As Barry Bonds approaches 715 homers, there seems to be a bit of restraint:
restraint from the fans, restraint from the media, and restraint from Major League Baseball.
I won’t play dumb here and pretend to wonder why. In fact, I’ll make my opinions known: I believe Barry Bonds used steroids. I believe the media in general is all but certain of it. And even though the MLB will play the whole “We don’t celebrate second place” game, it’s probably something more than that. More likely, the sport feels Bonds cheated and wants to stay as far away from him as possible.
Still, baseball’s fearless leader, Bud Selig, has given no indication Bonds’ records will be ignored by the books. So, unless something changes, Bonds will sit, very soon, ahead of Babe Ruth in home runs.
Bonds will likely be in elite company someday, though it may not be what he expects. It may not be fair to single out Bonds as the biggest cheater in the steroid era. There’s little doubt there were countless others who cheated as well. But Bonds appears to be the biggest benefactor of the era.
Mark McGwire broke Roger Maris’ single-season homer record in 1998, certainly with the help of andro. If you saw his disgraceful performance in front of congress 14 months ago, you’re likely to believe he had more to hide. Still, his record, in normal times, would not be quite as impressive as Bonds.
Of course, it’s apples and oranges.
What is clear is Bonds has become the most maligned player in baseball since Pete Rose and the gambling scandal that broke some 17 years ago.
Bonds is destined to end up in very elite company. If he cheated (and anyone who reads Game of Shadows will find it difficult to believe otherwise), he won’t be remembered with Babe Ruth, a man who saved baseball from itself in the 1920s, or Hank Aaron, who is remembered not only for his clout but also for his class.
Article comments
1 - Michael J. West
Not only did Hank Aaron have clout and class, he had courage--he broke the home run record at a time when he was receiving 1,000 death threats a day against not only himself, but his daughter. To be able to excel under that kind of pressure is everything you could ask from a sports hero.
Barry Bonds, on the other hand, is no kind of hero.
2 - sal m
with legal actions in the offing for bonds, don't be so sure that he won't be banned from the game. it's is unlikely, but until the various invesitgations are completed - especially the perjury investigation - there's no way to know.
what bonds has been involved in is every bit as damaging to the game, and had more impact on the outcomes of games, playoff races, post season awards and season and career records, as anything that pete rose or joe jackson did.
3 - Bliffle
Amazing that so much attention is wasted on trivial show biz characters like mere baseball players. Why should anyone care about those bozos for anytime longer than the hour to watch one of their performances? Better to give ones attention and admiration to the real heros of society, like the PBS doc I saw last night "The Cure" about the pioneering researchers and doctors who've worked on cardiovascular disease.
4 - Nicholas Stix
I won't play dumb here and pretend to wonder why. In fact, I'll make my opinions known: I believe Barry Bonds used steroids.
Correct.
I believe the media in general is all but certain of it.
Again correct.
And even though the MLB will play the whole "We don't celebrate second place" game, it's probably something more than that. More likely, the sport feels Bonds cheated and wants to stay as far away from him as possible.
Probably correct here, as well.
And as you suggested, the records of the cheaters will not be expunged. Thus will the record lists will be clogged with the following cheaters who passed legit superstars:
Barry Bonds
Sammy Sosa
Mark McGwire
Rafael Palmeiro
Juan Gonzalez
Jose Canseco
And in a few years, Jason Giambi.
Next, we have to figure out which pitchers have been dirty. Let's see. One criterion is if a forty-something pitcher suddenly has his lowest ERA ever.
5 - sal m
with regards to pitchers, i don't think you have to wait for career lows in era or highs in season wins or anything other outcome based stats.
there are other things that you can look at like injuries to young but fragile power pitchers who are breaking like crystal despite being treated with kid gloves. inning and pitch counts don't see to be enough to protect these guys from themselves.
i can think of a certain 40+ year old power pitcher who is inactive at this point in the season, but who has put up consistant, workhorse numbers with regards to innings pitched, games started etc...did he start a regimen before he started to fall off or did he start his regimen after a brief taste of what old age means to a pitcher and start before this slide looked age related? only his hair dresser knows....
6 - Matthew T. Sussman
I think Julio Franco's career is tarnished with his usage of performance enhancing Metamucil.
7 - Geo
Nickolas... would you include Rose on that list?