Defending Barroid: Why Fans Should Respect, Not Reject, Barry Bonds' Home Run Record
The baseball world has been tough on Bonds, no doubt. And for the most part, he's brought it on himself. Bonds' poor attitude toward the public is among the major reasons we hate the idea that he holds the most sacred record in sports.
But often, a baseball fan will hold up Bonds as an image of something they claim is destroying baseball: steroids. The phrase I hear so often is, "integrity of the game." The steroid era is destroying the "integrity of the game." I have a simple response to this.
Um...what integrity?
I'd like to introduce you to a man named Gaylord Perry. You may have heard of him. He was a pitcher, won 314 games, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1991. He was also an admitted cheater, a spitballer.
I'd also like to introduce you to Albert Belle. Belle was a dangerous hitter, driving in 100 runs 9 times and 3 times leading the league in RBIs. In 1994, Belle was suspended for seven games for using a corked bat.
Do I approve of all this cheating? No. Does anybody? Probably not. But the fact is, baseball has always been a sport of cheaters. Steroids are just the new corked bats, and Bonds is just the new practitioner. "Integrity of the game" is a nonsense concept, and Bonds is not destroying this integrity because there's nothing to destroy. Let's be frank: do you think Joe DiMaggio wouldn't have taken steroids if he'd had the opportunity?
Of course, steroids are different than corked bats and spitballs. Corked bats are cheating, but they don't destroy your body. The real danger of steroids is the long-term physical harm they cause. American teenagers see Bonds and their heroes on steroids and think, that's the way to get ahead. If you want to talk about the danger of the steroid era, talk about the real danger. But let's call a spade a spade. Bonds doesn't represent any new trend in baseball, and thus we should respect his accomplishments. After all, half the pitchers Bonds homered off of were on steroids.
Hate Bonds for his attitude. Hate Bonds for what he's doing to America's youth. But don't hate Bonds for doing what baseball players have been doing for a century.
Published by Mark L.
Currently residing on Staten Island, NY, and writing for Long Island Blitz (liblitz.com), covering high school football on Long Island. View profile
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5 Comments
Post a CommentBut we're talking about the all-time home runs record, which should NOT be held by someone who is using performance enhancing drugs. On the corked bat vs. steroids issue, I agree with the previous poster that it is really apples and oranges. I just can't stand the fact that Hank Aaron is demoted to #2 on the HR list by someone like Barry Bonds, who used steroids to get there.
John Joseph, my point is not to exonerate Bonds by putting him next to other cheaters. This article is addressed to the fans and their attitudes. If you watched and enjoyed baseball in the '90s, you were watching and enjoying cheaters. In the '80s, cheaters. Any point in baseball history, you were watching, enjoying, and rooting for cheaters, and glorifying their accomplishments. It would be hypocritical to criticize one pack of cheaters while letting another go free.
Good article. I disagree, but I can't really argue that your points are invalid. I will say, though, that another major difference between a corked bat and steroids is about 5 feet of length per hit versus 40 pounds of extra muscle. A corked bat affects very little. So much so that anyone who uses one is probably dumb enough to require a caregiver.
Mark, I agree.. and expanded into many more reasons as wel in this piece I wrote:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/291780/why_im_pro_barry_bonds_and_dont_care.html
But Mom, all my friends get to do it!
Pointing to other players who cheated doesn't make it right. I think every PED user should get their records invalidated. Barry knew all of the risks when he decided to use PEDs. He used roids for fame and financial gain. If he wasn't prepared for the repercussions, he should have never used.
John,
Do you honestly believe that allegations against Barry are just rumors? Barry admitted using the cream and the clear to a federal grand jury. His friend Greg Anderson is still in jail because he wouldn't testify about Barry. All Greg Anderson has to do to gain freedom is testify and he would be a free man. That alone tells me Barry has a lot to hide and is willing to pay a large sum of money to keep it quiet.