If Barry Bonds is Guilty, He Shouldn't Be a Hall of Famer

If the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame was only about numbers, I would endorse Barry Bonds as a Hall of Famer. However, Pete Rose proves that the Hall of Fame is not based on numbers alone. Pete Rose set the precedent that the Hall of Fame is also about playing by the rules.

Now I know that Barry Bonds has not officially been "proven" guilty of taking performance enhancing drugs. He hasn't failed a drug test for steroids. He has however failed an amphetamines test. In the least that shows he isn't a stickler for following the MLB drug policy.

It's the circumstantial evidence against Bonds that should satisfy anyone in the court of common sense. Let's run down some of the key circumstantial evidence against Barry Bonds.

Bonds was a regular customer of Balco

Balco is the most infamous steroid ring in sports history. Balco head Victor Conte has admitted his guilt to distributing steroids to his clients. Many of Balco's customers including Bill Romanowski, Jason Giambi, and Tim Montgomery have since admitted using performance enhancing drugs.

Jailbird Greg Anderson

Bonds trainer, friend and alleged steroid provider Greg Anderson is serving an indefinite jail sentence for not testifying about Bonds to a Grand Jury. The only reason for serving jail time is to protect Bonds Bonds. If he would simply testify, he would be a free man. This alone tells me Bonds is guilty. I wonder how much money Bonds has agreed to pay Anderson when this is all over?

Bonds himself admitted to taking the Cream and the Clear!

In his Balco Grand Jury testimony Bonds actually admitted being given the Cream and the Clear by Victor Conte. To cover himself he said he thought it was arthritis cream and flaxseed oil. I could buy those items from Walmart. Does he really have to pay Victor Conte big money for them?

After examining the evidence the question of Bonds innocence should be clear. He's guilty of taking performance enhancing drugs and shouldn't be in Cooperstown.

Still there are Bonds supporters

Many Bonds fans still make the argument that Bonds should be a Hall of Famer even if he is guilty. They try to put the blame on Major League Baseball, saying that they knew what was going on and still didn't enforce their own rules.

I'll admit that MLB should have been more proactive, but not enforcing a rule strictly enough does not mean that you get a pass if you break the rule. Speeding is not always strictly enforced, but that doesn't mean you're off the hook when you get a ticket for going five over. As long as the cop shows up in court, you'll still have to pay. Bonds knew the risks and did it anyway. He was caught, and he should pay the price.

Some of the sports writers with Hall of Fame votes are already planning their defense for voting Bonds in. Buster Olney has said that he would vote in Bonds even if Bonds is proven guilty in the George Mitchell investigation. Olney uses the rationale that voters are supposed to compare players with other players of the same era. He contends that because Bonds was in the steroid era, that Bonds should get a pass due to the fact that many top players of the era were doing performance enhancing drugs.

When did it become o.k. to do something because everyone else was doing it? I remember using that argument against my parents when I was a teenager? It didn't work then and it shouldn't work now.

I'm sorry Buster, but Bonds knew the gamble he was taking when he decided to break the rules. He did the crime, now he needs to do the time. Just because other players didn't get caught doesn't make what Bonds did o.k.

There is one more reason that Bonds shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame. If we know he's guilty and we let him in, what message does that send to our kids? Are we telling them it's o.k. to cheat to be the best?

Letting Bonds into the Hall of Fame is like an inadvertent endorsement for steroid use. It would irresponsible of the Hall of Fame voters to send that type of message to the youth of America.

People need to stop giving Bonds a break because of his playing ability. The Hall of Fame is for great players who PLAYED BY THE RULES. Bonds does not fit both these criteria, and does not belong in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.