by Ricardo Cuevas
As a kid, I remember loving and hating Barry Bonds, the Pittsburgh Pirate outfielder, from 1986 -1992. He was a well-rounded baseball player blessed with the ability to hit with power, run with speed, field and throw. Barry Bonds was the embodiment of the rare “five tool player.” But more importantly, the Man had the audacity of beating my Dodgers year after year, in dramatic fashion no less. He was the ultimate Dodger killer. I despised him for it, but I respected him. He was a great athlete and deep down I wished he was a Dodger.
After signing with the Giants in 1993, he continued his relentless barrage on opposing pitchers, while dominating nearly every offensive category in Baseball. Then in 1998, in the midst of the greatest home run race in Baseball history, something happened to Barry Bonds. Suddenly, Barry was no longer the poster child of major league baseball, no longer the main attraction, and no longer the most feared hitter in the game not even in the top five. Oh, Barry was still the best all around player in the game, just not the most news worthy. The headlines were now reserved for Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Ken Griffey Jr. who led us into the most prolific home run hitting rampage, culminating with the fall of one of baseball’s most hollowed records: Roger Maris’ single season home run record (61 set in 1961). At season’s end, both McGwire and Sosa would shatter a record that stood for 37 years Sosa finishing with 66 and McGwire with an unprecedented 70 home runs while Griffey fell behind hitting a measly 56.
As Bonds sat back and observed, the rest of the world proclaimed “Big Mac” and “Slamming Sammy” the saviors of Baseball, a sentiment Bonds’ ego could never accept. He knew something the rest of us didn’t, and the rest of the baseball world ignored. He would use this knowledge so that no one could ever steal his press again.
Enter the Age of Steroids, where an average player, can become an above-average player, an above-average player becomes a star, and a star becomes a God. In 1999 Bonds spent much of his time on the disabled list, but still managed to hit 34 home runs in 102 games. A rare feat in itself, but there was something unusual about Mr. Bonds. In his first 14 years as a big leaguer, Bonds hit over 40 home runs in a season only three times. In the ensuing 5 years he would hit 258 homers, for an astronomical average of 51 home runs per season. This is a man who was considered past his prime and on the downside of an already illustrious career. At the tender age of 37, Bonds’batting average reached a career high of .370 when it should have been starting to dip. (Bonds previous career high was .336.) Speculations became allegations and now he is implicated in a steroid scandal that will change the game forever. Bonds has been alleged to have used illegal performance enhancers provided by Balco Labs and is accused of perjuring himself in front of a grand jury.
Some pundits would have you believe that if the allegations are true, he is not to blame, but the home run starved fanatics who fill the seats to see such feats along with Major League Baseball management. Bonds claims this is just a smear campaign and blames everyone but himself. I say Barry Bonds should be held accountable for his actions, along with all those involved. Recently, Bonds looking more and more like a broken down 42 year old man was interviewed on the four letter network and asked, “How do you compare yourself to Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron?” Bonds responded, “I played the game differently.” Yeah Barry, you fucking cheated.