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Bonds a Broken Record
Yesterday it came out that Bonds testified to a grand jury that he used the "clear" and the "cream" but didn't know they were steroids. Today Thomas Boswell, one of my favorite baseball writers, wrote an interesting column that I agree w/ across the board, even if I still regard Bonds as the Player of '90s. Here's an excerpt:
"Bonds's reputation has lived by his statistics. Now, let it die by them. Forever. Before Bonds hooked up with his old friend and alleged steroid merchant Greg Anderson in '98, he had one [home run] per 16.1 at-bats. In the past four seasons, from ages 37 to 40, as he has done the deeds and committed the offenses against his sport for which he will always be remembered, Bonds hit one every 7.9 at-bats.
In those four years, Bonds won four straight NL MVP awards, two batting titles and set the all-time single-season records for home runs, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, walks and intentional walks. All those records are now a steroid lie. Without Anderson's illicit help, there is no reason whatsoever to believe Bonds could have approached, much less broken, any of the all-time marks for which he lusted so much that he has now ruined his name.
Throw every record that Bonds has set in the past four years into the trash can that history reserves for cheats. We need no asterisks or erasures. Word of mouth, from box seats to bleachers, from generation to generation, will suffice. Bonds's 21st-century deeds have been obliterated in the eyes of anyone who knows baseball. Nothing will ever bring them back."
Should Bonds's records stand?
12/5 update: from my other favorite baseball writer, Peter Gammons: "WFAN's Christopher Russo interviewed a home run distance expert who claimed that prior to 2000, Bonds hit three homers longer than 450 feet; in the last five years, he has hit 26."
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STERIODS OR NOT BONDS IS STILL A HALL OF FAME PLAYER. HE REALLY NEEDS TO BE REMEMBERED FOR NOT WINNING THE BIG GAME. HE ALWAYS CHOKES IN
PLAYOFF SITUATIONS. ROUNTINE THROW IN ATLANTA WITH SID BREAME RUNNING FROM SECOND TO HOME OFF THE MARK AND BRAVES GO TO WORLD
SERIES PIRATES GO HOME. BONDS GOES TO SAN FRANCISCO AND UNLESS I MISSED SOMETHING THEY HAVENT WON A WORLD SERIES EITHER. 90% OF MAJOR LEAGUE OUTFIELDERS COULD HAVE MADE THAT THROW I ATLANTA WITH SID BREAME RUNNING THE BASES. HE COULD RUN ALL DAY ON A NEWSPAPER AND NEVER GET OFF THE FRONT PAGE. BONDS STERIODS HAVE NOT PRODUCED A CHAMPIONSHIP RING SO WHO CARES ABOUT HOME RUNS WHO DID HE HIT THEM OFF OF BOB GIBSON,SANDY KOUFAX, WHITEY FORD. GIVE IT A REST HE CAN HIT BUT WHAT DOES IT PRODUCE NO WORLD SERIES RINGS END OF STORY -
He broke the rules. I doubt very seriously that he didn't know that he was using steriods. Pete Rose said he didn't bet on baseball. Anyone caught in the chicken house never admits they are going to steal the chickens. I think his records should be taken away the same as they do olympians caught using steriods.
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THIS IS GOING TO BE A CONTRAVERSIAL ISSUE FOR YEARS TO COME.IT DIDNT JUST SUDDENLY ARIVE ON THE SCENE,SO TO FIND A TIME MORE SPECIFIC,A DATE THAT WE COULD USE TO ESTABLISHA SEPARATION IN THE RECORD BOOKS.IT SEEMS OUTLANDISH THAT THERE COULD BE TWO SETS OF RECORDS PRE AND POST STEROID RECORDS.I THINK THAT MOST FANS KNOW OR AT LEAST HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF WHO DID WHAT WHEN.TO RESTORE THE CREDIBILITY TO THE RECORDS AND CREDITABILITY TO THE PLAYERS WHO SET THEM AND WHO BROKE THEM IS ANOTHER STORY.MY IDEA WOULD BE TO ESTABLISH A SEPARATE DYNASTY ONE THAT SAY ENDS IN 1970.CLOSE THE BOOKS AND ANYTHING THAT PRE-DATES THAT COULD BE CONSIDEREDTHE FIRS GENARATION.ALL RECORDS AND ACOMPLISHMENTS STAND IN THAT TIME FRAME.
FROM 1970 TILL THE PRESENT BASEBALLS SECOND GENARATION AND BASE THE RECORDS FROM THEN ON.NOW OF COURSE THERE AFE GOING TO BE MANY CROSSOVERS AND ARGUMENTS ,BUT NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO I ALL FAIRNESS TO THE PLAYER WHO HIT 60 HOMERUNS AND DID IT AN ERA WHEN THERE WERE NO PREFORMANCE ENHANCING SUBSTANCES,THAT RECORD SHOULD REMAIN INTACT AND SEALED.WHATEVER SOLUTION`THAT IS PROPOSED TO RESTORE THE INTEGRATY TO THE GAME OF BASEBALL,PRESERVE WELL EARNED RECORDS AND ONCE AND FOR ALL ELIMANATE THE CHANCE OF THIS HAPPINING AGAIN IS GOING TO BE A HARD FOUGHT BATTLE WITH ALOT OF DISAGREEMENTS.STILL IF BASEBALL IS TO SURVIVE AND BE RESPECTED BY FAN AND PLAYER ALIKE IT IS
WITHOUT QUESTION THAT A SOLUTION BE MADE. -
Thank you very much some1 has finally said his records should be disregarded. Im in 8th grade and when i say that at my school im looked at like im crazy. It seems all ppl are intrested in these days are breaking records. No one seems to care who is winning championships or whos playing team ball. in the nba all it is is who makes the best dunk or who scores the most points no one cares who has assists or makes a nice pass. I mean the Magic finally got their act together and got rid of that ball hog Mcgrady and its not like they have no all star Steve Francis has shown you have to pass to make a good team but yet ppl still like Mcgrady and want these dunks. Bonds records are worth nothing now he shouldnt be thrown out of baseball but nothing he has done means anything now and never should along with Jason Giambi.
12/20/04 11:19 PM
JUST LIKE BONDS DONT PUT HIM UP AS MISTER MORALES EITHER. WHAT PEOPLE DID OFF THE FIELD DID NOT ENTER INTO THERE INDUCTION TO THE HALL THEN LIKE IT DOES NOW. BASEBALL IS A BUSINESS AND THE PLAYERS OF TODAY TREAT IT AS SUCH. WHY DID DAVID WELLS GO TO BOSTON FROM HIS HOME TOWN OF SAN DIEGO FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME GIVE ME A BREAK IT WAS FOR THE MONEY END OF STORY. BONDS TOOK STERIODS TO YOU THINK HE WAS THE ONLY ONE HE MAY HAVE HIT FARTHER ON STERIODS BUT HIS BATTING ABILITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOVE AVERAGE. HE WAS STILL A 300 HITTER WITHOUT THEM. HE STILL STOLE 25 PLUS BASES A YEAR. I AGREE HE HAS BEEN A HORSES REAR END WHEN IT COMES TO DEALING WITH THE MEDIA AND HIS TEAMMATES BUT TAKE AWAY THE LAST THREE SEASONS AND HE IS STILL HALL OF FAME MATERIAL BASED ON HIS ABILITY TO PLAY THE GAME. THE SAME GOES FOR PETE ROSE IF HE IS NOT IN THE HALL THEN THE OTHER PLAYERS THERE ARE MISSING ONE OF THE ALL TIME GREAT HITTERS AND PLAYERS IN THE HISTORY OF THE GAME. ITS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A POPULARITY CONTEST DID WHAT THEY DID ON THE FIELD MEASURE UP TO THE OTHER GREATS OF THE GAME. IN BOTH CASES BONDS AND ROSE THE ANSWER IS UNMISTAKEABLY YES IT DID