Barry Bonds hit #714!!

[robertsmom]

But if he took steroids like people thought he may have, it wouldn't have been a lot of work to hit all those homers. So you can't really compare Barry Bonds to Babe Ruth, or Hank Aaron. They played at times when there was no drugs.

I have to agree. This record means nothing.

 

[imagineerhopefull]

#1. Steroids were not banned by baseball except for one year Bonds is accused of using steroids

Steroids have almost always been banned, its just that until 2002, MLB did not test, unless there was a cause. A cause would just be a matter of opinion.

#2. Bonds won three MVP awards prior to supposedly beginning to use steroids

No one is denying that, he won those fair and square. (We hope)

#3. At the rate he was hitting home runs prior to supposedly using steroids, he would be well over 600 home runs in 2006.

His career would have followed the same pattern of any other star entering his late 30s-early 40s. His eyesight deterioration was reversed by the HGH, and his power was transformed from impressive to impossible (without artificial enhancement).*

#4. Bonds received votes for MVP in 15 consecutive seasons, he is accused of using steroids for 5 years of his 20 year career.

Yes, he was a very good playerduring his years before he supposedly started using performance inhancing drugs in 1998

#5. Bonds became the first player to achieve 400 career home runs and 400 career stolen bases in 1998. He isn't accused to have began using steroids until 1998.

Probably still would of achieved this mark, but then so might A-Rod. Supposedly, he became jelous of McGwire and Sosa after their run in 1998 and wanted to top what they did.

#6. In 1999, The Sporting News using only stats up to 1997 ranked Bonds as the greatest active player in baseball history.

At number 34 with Maddux trailing in at 39. However when the list was redone in 2005 he came in at number 6, having jumped 28 spaces on the tail end of his career.

#7. Many of the players of his era as well as pitchers of his era used steroids. He would be at a competitive disadvantage to not use them.

I'm sure there were other players who used them as well, however it's still cheating and unethical. What about all those players who didn't use them?

#8. Many former players such as Willie Mays, Bob Gibson, and Mike Schmidt have openly admitted that they would have used steroids if they were available to them.

But they didn't, so their records will always stand unquestioned.

#9. Babe Ruth had the advantage of not having to play against African American competition. Playing against watered down talent obviously benefited him in a way Bonds and Aaron were not able to.

Yes, Ruth did not play against any African-American player, and I'm sure the talent was weekend by that, but there was still some very good talent out there. Plus, Aaron was able to compete against anyone of any race.

#9. Owners and MLB officials were very aware of the fact that steroid use was rampant and all but sanctioned the use of steroids in order to attract fans.

Are you trying to promote steroids in baseball?

#10. Mark McGwire openly used andro, a substance that was not banned. Just like anabolic steroids. That product was banned at the same time as steroids.

Andro was brand new to the market in 1997 and tests were still being done on it at come 1998.

#11. During the era Hank Aaron played, baseball was riddled with use of performance enhancing amphetamines. No one seems to care about this or event point it out.

They are banded today, but amphetamines, or speed, would give you more of a lift and alertness, not inhance your bat speed, power, allow you to recover from injury quicker, or inhance your vision.

#12. The 1919 White Sox actively threw the World Series and lost on purpose. Baseball has not even placed as asterik on this World Series.

Because the Reds may of won anyways. The series went to 8 games (because of the end of WWI, MLB decided to extend the WS to a best of 9 series), in which the Reds took a 4-1 advantage before the Sox came back two win two in a row.

#13. Bonds has passed every single steroid test administered in the past two years.

The drugs Clomid and insulin are not covered by the new policy and Human Growth Hormone is not tested for. Now neither Clomid nor insulin are steroids, but both are often used in conjunction with steriods and are banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)

While it is extremely likely that he has used them, it has never been proven that he knowingly took them. I understand that this is naive, but in America you are innocent until proven guilty.

This issue is entirely overblown. Had the same circumstances surrounded McGwire or Sosa as they passed Ruth or Aaron there would not be the same outrage. The outrage comes from the hate-hate relationship between Bonds and the media. The media will continue to portray Bonds in an entirely negative light because he has always acted as a jerk toward them.

The reason for the outrage now is due to BALCO, which became a public issue in 2003. McGwire was no longer in the public eye, having retired in 2001 and Barry having broken the single season home run record in 2001.

 

[OK!]

I wouldn't be so shocked if your boy Pujols weren't using some type of performance enhancing drug at this point.

That's all you've got?

Much as I don't want to dignify any of your nonsense with a response, let's just take a look at the situation, shall we?

1) Pujols has never tested positive for any kind of drug since he was first subject to league-mandated testing in 2004.

2) Pujols has the same musculature and body type he has had since his rookie season, 5 years ago.

3) Pujols' HEAD is the same size it was five years ago.

4) Pujols has remained remarkably free of tendon injuries (knock wood) during his 5-year major league career; increased incidence of tendon injuries (due to increased muscle mass placing too much strain on tendons not equipped to deal with it) is one of the most common signs of steroid abuse. In his career, Pujols has missed a grand total of 21 games.

5) Since the 2004 inception of league-mandated testing, Pujols's stats have remained consistent:
2003: 157 GP, 591 AB, 43 HR, 79 BB, 124 RBI, .359 BA
2004: 154 GP, 592 AB, 46 HR, 84 BB, 123 RBI, .331 BA
2005: 161 GP, 591 AB, 41 HR, 97 BB, 117 RBI, .330 BA
2006 (to date): 41 GP, 142 AB, 21 HR, 34 BB, 53 RBI, .317 BA


As for your boy Barry?
2003: 130 GP, 390 AB, 45 HR, 148 BB, 90 RBI, .341 BA
2004: 147 GP, 373 AB, 45 HR, 232 BB, 101 RBI, .362 BA
2005: 14 GP, 45 AB, 5 HR, 9 BB, 10 RBI, .286 BA
2006 (to date): 36 GP, 96 AB, 6 HR, 15 RBI, .229 BA

 

[OK!]

Oh, and I might add that a former teammate of Bonds' in Pittsburgh (who is now a coach with the Tigers) has said on numerous occasions that if they'd been testing back then, Bonds would've been nailed in a heartbeat. He personally observed him using (he didn't specify precisely when, but the two were teammates from 1987-1994, so draw your own conclusions).

 

[Chicago Girl]

Way to go Barry!

 

[glass- slippers]

Barry Bonds is a cheater.

He does not deserve to be held in the same regard as Babe Ruth or Hank Aaron.

Exactly!

 

[MUFFYCAT]

as a sportscaster on ESPN said
he doesn't need that asteric next to his name.
because his legacy will always be cheater.
great example/legacy he's giving to his kids.

for me it will always be Aaron & Babe
and Maris for the single season record.

 

[KingsFanInRI]

I posted this on the ESPN website today (Don't know if they used it...)

The only place where Barry Bonds and Babe Ruth are equal is in number of home runs hit. Barry Bonds is not half the ballplayer that Ruth was and not 1/5 the man.

Bonds, when you compare fielding % to the ML average, has a slight advantage (Bonds is +.004 to the avg, while Ruth is -.001) but with about 50% more games played, Ruth has virtually twice as many assists.

Ruth's career BA is growing closer to .050 ahead of the increasingly inept Bonds.

Bonds may lead the MVP race 7-1, but the Babe was held back by the fact that there was a rule prohibiting a player from winning more than once.

Let's not even get into World Series won for two reasons... the other is that I'm a Red Sox fan.

Ruth has 11 40-HR seasons (4 times over 50), Bonds has 8 (1).

Ruth hit his homers in a time where he outhomered entire teams, Bonds did his during a time where Alex Gonzalez hit 23 in a season.

Hot dogs and beer were never, and never will be performance-enhancing drugs.

Let's not forget that Ruth is also a two-time 20-game winner.

"Ruth on Ruth" would have been great TV, "Bonds on Bonds" is, as Crash Davis said about the novels of Susan Sontag, "..self-indulgent overrated crap."

Ruth not only would have given Carlos Olivares an autograph, he probably would have had him over for dinner.

So, Barry Lamar Bonds and George Herman Ruth are equal as human beings and on the career home run list, but as a man and as a ballplayer, Barry Bonds is just a Bambino compared to Babe Ruth.

 

[KingsFanInRI]

and Maris for the single season record.

not to mention that Maris STILL holds the Americal League single-season record.

#1. Steroids were not banned by baseball except for one year Bonds is accused of using steroids

Baseball added language to the rules prohibiting steroids in 1991, they just didn't test until recently.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Babe did it with cigars, liquor, and cheap women!

Don't leave out the fact that he benefited from the race barrier.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

Don't leave out the fact that he benefited from the race barrier.

 

[Honu]

Uh, no. I wasn't insulting anyone. I was just stating the truth- people are booing Bonds. And I can understand why. Please tell me how you think I insulted you.

When you write that people everywhere are booing except for the SF fans and then you write, "I'm not surprised" I interpret that as you looking down on the SF fans.

I'm not really a baseball fan at all, but Barry went to a private catholic boys about 3 blocks from the HS I went to and we are the same age. I knew him then and I run into him every once in a while now. From the change in his body then to now, its hard to believe that's all natural. I can't explain why he would do it, but his health is really the only thing that concerns me if he did.

Sorry, but baseball is just a game. The upset over all this just bewilders me.

 

[Papa Deuce]

When you write that people everywhere are booing except for the SF fans and then you write, "I'm not surprised" I interpret that as you looking down on the SF fans.

I'm not really a baseball fan at all, but Barry went to a private catholic boys about 3 blocks from the HS I went to and we are the same age. I knew him then and I run into him every once in a while now. From the change in his body then to now, its hard to believe that's all natural. I can't explain why he would do it, but his health is really the only thing that concerns me if he did.

Sorry, but baseball is just a game. The upset over all this just bewilders me.

Well, my guess is you have no appreciation for history and legends in baseball. If you did, you would understand. And qute frankly, Baroids health does not concern me one iota. He knows the dangers of steroids and he still chose to take them. He knew he was cheating and he didn't care. I guess he will live with any and all the results of his poor choices.

The "legend" of Baroid Bonds will be that he was a cheater. We won't need any asterisks.

 

[Joanna71985]

When you write that people everywhere are booing except for the SF fans and then you write, "I'm not surprised" I interpret that as you looking down on the SF fans.

I'm not really a baseball fan at all, but Barry went to a private catholic boys about 3 blocks from the HS I went to and we are the same age. I knew him then and I run into him every once in a while now. From the change in his body then to now, its hard to believe that's all natural. I can't explain why he would do it, but his health is really the only thing that concerns me if he did.

Sorry, but baseball is just a game. The upset over all this just bewilders me.

I'm sorry if that insulted you. When I said I wasn't surprised that other fans are booing him, it's because I'm not. Of course SF fans aren't going to boo him and that's fine. I don't care about that. So again, I am sorry that you are insulted.

 

[Honu]

Well, my guess is you have no appreciation for history and legends in baseball. If you did, you would understand. And qute frankly, Baroids health does not concern me one iota. He knows the dangers of steroids and he still chose to take them. He knew he was cheating and he didn't care. I guess he will live with any and all the results of his poor choices.

The "legend" of Baroid Bonds will be that he was a cheater. We won't need any asterisks.

Sorry, but people, even those that make bad decisions, are more important to me than a game. And name calling only places you in the same unsportsman like conduct boat with those you protest.

 

[glass- slippers]

Sorry, but baseball is just a game. The upset over all this just bewilders me.

Not true. Baseball is a business. A high-paying business at that. When someone is earning millions of dollars and receiving accolades for taking drugs and cheating, it's just a bit sickening

 

[Papa Deuce]

Don't leave out the fact that he benefited from the race barrier.

Equalled out by Bond playing in a watered down league with about 6 - 8 too many teams.

 

[Papa Deuce]

Sorry, but people, even those that make bad decisions, are more important to me than a game. And name calling only places you in the same unsportsman like conduct boat with those you protest.

So, you can't say a guy is a cheater if he cheats? Hmmn.... interesting theory.

I guess we can't call folks murderers if they murder people, then.

 

[imagineerhopefull]

hmmm...

1991

2004

I dont see a differene

 

[Honu]

Not true. Baseball is a business. A high-paying business at that. When someone is earning millions of dollars and receiving accolades for taking drugs and cheating, it's just a bit sickening

Yep, that's true and I agree that people should not be rewarded for misdoings.

This business, the MLB, is still letting Barry play the game though. With more facts than any of us are privy to, they've determined he's eligible to play and to have those runs counted. Which says to me that either the whole league is corrupt or Barry is possibly not as guilty as some would like to think.