Ah, the next Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. Now that’s going to be interesting. It will be the real test of how strongly players of the steroid era will be penalized for their activities — or suspected activities. There’s a legitimate five candidates who could be first-ballot enshrinees in 2013. Four of them, however, have tarnished images, either real or imagined. See who are the top 10 first-time candidates for 2013 induction into the Hall of Fame. Will any of them be honored on July 28, 2013?

— Tracy Ringolsby

The numbers are there, but so is the soiled image. Bonds was an MVP a record-setting seven times, earned 14 All-Star selections and eight Gold Gloves during his 22 seasons, in which he set records for home runs in a career (762) and single season (73 in 2001) and walks in a career (2,558, including 688 intentionally). However, he is a convicted felon; he was found guilty of obstruction of justice in April 2011 for lying to a grand jury. He is appealing.

The pitching version of Bonds, Clemens won a record seven Cy Young Awards during a career in which he won 354 games and struck out 4,672 batters, which add up to automatic Hall of Fame status. Clemens was granted a mistrial in July 2011 on perjury charges after  denying he used anabolic steroids and human growth hormones. Personal trainer Brian McNamee wass the key witness, alleging he injected Clemens numerous times. In June 2012, he was acquitted on all charges. In August 2012, Clemens, 50, began a comeback attempt with the independent league Sugar Land Skeeters in Texas.

A legitimate Hall of Fame career could be enhanced by voters who relish the idea of a scandal-free candidate in 2012. Biggio was a seven-time All-Star in a 20-year career spent entirely in Houston, during which he compiled 3,060 hits, including 668 doubles, most ever for a right-handed hitter. An All-Star as both a catcher and second baseman, he also started in center field and left field during his career.

Talk about innuendos. There have never been any official allegations about Piazza using steroids, but New York writers speculated he did because of the player's back acne. And author Jeff Pearlman, in a book on Roger Clemens, claimed Piazza admitted steroid use to an unidentified writer and quoted former player Reggie Jefferson and an anonymous player saying they were sure Piazza used steroids.

Sosa’s 1998 battle with Mark McGwire to break Roger Maris’ single-season home run record was credited with helping baseball rebound from the ill feelings of the 1994-95 strike, and Sosa does rank sixth on the all-time home run list. But he was reported to be among the players who tested positive for steroids in baseball’s 2003 experimental testing, although he testified in front of Congress in 2005 he never used performance-enhancing drugs.

Schilling had a dominant stretch. He finished second in Cy Young voting three times, earned six All-Star selections, was among the top 10 in ERA nine times and won 15 or more games eight times. But he had only 216 wins in 20 big-league seasons, 82nd all-time. The arguments on his behalf will be the induction of the likes of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, whose careers were cut short by injuries. Schilling did manage to alienate teammates and media with his outspoken nature, often speaking without thinking.

Guilt by association. He was a teammate of the late Ken Caminiti, an admitted steroid user, and then Finley developed power late in his career, which led to finger-pointing. One of only seven players with at least 300 home runs (304) and stolen bases (320), Finley never hit more than 11 home runs in a season until he hit 30 at age 31 — and in San Diego, of all places. From age 24 through 30, he hit 47 home runs with a .392 slugging percentage; from 31 through 42, he hit 257 home runs with a .472 slugging percentage, which added to suspicions.

Franco was a workout freak at a young age and always careful about what he ate and drank because he did not want to harm his body. He defied the odds, however, and was still swinging a big-league bat at age 48. He didn’t really amass Hall of Fame numbers but will get consideration because of his ability to hit good pitching. Former player Andy Van Slyke accused Franco, then 45, of using steroids. Franco responded that his steroid "is Jesus of Nazareth."

Not the politician that Schilling was, Wells does have some similar stats, including a 239-157 record in his 21 big-league seasons. An outspoken critic of steroid usage, he said he declined Jose Canseco’s offer of steroids in 2003 because they were bad for his body. Yep, same rotund lefty who said he was half-drunk when he pitched a perfect game for the Yankees.

His similarity score on Baseball Reference is right in line with Tim Raines, but Lofton wasn’t a media darling. And the fact he was with 11 teams in 17 big-league seasons only added to his lack of respect. A six-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner, he ranks 15th all time in stolen bases with 622. But he hit only 130 home runs, which limited the steroid accusations. Lofton was an accomplished basketball player at the University of Arizona before he signed a baseball contract with Houston.