Last night Barry Bonds broke what many call most prestigious record in all of American Sports. In his third trip to the plate already 2-2 with a double and single Bonds blasted his 756th Home Run into the night time sky at AT&T Park off of Washington Nationals starting pitcher Mike Bacsik. This is a moment that will always be remembered. However, unlike when Hank Aaron hit 755 Bonds home run is overshadowed by steroids. Many people have many different feeling towards Bonds. Some were excited to see him break the record, some think no matter what he isn’t the legit Home Run king. No matter what people think last night August 7th 2007 Barry Bonds became our new Home Run king.
Although Bonds has always been a great play through out his entire career when we look at his numbers clearly something doesn’t make sense. Bonds hit 445 home runs in his first 14 seasons. That is an average of 31.78 a season. Then Bonds turned 36 a time when most baseball players either retire or play a much smaller roll on a team Bonds then became a home run machine. He hit 49,73,46,45,45. From the age 37-41 he won 4 consecutive National League Most Valuable Player awards. In an HBO interview a BALCO chemist Patrick Arnold claimed he and BALCO founder Victor Conte provided Barry Bonds with a Steroid called the clear that was undetectable in tests. Arnold claimed this steroid would not only make a player hit more Home Runs but, their entire game would improve. From Average, RBIS, Slugging Percentage. Everything would be improved after taking this steroid. From physical appearance
alone you can tell Bonds had to have taken a steroid. His body changed dramatically over the years. Looking at Barry bonds you can understand why he took steroids. He has always had an ego to be the best and he was watching other players such as Mark McGwire take steroids and blast Home Run after Home Run.
The biggest shame in this entire scandal is Commissioner Bud Selig. Selig wasn’t even their last night when Bonds broke the record. Selig hasn’t been the biggest supporter of Bonds as he has been going after history. Isn’t It funny that Bud Selig now seems to have a problem with someone using steroids but didn’t when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa brought back the popularity of baseball using steroids during the summer of 1998 when they chased Roger Maris and baseball history .Selig should be blamed more then anyone. He looked the other way back then and so did baseball. Almost 10 years later we are finally finding the skeletons in baseballs closet. The problem with the “Steroids Era” is baseball is Americas past time. The game has been around since 1845 when Alexander Cartwright wrote the rules of the game. In 1871 the first professional league was created. By the start of the 20th century almost every large city in the eastern part of the United States had a professional team. The game of baseball is different from the other four major professional sports in the United States. football, basketball and hockey because baseball is Americas pastime . The game should be respected and players should be honored for their accomplishments . The biggest shame of the steroid era was a game that started over 150 years ago is being disrespected. Many of today’s athletes have forgotten about the past and history of the game and only care about their own accomplishments and mostly about making a lot of money. Bonds isn’t the only one to blame for doing steroids because it was a time when many players were taking steroids and it was being over looked by all of baseball. The problem begins with Baseballs testing policy.
Baseball has a very weak steroids testing policy. Although they have made some improvements they still need to be stricter. They don’t test very often and especially not in the off season in which players are most likely to “cycle.” Under today’s policy if caught a player would be suspended for 10 days. Second time offenders are suspended for 30 days. Third time offenders a 60 day suspension and fourth time a year. I believe this policy isn’t strict enough. Testing should be more frequent and punishment more harsh .
Bob Costas said it perfectly “I regard him as one of the greatest players of all time who got an inauthentic boost and then became a superhuman player.” Bonds was a bound for the Hall before he took steroids. Before the 1999 season he won MVP in 1990, 1992, 1993 and Gold Gloves in 90,91,92,93,94,96,97, and 98. When he started taking steroids his numbers became ridiculous however, many players have taken steroids and not one player has had the numbers Bonds has. I believe if Bonds didn’t take steroids he would of never broken the record and Hank Aarons 755 home runs as well as hit 73 home runs in a single season. The facts show it all his numbers got better dramatically better at a time when most players are on the decline of their career. Any way you slice it like bonds or not he is our home run king for now. I believe in around 5 years we will see Alex Rodriquez ( A-ROD) or as I like to call him A-GOD break Bonds record and possibly even reach 800 home runs without ever putting a steroid in his body.
Although Bonds has always been a great play through out his entire career when we look at his numbers clearly something doesn’t make sense. Bonds hit 445 home runs in his first 14 seasons. That is an average of 31.78 a season. Then Bonds turned 36 a time when most baseball players either retire or play a much smaller roll on a team Bonds then became a home run machine. He hit 49,73,46,45,45. From the age 37-41 he won 4 consecutive National League Most Valuable Player awards. In an HBO interview a BALCO chemist Patrick Arnold claimed he and BALCO founder Victor Conte provided Barry Bonds with a Steroid called the clear that was undetectable in tests. Arnold claimed this steroid would not only make a player hit more Home Runs but, their entire game would improve. From Average, RBIS, Slugging Percentage. Everything would be improved after taking this steroid. From physical appearance
alone you can tell Bonds had to have taken a steroid. His body changed dramatically over the years. Looking at Barry bonds you can understand why he took steroids. He has always had an ego to be the best and he was watching other players such as Mark McGwire take steroids and blast Home Run after Home Run.The biggest shame in this entire scandal is Commissioner Bud Selig. Selig wasn’t even their last night when Bonds broke the record. Selig hasn’t been the biggest supporter of Bonds as he has been going after history. Isn’t It funny that Bud Selig now seems to have a problem with someone using steroids but didn’t when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa brought back the popularity of baseball using steroids during the summer of 1998 when they chased Roger Maris and baseball history .Selig should be blamed more then anyone. He looked the other way back then and so did baseball. Almost 10 years later we are finally finding the skeletons in baseballs closet. The problem with the “Steroids Era” is baseball is Americas past time. The game has been around since 1845 when Alexander Cartwright wrote the rules of the game. In 1871 the first professional league was created. By the start of the 20th century almost every large city in the eastern part of the United States had a professional team. The game of baseball is different from the other four major professional sports in the United States. football, basketball and hockey because baseball is Americas pastime . The game should be respected and players should be honored for their accomplishments . The biggest shame of the steroid era was a game that started over 150 years ago is being disrespected. Many of today’s athletes have forgotten about the past and history of the game and only care about their own accomplishments and mostly about making a lot of money. Bonds isn’t the only one to blame for doing steroids because it was a time when many players were taking steroids and it was being over looked by all of baseball. The problem begins with Baseballs testing policy.
Baseball has a very weak steroids testing policy. Although they have made some improvements they still need to be stricter. They don’t test very often and especially not in the off season in which players are most likely to “cycle.” Under today’s policy if caught a player would be suspended for 10 days. Second time offenders are suspended for 30 days. Third time offenders a 60 day suspension and fourth time a year. I believe this policy isn’t strict enough. Testing should be more frequent and punishment more harsh .
Bob Costas said it perfectly “I regard him as one of the greatest players of all time who got an inauthentic boost and then became a superhuman player.” Bonds was a bound for the Hall before he took steroids. Before the 1999 season he won MVP in 1990, 1992, 1993 and Gold Gloves in 90,91,92,93,94,96,97, and 98. When he started taking steroids his numbers became ridiculous however, many players have taken steroids and not one player has had the numbers Bonds has. I believe if Bonds didn’t take steroids he would of never broken the record and Hank Aarons 755 home runs as well as hit 73 home runs in a single season. The facts show it all his numbers got better dramatically better at a time when most players are on the decline of their career. Any way you slice it like bonds or not he is our home run king for now. I believe in around 5 years we will see Alex Rodriquez ( A-ROD) or as I like to call him A-GOD break Bonds record and possibly even reach 800 home runs without ever putting a steroid in his body.
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