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I've been trying to decide how to feel about Barry Bonds breaking the home run record for the past several months. All the steroid controversy, his personality, on and on.
I was actually watching Sports Center last night when they broke away to show his at bat, and saw the historic home run as it happened. I saw one of the greatest baseball players of all time break probably the biggest record in sports. I celebrated with him and his fans. I thought Hank Aaron's message was first class if there ever was class.
He may or may not have taken steroids throughout the time when a lot of home runs were being hit. Most people believe that he did. Along with several other major league players at the time. And there still are players getting caught with them.
The fact of the matter is, Barry Bonds didn't get caught. Many believe baseball management allowed steroids because they wanted the excitement to ring the fans back after the strikes and lockouts.
Going back and investigating what happened 10, 15 years ago from a legal standpoint is one thing. But for baseball to try to prove these men did anything wrong, and then to use that to change history, or add an asterisk to the record is just plain wrong in my eyes.
They had their chance. There were rumblings and rumors about steroid use back then. Later after congress got involved, they caught Barry with topical steroids in his system. What did they do? NOTHING. Baseball made their bed, now they need to sleep in it. They said it was illegal, but by not having any penalties, they said it was alright to do.
So if NASCAR investigated and found out that Richard Petty did use a bigger engine when he won his 200th race in front of President Reagan on July 4th, do they take that win away? Who won? Does Richard owe that person the difference in winnings? What does that do to the point standings? Why would you even throw mud in your own face by going back and searching that out? And then making it known to everybody? Nobody in their right mind would bring that on themselves. Which says a lot about Bud Selig...
In his statement about the record, our illustrious baseball commish hinted around that the record may change if the investigation going on shows any proof that he took steroids. He's done some stupid things since being in charge of baseball, many in fact. But to go back and change the record would be the dumbest thing ever.
So they take away some of his home runs. Which ones? When did he start using the juice? When did he stop? Is he using it now? Were the pitchers he faced clean? Did an outfielder jump up and catch what would have been a home run and were they clean? What if those home runs were part of a winning effort by his team? Do you then change those to losses? What if changing those team records would result in an opponent making the playoffs who didn't? Now what? Where do you draw the line?
What precedent does this have in baseball? In any major league sport? When Sammy Sosa was caught with a corked bat, did they go back and take away all of his home runs? When Gaylord Perry was caught doctoring baseballs after admitting to doing it for years, did they take away any of his records?
If we’re going to change history, should we change the records to reflect the smaller and smaller ballparks that have been approved by Major League Baseball, which make hitting home runs easier? Should we investigate the popular idea that Major League Baseball was using a “live” ball during the “steroid era” to pump up home run numbers and bring the fans back to the game? If it’s proven they were, what do we do with the records then?
When Barry was caught using steroids by failing the test, they found "Cream" and "Clear" in his system, did they take away any home runs then?
And then there's his personality. He got mad at what a reporter wrote and since then has not been cooperative with reporters. And now they make him out to be this mean nasty man. He never cussed them out at a press conference. He never shoved a photographer to the ground. He just doesn't like talking to them. Like Bud Selig, they made their bed. So he doesn't just laugh it off like the rest of them. Darn. I don't like reporters either. I don't cooperate with them. I guess that makes me a bad man too.
Congratulations Barry!!! You are among THE BEST who ever played. You were before the roid era, you stayed in the game after most players got their money and retired, you took everything they threw at you and remained focused on your goals. It was great watching you attain them.
And Bud, drop the past. Reliving it just shows how two-faced you are. If you want to clean up baseball, spend the money and energy finding ways to test for designer steroids and human growth hormones. Until you do, then all you are doing is making one man a scapegoat for something you let slide, maybe even encouraged, until congress got involved. |
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