Barry Bonds

What do I think of Barry Bonds? I think he's an asshole and a cheater just like most of the country. Somehow, however, the city of San Francisco just ignores the steroid allegations because, as so many people say, there is no proof. Unfortunately it is hard to definitively say that Barry did steroids, and proof is what our legal system relies on. Not logic. A guy that looked like Alfonso Soriano somehow went from stick figure to elephant man. Yea sure, he works hard, but so does every professional athlete, and they don't look like him. "Well he works the hardest". From my knowledge, Manny Ramirez is a very dedicated worker and works out about as hard as any in the league and his physique hasn't changed since he broke into the majors over 10 years ago.

My point here is that Bonds has defied the aging process (which will come back to haunt him since I expect him to cease walking at the age of 50), and he has defied the natural tendencies of baseball players. Has there ever been another major leaguer to go from excellent to the best after the age of 35? No, and there is a reason. It doesn't happen. Unless you start taking steroids and there we are.

Barry Bonds was one of the best players in the league when he played with the Pirates. He could do everything (except throw out Sid Bream). He was electric on the basepaths and still hit monstrous home runs despite being just a little guy. He was headed for the Hall of Fame without a question and the way he was hitting, it was probable that he would hit over 500 home runs. He had quick hands, good plate discipline and great knowledge of the game thanks in part to his father. Today he remains one of the best hitters in baseball. Steroids don't make you a better hitter, they make you stronger which allows you to hit with more power, which allows you to use a smaller bat (32 inches!!) that gets through the zone faster, allowing you to hit inside pitches with greater ease and control your bat all without sacrificing power since you are a man-beast.

Basically it's cheating. Barry isn't the only one doing steroids, and it is thought to be very prevalent in the majors. From the standpoint of a guy trying to make it in the majors, I can understand the use of steroids. In that situation, the player needs to do something to keep his job, and although he could just work hard in the offseason and hope for the best, why not take a risk and take steroids and come back twice as strong? What has he got to lose? His job? It's already on the line, but in Barry's case...why? Why taint a career that was heading for Cooperstown? Is it not enough to be in the Hall of Fame?

He holds all sorts of records from the most HR's of all-time, the most HR's in a season, the most walks in the history of the game, and on and on and on. But there are no World Series rings on his fingers, there are millions around the world that simply hate him because of his deceitfulness and greed, and now there is talk about whether voters would even send him to the Hall of Fame. He has dethroned a man in Hank Aaron whose name has been spread in households across the country for thirty years, a man who was a symbol of persistence and determination. Fans jumped out of the stands to run by his side and shake his hand as he eclipsed the Babe. The nation embraced their new home run king, a worthy man.

No one jumped on the field when Barry circled the bases, of course if someone had it would be assumed that they might be trying to hurt him and probably would have been sniped before they got off the warning track. Millions watched at home and cringed when he hit that 84 mph fastball, I know I did, because he cheated Major League Baseball, he cheated Hank Aaron, and he will forever be in the history books with an asterisk. One day Alex Rodriguez will become the new home run king, and it will be a glorious day. Even if he still is a Yankee, every Red Sox fan, every baseball fan, will stand and clap and nod their heads because he did it the right way. He did it with honor and respect, and he will rightfully go into the history books without one of these: *.