Will Barry Bonds be a First Ballot Hall of Famer?

NEW YORK -- Following public outrage over recent allegations in a new book that claim Barry Bonds used performance enhancing drugs, Sportsbook.com has posted odds on whether the slugger will be elected
Barry Bonds needs 48 homeruns to break the Hank Aaron's record  to baseball's Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Odds are set at 5-7 that he will not gain first ballot entry when he becomes eligible five years after his retirement from the sport.

"Being voted into the Hall of Fame is the biggest individual honor in baseball. Being voted in on the first ballot is what cements your place in history as one of the greatest to ever play the game," said Alex Czajkowski, Sportsbook.com. "There are likely to be many voters that will think twice about placing Bonds in that elite company, especially when you consider he's never been the most popular individual with the media."

Most baseball pundits agree that Bonds will be elected to the Hall of Fame at some point because there were no rules against performance enhancing drugs at the time he is alleged to have used them, staring in 1998. Some also suggest he was worthy of the Hall of Fame based on his achievements prior to 1998. However, his best seasons clearly came after the drug use is believed to have taken place, including the year he broke the single-season home run record, and that has some believing that the Hall of Fame voters will punish Bonds by not supporting him on the first ballot.

"Barry Bonds and performance enhancing drugs have been the two biggest stories in baseball for years, and now with these new allegations the scrutiny is at an all-time high," added Czajkowski. "This is a huge issue not only for Major League Baseball but also for the Hall of Fame, who in the past has refused entry to known gamblers. Will they refuse entry to Bonds as well? Only time will tell."

A complete list of baseball related odds can be viewed at www.sportsbook.com.

Will Barry Bonds be elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame on the first ballot?

Yes   1-1
No     5-7