Giving Barry a Fair Shake

It's pile-on time. Barry Bonds is the easy target of everyone's self-righteousness ... again. Selig says he won't acknowledge officially any records Bonds breaks from here on out. Fans are waving signs with asterisks. Even Frank DeFord is getting in on the action, and he should know better.

I'm not saying it isn't terribly disappointing to me -- a baseball fan, a Giants fan, a Barry fan -- to have to admit that yes, Barry is probably juiced to the nines. I'm just wondering ... I'm I the only one to notice that he isn't - and hasn't been - alone? How can you single one guy out just for wanting the same advantages his closest peers have? Where are the asterisks on Sosa's career? Where are the asterisks - and the boos - on Jason Giambi? Why on earth is Mark McGuire the anti-Bonds?

McGuire is, if anything, the proto-Bonds. Except he was never as good. So it was spectacularly unfair for Bonds, the better all-around player, to be overshadowed by McGuire, who was only exceeding Bonds' numbers through substance abuse. Bonds wanted to even the playing field - if both were juiced, we'd be able to see who was REALLY better. Sure, the motivation shouldn't be on personal records - but everyone who says that also can't peel their eyes off a good home-run record race. And if its OK for McGuire to pursue a personal record, why not Bonds?

DeFord made a good point recently - let everyone use steroids. That way, you'll level the playing field. In a way, that's what Bonds did. J.T. Snow could take steroids and never be the hitter Bonds is. Bonds is superior, steroids or no.

It comes down to what it has always come down to: the press and the public (except Giants fans who are, for the most part, way smarter than anyone else) don't like Barry because he isn't publicly cuddly. The irony is, by all accounts, he is privately sweet-natured and generous. Whereas McGuire, who was a straight-up bastard in real life, according to people in a position to know, was a smiley good-guy for the cameras. McGuire was a fake. Bonds is the real thing.

No one wants Bonds to beat Ruth's record, but not because they think him an inferior batsman. It's because it isn't as easy to picture Bonds being your best pal, big brother, or Dad. And yes, I also think race has to do with it. We forgive fewer flaws the darker you are.

The fact is, Barry is only playing the game other big hitters have been playing for years. And nothing would have come of it if it weren't for Bonds' remarkable natural talent (you can only augment something that already exists) and longevity.

Selig is making a huge mistake if he shuns Barry and ignores the records. It will then be Selig, not Barry, who has ruined the game for all of us. Look how willing we've been for decades to look the other way, to pretend not to notice the obvious. Let US decide how to remember Barry Bonds. I may celebrate him as the greatest ballplayer I ever had the good fortune to watch play; the next guy may consider him a stain on the game. At least we both get to see it our way.

Comments

[tom]

OK, I'll preface this by acknowledging I a Cardinals fan and obviously biased. First, its spelled McGwire. Second, there is no one accusing him of using steroids. Andro was/is not a steroid. Third, this "you still have to hit the ball" defense is a crock of shit and I can't believe you are using it Brooke. Besides the obvious that 'roids make you stronger and therefore make a can o'corn a home run, it also helps you heal faster from injury so that you can play in more games. It also helps your visual accuity so you can see the ball better and react faster.

Lastly, Bonds is a asshole. I've met him twice and both times he was downright rude.

The one and only reason Bonds is at the center of this controversy is because he is about to break one of baseballs most important records. At least Giambi admitted he used 'roids, cleaned up and has moved on.

[timmy]

A couple of points about Tom's comments: 1) Anybody who has ever picked up a baseball bat knows dam well that no amount of drugs turns your proverbial "can of corn" into a homerun, which speaks directly to much of the issue we have with the debate and baseball in general: Most of the commentary is being made by people who love the theory of basebal, but probably couldn't field a ground ball. Sorry, Tom, but it is in fact true that you have to hit the ball-- needle, steroids, performance enhancement drugs, andro or creatine enhanced, and to hit close to 800 home runs, you have to do it as well as anyone who ever got dirt on their cleats. 2) Giambi was caught red handed, and then decided to admit it, that sure takes integrity, he is definitely a moral leader of our great past time-- but more importantly it speaks volumes to the haters of barry and defenders of everyone else. Its called hypocrisy. Thanks for making her point crystal clear tom.
Now, with regard to Barry: Lets simply talk baseball. He is simply, the greatest player we ever had the pleasure of watching. His consistency of swing, in-box balance and lastly eye were unparalleled. And lets talk about that last point for a second. His ability to read pitches, which if you speak to anyone who knows anything about baseball will tell you, Barry Bonds may have had the best vision of any hitter, short of ted williams. You or I, or Jason Giambi could injest the maximum daily allowance of whatever the strongest chemical in the world is to enhance our perforamance and we still would not have the natural, prerequisite skills to enhance to become his equal. He defended well, played intelligently and hit better than anyone we've ever witnessed. Unless you are in your 80's, there's not even an argument worth making as to who could rival his skill as a player. The best you can do is place some credence on math (and yes I'm a math guy) Even at its best, perforamance enhancement chemicals will only improve you given set of talents by less than 6 percent max. But lets grant you nearly twice that and go with 10% Lets play a game: Take 10 percent off of every batting stat that barry ever had. Guess what,he is still a first-year, no-brainer to the hall.

tnc

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