Since childhood, I have very many different and lasting memories and images of one Barry Lamar Bonds. I first remember Bonds as a lanky, rail-thin former major leaguers son who was part of a great offensive Pittsburgh Pirate team in the late 80s. Bonds was a beanstalk among the land of giants. Such giants as the gargantuan “bash brothers,” Jose Canseco and Mark Mcgwire.
Bonds was a great defensive outfielder with the Pirates and an above average hitter, but nothing out of the ordinary. His career-high in homers while in Pittsburgh was 34 in 1992. Bonds batted in between sluggers Bobby Bonilla and Andy Van Slyke and was a part of playoff runs in the late 80s, early 90s but never reached the World Series.
Then, came 1993. Bonds was dealt to the San Francisco Giants. I remember my reaction when watching a game with my father, thinking wow, Bonds got big. In Frisco, his head grew, his arms grew, his feet grew and he looked more like a mountain than a flimsy little tree.
Not only did Bonds’ physical features grow, so did his offensive output. From 1993-2004, Barry never hit less than 34 dingers, maxing at the *record 73 in 2001.
As Bonds grew and became a better hitter, no one really questioned anything until Canseco’s book “Juiced” came out in 2005, where Canseco compared before and after pictures of those he knew used steroids.
Now, in 2011, Bonds faces a sandstorm of legal troubles in his perjury case which stems from 2003, when Bonds told Congress that he had not used steroids and knew nothing about BALCO. Barry would be the latest and greatest to fall should this case come out like I believe that it inevitably will, and he is found guilty.
Now, Barry may be in too deep, as the federal government has amassed an impressive list of witnesses including the Giants trainer, BALCO employees (the lab where he got the juice), and his mistress, Kimberly Bell.
Bell recounted numerous instances where Bonds threatened physical harm to her and harm to her possessions and lifestyle. She also told intimate changes in his body that are all prime symptoms of steroid use such as back acne and physical irregularities. They don’t call it “roid-rage” for nothing, folks.
I would be lying if I didn’t say that I saw this coming. I mean, when are athletes going to learn that they are not untouchable and that if you just own up to your mistakes and not lie or duck around them, then things will be much better for you. Bonds follows Mcgwire, Sosa, Palmeiro, Clemens and A-Rod as former first-ballot hall of famers that now should not and probably will not ever see Cooperstown.
This slaps the game’s greats like Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle and even Bonds’ own godfather, Willie Mays right in the face. They did it with talent and power Barry, why couldn’t you?
One thing that must come out of this case, if and when Bonds is found guilty, Major League Baseball needs to completely expunge the record books and rename Roger Maris as the game’s single season home run king and force Bonds and all others who cheated “America’s sport” to live forever with the regret.
