 2022. However, his candidacy is constantly on the 43-year-old's mind.

"Look, I pray every day I get a chance to get in," Rodriguez said. "The Hall of Fame is the ultimate place.

"If you think about Roger and Barry specifically ... If you stopped their career at the age of 33 or 34, they were both first ballot and then the noise (about PEDs) started. For me, it's just a shame. I am certainly cheering for both of them. I like them both very much. They're both friends, and I'm in their corner."

Clemens and Bonds both fell short again of the 75 percent needed to enter the Hall as voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (59.5 percent of voters put Clemens on their ballot, and Bonds received 59.1 percent).

Rodriguez, a 14-time All-Star, played for the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, and New York Yankees during a career that spanned 22 seasons. He finished with 696 career home runs, which ranks fourth all-time in MLB history, and compiled a 117.8 WAR in 2,784 games.