Did the 'roids fairy carry Barry?
By Brian Witter
Lately, I've been thinking about how to react when Barry Bonds finally gets around to passing up Babe Ruth on the all-time home run leaderboard. Part of me knows that I'll be indifferent, since the league could potentially erase all of his recent numbers after the conclusion of an investigation into steroid abuse.
The other part of me wants to be excited, considering that I will have just witnessed one of the greatest milestones in all of sports being surpassed for only the second time.
I'm still mesmerized by Bonds. He was one of the greatest players ever, even before he supposedly started juicing, and my eyes still get glued to the television every time he goes to bat. While I think it's a shame that his drive for success led him astray and put a black eye (or asterisk, if you will) on his career, Bonds should still be a Hall of Famer, considering what he did when he was 20 pounds lighter and a Pittsburgh Pirate.
The accusations surrounding him, however, are too severe to disregard. Even though I enjoy watching Bonds play, how can I ignore the fact that this guy cheated on his way to the top? Even so, I sometimes still find myself wishing the media and the fans would give him a break.
Bonds is only human after all, and nobody's perfect. Watching Barry cry on the recent documentary about his allegations didn't make me feel good. It made me feel sick. People go entirely too far to make this guy feel like the worst person in the world. It's just baseball. Sometimes the public takes sports too seriously. His most viable solution at this stage is to fully come clean. If he could get over his stubbornness and truthfully admit his mistakes, most of the hurtful dialog would go away. It's not completely his fault anyway.
Baseball's culture in the last 20-odd years hasn't exactly discouraged much of anything. From weary ballplayers popping amphetamines to get through an exhausting season to far-reaching designer steroid scandals, it's not like Bonds is the only offender. And if you've read "Game of Shadows," it would seem like baseball is only one in a large group of sports with a history of dopes who dope. Unfortunately for Bonds, though, he's the most high-profile case.
However, what's done is done. Condemning Bonds on a regular basis is ineffectual. Either let him deal with a fan base that will grow more apathetic as he nears record numbers or wait to see if he expresses regret for his past transgressions. Whatever happens, Bonds' legacy will depend on whether or not he can face the music.
Contact Brian Witter at (408) 551-1918 or bwitter@scu.edu.