Enough is enough: It's now time to stop breaking Bonds
By: James Mason
Issue date: 4/21/06 Section: Sports
Originally published: 4/21/06 at 11:17 AM EST
Last update: 4/21/06 at 11:16 AM EST
Originally published: 4/21/06 at 11:17 AM EST
Last update: 4/21/06 at 11:16 AM EST
However, the steroids investigation isn't about finding out what happened. Major League Baseball knows it's partially responsible for what happened and is never going to admit it. If guys use steroids when there is testing, what do you think they're going to do when there's no testing? The more players that use steroids and see increased production, the more players are going to start using steroids to keep up. There are a lot of players that would've been out of the league without the use of steroids. Baseball didn't care, as long as fans were coming to games in record numbers and nothing too crazy happened. Crazy things like guys passing Babe Ruth's records.
That's exactly what Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds did. If Bonds doesn't develop from one of the best all-around players in the game to one of the game's greatest sluggers, there's no steroids investigation. I must acknowledge that Jose Canseco's book had some impact, but it would have had about as much of an impact as Ken Caminiti admitting he was on steroids when he won the MVP award in 1996. Caminiti's steroid use was discussed for a while, but ultimately faded to the back burner. If Bonds wasn't chasing the record, then none of this would have mattered.
Unfortunately for Bonds, he's only guilty of being too close to baseball's most cherished record. Babe Ruth, regardless of what Hank Aaron did, is still considered baseball's home run king. Ruth played in the 1920s, when baseball was still an infant sport, and is still regarded as the game's greatest player by many people. He is the symbol of white dominance in the sport, while Bonds is the quintessential angry black man. Out of all the people to pass the Babe, Bonds is seen as the least desirable. Hank Aaron's record will never be broken - that's a fact. However, the fewer people pass the Babe, the longer his stature as the game's most dominant player can stand.
Bonds didn't cheat the game, he just tried to fit in with the crowd. He didn't disrespect the game, the game disrespected itself by allowing steroid use to go on for so long. If there are no rules against steroids, I don't see how using them is considered cheating. Bonds did what he had to do, just like McGwire, Sosa, Palmeiro and probably hundreds of other players in all levels of the game. It's always easy to blame the people on the bottom for taking advantage of the rules being made by the people up top. If baseball was negligent, then it should be baseball that's on trial, not Bonds.
That's exactly what Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds did. If Bonds doesn't develop from one of the best all-around players in the game to one of the game's greatest sluggers, there's no steroids investigation. I must acknowledge that Jose Canseco's book had some impact, but it would have had about as much of an impact as Ken Caminiti admitting he was on steroids when he won the MVP award in 1996. Caminiti's steroid use was discussed for a while, but ultimately faded to the back burner. If Bonds wasn't chasing the record, then none of this would have mattered.
Unfortunately for Bonds, he's only guilty of being too close to baseball's most cherished record. Babe Ruth, regardless of what Hank Aaron did, is still considered baseball's home run king. Ruth played in the 1920s, when baseball was still an infant sport, and is still regarded as the game's greatest player by many people. He is the symbol of white dominance in the sport, while Bonds is the quintessential angry black man. Out of all the people to pass the Babe, Bonds is seen as the least desirable. Hank Aaron's record will never be broken - that's a fact. However, the fewer people pass the Babe, the longer his stature as the game's most dominant player can stand.
Bonds didn't cheat the game, he just tried to fit in with the crowd. He didn't disrespect the game, the game disrespected itself by allowing steroid use to go on for so long. If there are no rules against steroids, I don't see how using them is considered cheating. Bonds did what he had to do, just like McGwire, Sosa, Palmeiro and probably hundreds of other players in all levels of the game. It's always easy to blame the people on the bottom for taking advantage of the rules being made by the people up top. If baseball was negligent, then it should be baseball that's on trial, not Bonds.
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