The Curious Case of Barry Bonds

8 Thoughts on Steroids in Baseball for 2/11/2009 #6

Everyone has made up their minds about Barry Bonds. I readily admit that I have as well. The man used steroids. I don't doubt that for a second. Still, there's more to the case than just his steroid use. How does one drug user end up in a seven year dance with the Justice Department?

I heartily recommend this story by ESPN Magazine's Jon Pessah. This is just another case of how the government works under a conservative administration. The constitution has, once again, been thrown in the garbage. 

Three federal judges reviewed the raid. One asked, incredulously, if the Fourth Amendment had been repealed. Another, Susan Illston, who has presided over the BALCO trials, called Novitzky's actions a "callous disregard" for constitutional rights. All three instructed him to return the records. Instead, Novitzky kept the evidence ...

You would think our federal government had more important cases to pursue than a seven year vendetta against Barry Bonds. Seriously. Torture anyone?

Steroid Accomplishments

8 Thoughts on Steroids in Baseball for 2/11/2009 #3

A lot of people seem to have a misconception about steroids and what they will do for your performance. Let it be known that there isn't a single bad baseball player who took steroid and "got great". As for great players who used ...

Before the period in question, Alex Rodriguez was already considered the best player in all of baseball. Nothing he had done since the period in question does anything to diminish that belief. Now, there does appear to be an uptick in the number of home runs hit by A-Rod when he arrived in Texas, so that leaves another explanation. I do think it is safe to say that steroids can make a great player even better.

Look at Barry Bonds. When he arrived in San Francisco with a regular size neck, he was already the best all around offensive player in the league. Somehow though, his neck grew to the size of a linebacker, and as it did, he became the best power hitter in the game. This great player managed to turn in what it arguably the best offensive season in the history of the game in 2001 when he hit 73 home runs and drive in 137 runs with a .328 batting average. Did I mention the .863 slugging percentage? Still, Bonds was one of the best in the game before it appears he began using, and simply became even better after.

Now, I've tried for the life of me to find a mediocre player who rose to greatness under the suspicion of steroid use, but I can't find one. Glenallen Hill? Paul Lo Duca? No.

Does this mean I think steroid use is okay and should be condoned? No, I don't. More on that later.