Barry Bonds – A Tragic Figure

I will not debate the character of Barry Bonds but I will say that he is most likely a better human being than Ty Cobb ever was. What I will say however about Bonds is that instead of celebrating what he has done for baseball, he was unfairly singled out in one of the most ridiculous legal investigations that this country has ever seen. We can all safely assume and get over the fact that Bonds took steroids following the 1999 season and was a decade behind 75% of major league baseball in doing so. Bonds did not bring steroids to baseball, on the contrary, by opening everyone’s eyes to the now undeniable truth he actually took steroids out of baseball. He made a clear statement in 2001 and the few years that followed to the league and the country – you want to allow steroids in your pastime, let me show you what real talent can do with it. Throughout the 90’s he was a premier ball player and most likely (though will never be confirmed) led the league in “unjuiced” home runs and slugging percentage during that era. Had he retired prior to the 2000 season having never touched the stuff, he would have retired as an undisputed first ballot hall-of-famer and arguably the best all around player of all time, combining power and speed as the only 400/400 man ever while playing gold glove caliber defense throughout his career. I do not condone steroid use in any sport, but condemning a ball player for using steroids in 2001 is like condemning a bank manager for authorizing a sub prime loan in 2006. While agreed that it was a poor decision it was the norm in the industry at the time. Similarly, perjury is a serious offense in a real court case, but just like the Bill Clinton perjury charge, to hold a man accountable for lying in court over something he never should have been there for in the first place is a clear abuse of the system. As far as his legacy goes, hopefully over time he will be recognized as the greatest player of the era, and the era should be remembered as the period when Major League Baseball unofficially allowed steroid use. As for Cooperstown, if he’s not inducted then the entire concept of the hall is worthless.

AND THAT’S THE BRUTAL TRUTH!