Bonds Linked to Steroids
| Published 12/10/04

 


Graphic by: Tim Tuley
The rumors have been there for months, if not years.   Barry Bonds, with his colossal numbers and enormous body, have been in question ever since his remarkable 73-homer season of 2001. Were Bonds' numbers and massive body merely a product of good training? Was he getting an artificial boost from an outside source? It looks as if it was the latter.

  Testimony was released that showed both seven-time National League MVP Barry Bonds and former American League MVP Jason Giambi did in fact take steroids. Bonds told a U.S. grand jury that he used undetectable steroids known as "the cream" and "the clear," which he received from personal trainer Greg Anderson.

  While it shouldn't be a surprise that Bonds used performance-enhancing drugs, it is still a serious black eye for him and the sport. No matter how hard you train, how well you eat, you don't put on that much muscle and put up your career best numbers at the very end of your career.

  Bonds was an all-star before he was on steroids; he has been unstoppable on them.

  Major League Baseball has a very relaxed policy regarding the use of performance-enhancing drugs. In fact, they are the only* professional sport that does not have strict testing. When this is the case and millions of dollars are at stake, players will do anything to get an extra edge on the competition.

  Former Major Leaguers Jose Canseco and Ken Caminiti both admitted to having used steroids during their playing careers, but they admitted so after they had retired. Major League Baseball will now be forced to deal with one of the biggest scandals to hit the league since Pete Rose's lifetime ban for gambling on baseball.

  What should happen? Suspension? Asterisks on any records? A lifetime ban?

  Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig will have some tough decisions to make over the next few months, but outside of a suspension, what more can be done?

  How can you put an asterisk or take away any records set by Barry Bonds when Major League Baseball has never really enforced the use of steroids? Who's to say Babe Ruth never used the juice? Mickey Mantle had some giant guns; was he doing steroids during his career? Did Mark McGwire take steroids during his historic 70 homerun season?

  The point is we do not know and most likely never will.

  Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi will be punished severely just by the fans. Every trip to a ballpark, including their stadiums in San Francisco and New York, respectively, will result in boos and heckling. A caller into an ESPN Radio show said his 9-year-old son ripped down his Barry Bonds poster and said crying his eyes out that he hated baseball.

  Bonds' legacy has seriously been tarnished. In an ESPN poll 56% of over 145 thousand of its users said they will remember Barry Bonds as, not one of the greatest homerun hitters ever, but as a steroid user.

  Fans everywhere feel betrayed and deservedly so. In another ESPN poll, 93% of its users said they believe steroids taints the game of baseball.

  Major League Baseball will have to do some serious damage control to try and contain this situation and it has to start with a strict policy on steroid use. Find out right now who is on it and suspend them. Not forever, but long enough so players will think twice before using any type of performance enhancing drug.

  Bud Selig, it's now your time to hit. Don't strike out.

 

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