Anyway, if a player cheats at baseball, you can suspend him, you can ban him, you can even put asterisks next to his performances if you're into punctuative vengeance. But if he breaks the law? You go ahead and indict him.
Barry Bonds, baseball's home run king, was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice Thursday and could go to prison instead of the Hall of Fame for telling a federal grand jury he did not knowingly use performance-enhancing drugs.
Tarnation. He's not going to prison instead of the Hall of Fame. It's possible Bonds'll go to both. Today it seems unlikely that he'll make the Hall, but it's too early to know. I'm in no mood to make predictions. It's just a sad story, especially considering how easily Bonds would have made the Hall of Fame even before he was under any suspicion.
Despite his prowess in all areas of the game, Bonds will be best-remembered as a player for his season and career home-run records. The Yankees' highly-despised and highly-paid third baseman, Alex Rodriguez, is widely recognized as the man with the best chance of breaking Bonds' career home run mark.
This put Rodriguez in an interesting spot this offseason. Long reviled for his $250 million contract, Rodriguez had the chance to save his reputation once and for all.
If I were in A-Rod's shoes, that's what I would have focused on this summer. Just go around, make your visits as an ambassador of the game, and keep the money talk on the back burner. Just emphasize how badly you want to keep playing and break the record. Rodriguez started his career as a giant shortstop, which led to inevitable comparisons to Cal Ripken, Jr. But if he had kept his head down, left the Yankees (who everyone hates), and broken Bonds' record, he could have held the same title Cal once did: The Man Who Saved the Game.
And if'd he'd done that, don't you think he could have made up all that contract money and then some in love and endorsements?
Instead, Rodriguez and his agent, Scott Boras, asked for a ridiculous $350 million from New York, forgetting somehow that only the Yankees could afford to pay that. New York elected not to outbid itself. Boras, frankly, pulled a Drew Rosenhaus with this move. Remember when Rosenhaus was a great agent, sure to get T.O. huge money from Philly...and then it all blew up in his face? This is just like that.
Today, A-Rod seems poised to sign a still-obscene 10-year, $275 million deal to stay with New York. He and Boras got a ton of money, but the Yankees made them look like fools.
A-Rod may even get a bonus if he breaks Bonds' career mark someday. Whoop-de-doo. At this point, that just reaffirms what many fans already think: that's he's only in it for the money. And that's why the thought of A-Rod breaking Bonds' record, now matter how much that record brings shame to the sport, doesn't warm anyone's heart.
12 comments:
I feel bad for Bonds. Everyone else had the "steroid era" roll of thier backs but Bonds. His biggest failing in life isn't that he used pharmacuticals to become a freakshow, but instead it is that fact that he is a prick.
A-Rod on the other hand has done nothing but been a money hungrey prick. Neither deserve the success they have achieved. They both have claims to greatness despite the kind of men they are.
a-rod will probably break bonds' record. i hope he does, just so bonds lives with being #2.
so he didn't cheat, he just broke the law to succeed.
a sad comparison is to see bonds' 756 vs. aaron's 715. it's like night and day. ego ego ego. i want bonds to see that someone will break his record who probably didn't break the law.
maybe pujols will break a-rod's mark, who knows.
Wouldn't making a rule that is already against the law be a little redundant and ridiculous? Just because the MLB didn't see the need to make a specific rule about using performance enhancing drugs doesn't mean they expected players to break the law in order to achieve the game's biggest statistical milestones.
I don't have any sympathy for Bonds. The Feds now say they have evidence of a positive test result from Bonds. This, in my opinion, should be all Selig needs to ban Bonds from baseball. I say: remove all his records from baseball completely. Before there was no proof (other than 60lbs of weight gain and an enormous head) of steroids use, but finally we have it.
The sad thing is Bonds could've easily avoided all this. He was granted immunity and all he had to do was say he had used performance enhancing drugs. They even showed him the positive test! Still he denied it. Incredible what a little honesty will do for you.
No, Blaine, not at all. I hear you on the redundancy argument, but why does every other sport (for that matter, why does baseball now) ban these drugs? Because they tip the scales of fair play, so it affects the sport in addition to being against the law. By banning them, the sport can, on its own, levy appropriate punishments. This is why every sport on the planet has these rules against the use of performance-enhancing drugs. (You don't see the NFL waiting for the feds to make a case against Shawne Merriman, and that's a very good thing.) Besides, if Bonds used steroids in 2000 when they weren't against the rules of baseball, how can baseball change the rule in 2005 or whenever and punish him in hindsight? That's so unfair I can't even fathom how someone can support it. That's not to say I support steroid use.
Here's my problem: baseball should have done something about steroids a long time ago, and didn't. That brings shame to the commish AND the heads of the players' union, especially the union, which ought to look after the health of its members. I don't think Selig & Fehr should get a pass now just because Bonds was dumb enough to get caught by the gov't. I don't want to see baseball punish Bonds now. A lot of people screwed up big-time in the steroids era; Bonds shouldn't become the only fall guy.
Dave, I don't really feel sorry for Bonds, but you've hit it on the head: if Bonds was nicer, he wouldn't have had half these problems. I mean, look at Mark McGwire, who wouldn't tell the Senate that he didn't take steroids...leading us to believe he probably did, but the story blew over pretty fast. (Though he was also retired.) I don't quite get why A-Rod's the worst man alive, though.
Just to be clear: the reason I draw the distinction is because people always say Bonds' records should be wiped or have an asterisk. In my book, baseball should only be able to punish Bonds for breaking baseball's rules. They're not the police or the courts. I don't think MLB should get to wipe out his records for perjury.
Likewise I don't think the government should punish him for, I don't know, charging the mound or something, but no one ever really suggests that. (They're free to punish him for any steroid use that violates the law, though.)
Why is it that everyone thinks Bonds in the only fall guy? I don't see McGwire in the Hall of Fame. If you break the most revered record in all of sports while allegedly using steroids then you have to expect more media coverage than say, Palmero.
Mike I agree that the commissioner of baseball is at fault for not doing something about steroids much earlier. However, I don't think that Bonds should get a pass just because it wasn't officially against the rules. C'mon, Bonds knew what he was doing at the time. He knew the controversy it would create if everyone found out that he broke first Mcgwire's record and then Aaron's while doping up.
The fact of the matter is that if he hadn't broken these records, then we probably wouldn't even really care. Just like in the case of Palmero and Giambi. But he did break those records, and consequently brought all this public scrutiny upon himself.
I hope he doesn't get into the hall of fame, his records are contaminated and cannot be viewed in the same way we see the records of all the others before him who have played the game the without the help of drugs.
ps. someone should tell david that Aaron hit more than 715 homers.
I would like to strike the last line of my last comment from the record. I apologize David, I now realize you were referring to when they each BROKE the previous homerun record. Sorry I'm an idiot.
I assume Dävid was referring specifically to the record-breaking home runs each man hit. (Though I guess Aaron's last 41 were all record-breakers.)
Good point about McGwire-still, I think the blame Bonds has taken is out of proportion to his role in the scandal. He's gotten far from a free pass, hasn't he? Vilified coast-to-coast for the last five years doesn't sound like a free pass to me...and keep in mind that isn't the only negative consequence he's suffering, if he goes to jail or his body falls to pieces over the next few years.
The point that Bonds gets more scrutiny because he broke hallowed records is, of course, true. And it's a good point. On the other hand, it points out that he probably needed steroids less than other guys (he easily would have hit 500 homers without them, right? plus the Gold Gloves and stolen bases), which makes the whole episode so much more sad.
As for the records being tainted...meh. Baseball statistics aren't nearly as comparable across ages as people think they are. They look comparable, especially for decades when your best hitters all hit a little over .300 and the best power guys always had 35-40 homers. But there have been all sorts of things like changing the height of the mound or playing at altitude that render cross-era comparisons that only consider statistics moot. I mean, was Bonds more dominant than Babe Ruth? Not even close. So what if he holds the home run record? Is Brett Favre better than Johnny Unitas because he threw more touchdown passes? No one would really assume that, because records (especially career totals) are cool, but not THAT big of a deal. Personally I like the idea of the record standing as a reminder of the steroid era, though I don't expect other people to see it like that.
If Bonds does go to jail then it will be for perjury, not for steroid use.
You're right about needing the steroids less than the other guys. I mean look at Giambi now that he's clean. That's why his choice to use them is so ridiculous. On the other hand, he resurrected baseball in San Fran and as a result they all got a brand new stadium, so maybe it was worth it for them after all.
I agree with you that looking at statistical benchmarks across the ages isn't really a fair comparison of 2 players. But, at least when they change the height of the mound it is a change that affects every single batter. Barry taking steroids only helps Barry, the only way I wouldn't see his records as being tainted is if I knew that EVERYONE was using steroids.
This perjury prosecution is completely bizarre to me: it is highly unlikely that the prosecutors have uncovered any new evidence in the last two years, so they could have brought the indictment a long time ago. Of course, once they brought the indictment, there was no basis for leaving Greg Anderson in jail - so maybe that's why they waited. Or maybe they just wanted to wait for Bonds to break Aaron's record so they could maximize their pub.
In any event, Bonds could have refused to testify, and he wouldn't be in this situation today. But it is disappointing to see the pious hypocrites at MLB - who profited off the steroid era with record attendance and a restoration of credibility after the strike - count the millions they earned on the backs of Bonds and others while they sell Bonds out. My fear is that Bonds will be the only one held accountable for the entire steroids era while McGwire, Sosa, and Palmiero get a free pass. And, of course, there is the whole thing about how MLB did not have a rule against steroids at the time.
As for Pay Rod, he and the Yankees deserve each other - both are overhyped, overfinanced corporate images. And if baseball is looking to A Rod to be the savior, they are in a world of hurt anyway.
john, you should be the next mlb commish.
thoughts on the snub trifecta?
wasn't surprised by hurdle, i mean... he kind of made some big time boners in the world series.
but tulo and holliday losing is a clear indication of bias. freaking bs.
so rollins wins because he has defense... but tulo loses because... ummm.. why did he lose again?
thirdly, yes blaine, i know that aaron hit more than 715 hr's you jack ass.
i was comparing the REACTION of when aaron hit #715 vs. bonds hitting #756. it's disgusting.
bonds hits it... and he does this quasi papal-pose, looking up to the sky as if he's been anointed the deity of baseball.
aaron hits it and runs around the bases as fast as he can.
sad.
David, (sorry I don't know how to make that stupid symbol above the a) while your reaction is justified, I would just like to refer you to the post in which I corrected myself.
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