It’s Alex Rodriguez’s fifth time on the Hall of Fame ballot. He hasn’t even hit 40% of the vote in any of his previous four attempts. Since players need at least 75% to get in, it’s hard to see him making it at this point. Despite his all-time great numbers, his PED history continues to block his way to Cooperstown. But beyond the delay, something else frustrates Rodriguez more.

While MLB players linked to steroids are barred from Cooperstown, the person who oversaw the steroid era is already in the Hall of Fame.

The former MLB commissioner was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame back in 2017. Meanwhile, the era’s biggest stars, like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and A-Rod, have all been kept out of Cooperstown. That doesn’t sit right with Alex Rodriguez.

“All of this stuff you’re talking about was under Bud Selig’s watch. And the fact that those two guys [McGwire and Sosa] are not in, but somehow, Bud Selig is in the Hall of Fame—that to me feels like there’s a little bit of some hypocrisy around that.” Rodriguez said as he joined The Stephen A. Smith Show on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio.

Rodriguez spoke with Smith on Monday afternoon mostly to discuss his new HBO docuseries, Alex vs. A-Rod.

The one that explores the side of Rodriguez’s career and personality that made him such a polarizing figure. It also includes discussions around being a repeat PED user.

In one of his episodes, Rodriguez even questioned Selig’s Hall of Fame induction, but “unfortunately, it didn’t come out,” as he expressed.

In the discussion, Smith pointed out to Alex Rodriguez that he understands why Barry Bonds might have felt tempted to use steroids after watching how McGwire and Sosa were celebrated during the 1998 home run chase. That very comment prompted A-Rod to share his thoughts and point out the “hypocrisy” in Selig receiving Hall of Fame honors.

But one aspect needs to be noted here. The voting body that helped Selig into the Hall of Fame isn’t the same one that deprived Bonds, Clemens, McGwire, and Sosa, and continues to do so with A-Rod.

Selig earned his spot from the 16-member Today’s Game Era Committee.

But the vote that most fans focus on each year is the BBWAA ballot. That group only considers players and never includes executives.

Yet, from Rodriguez’s point of view, it’s still hypocritical to have Selig in the Hall of Fame.

Why baseball’s biggest sluggers, like Alex Rodriguez, aren’t in Cooperstown

Alex Rodriguez received the longest suspension in MLB history for his role in the Biogenesis scandal. Originally suspended for 211 games, it was later reduced to a full 162-game season, which he served in 2014.

Even though Rodriguez ranks fifth all-time in career home runs, he’s unlikely to reach the Hall of Fame anytime soon if Barry Bonds isn’t inducted.

Bonds still holds the home run record with 762 long balls over 12,606 plate appearances.

Meanwhile, McGwire and Sosa battled for the single-season home run record in 1998. And Bonds smashed 73 homers in 2001 as he broke McGwire’s mark of 70. This entire battle was thrilling to watch for fans.

But behind the excitement, rumors and reports of PED use kept swirling. MLB largely ignored it all until 2004.

That season, the Joint Drug Agreement was implemented. And some years later, on December 13, 2007, the infamous Mitchell Report was released. It was a 20-month investigation, led by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell.

That investigation produced a 409-page report detailing what it called a “collective failure” by MLB to address PEDs.

It detailed 89 current and some former players alleged to have used PEDs. That included Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, Jeremy Giambi, Roger Clemens, Gary Sheffield, Eric Gagne, Andy Pettitte, Brian Roberts, Miguel Tejada, Mo Vaughn, Jose Canseco, and many others.

But now, the spotlight is on Alex Rodriguez being on the ballot for the fifth time! Do you think he has a real shot this time?