This
article says it well for me. I am admitted Giants Addict. I have only rooted against two players in my lifetime, I am 59 now, who were active Giants players (that catcher from Minnesota and Charlie Williams.) Bonds was Great before 1998 (the McGwire/Sosa runs) and better afterward. During the years from 1999-2003 we marveled at what he accomplished. How can we look back now and be saddened by the entire era of steroids (1989-2003) when during that time Baseball as a collective excluded testing of EVERY player for illegal substances including steroids. Unless someone was tested for a substance outside of baseball related activities, no one would know who was on what when. It is laughable that those that despise Bonds for his usage of the Clear and the Cream, would applaud those who made marginal impact on the game for coming clean. Andy Pettite is given a pass on his career of usage. Same with Giambi. Bonds, though, is singled out as a villain simple because he hit home runs at a pace not seen since the days of Ruth and the 3 years of Sosa.
I may be laughed at but for me, since it wasn't against the rules of Baseball, Bonds should be given a pass on the Steroids issue. This Government Witch Hunt is a waste of time and money. This isn't about whether Bonds used or that he lied about using. This is simply about him being a disagreeable interview who had to be interviewed every day for 4 years by a press corp who loved Hank Aaron and the myths concerning Babe Ruth. Forget Roger Maris, The press had little or no love for him. Unless you count the "movie" 61, Maris was looked upon as a flash in the pan similar to Brady Anderson.
Author John Thorn, named MLB's official historian March 1, says a conviction for either or both would likely delay their enshrinement into Cooperstown but not close the Hall's doors forever. He ranks their alleged misdeeds on a similar scale as Gaylord Perry throwing a spitter and Whitey Ford a scuffed ball. Both are in the Hall of Fame.
Originally posted by John Thorne:
"Stretching the bounds of the rules is something we admire when baseball players can do it. We call it clever," Thorn says. "But then one day you make a mistake and you're no longer clever; you're now borderline criminal."
Bonds and Clemens are indeed facing criminal charges, but Thorn says that doesn't mean the game itself is on trial.
"While baseball may be faulted for how it reacted to the onset of the steroids era," Thorn says, "it would be unwise to extend from individual cases to a global condemnation of the sport."
