Having lived in the San Francisco Bay area for a couple of years, I grew to appreciate Barry Bonds. For the past five or six years as I’ve more closely followed his career, what continuously amazes me is how he stands head and shoulders above the rest. No one is as feared a hitter as Bonds, and no one earns more walks.
Despite the chorus of rolling eyes, sighs, and moans which I’m receiving right now, let me briefly explain my point of view, and point you to an excellent piece on Bonds and his greatness.
Bonds has never been proven guilty of steroid-use, albeit from the news you’d have thought they already have a jail cell waiting for him. But can steroids really improve your swing? Can steroids earn you the batting crown? Can steroids gain you such a fear among the league’s elite pitchers?
Tony Gwynn, a baseball great of unstained reputation, made a comment a few years back. He claimed Bonds had the purest swing in baseball. Coming from baseball’s best hope for a .400 season in the last twenty years, this compliment by Gwynn seems quite signficant. And Gwynn spent many years playing in Bonds’ division, so he saw Bonds more often than most.
Further, steroid use has historically been widespread throughout baseball. And if it isn’t steroids, its something else. Players from Ruth’s era and on have continually used anything they could to improve their abilities. Bonds is no exception. And again, nothing illegal has been proven.
Under intense scrutiny of late, and amid the fiercest pitching schemes with the ever common intentional walk, Bonds has nevertheless continued to be at the top of the game. And not just in home run numbers. His OPS (on base percentage + slugging percentage), has been miles ahead of the rest of the league for the last several years.
Perhaps because he makes the other sluggers look like underclassmen, and because he is a maverick who doesn’t appreciate nosy reporters, Bonds has gained a lot of ill will. And the steroid suspicion adds to all this. So no one likes Bonds.
Like him or not, you’ve got to admit he is one of the greatest hitters of all time.
Not convinced? Read a very good and fact-filled treatment of Bonds by Kent Brandenburg, here. This piece also speaks to the mistaken thoughts surrounding Bonds increasing in his hat size and body build over the years. If any of you novice writers out there are going to dis Bonds (hey, I’m novice too), you ought to at least read this piece by Brandenburg. Its quite convincing, although this assessment does come from someone already firmly planted in Bonds’ peanut gallery!
Bond’s has set the record whether legally or not, God and Bond knows. He has the eye, strength and coordination to hit the home runs even without steroids.
Agreed. And by the way, this doesn’t have to mean I think Bonds is a great role model. He’s a great athlete. There’s a big difference!
It’s a looooong way (pun intended) from being the greatest hitter to being the greatest home run hitter. Just ask Tony Gwynn, Ichiro, George Brett, Ty Cobb, etc. I just find it amazing that although he has the same great swing that he has always had that his home run production saw dramatic improvement AFTER the age of 35 (which is coincidently the same time he is ACCUSED of starting to take steroids). Don’t you wish that all baseball players had their greatest season at age 39?
I agree with the baseball analysts who say that Bonds is the greatest baseball player of this generation, maybe all time – steroids or not. I also agree that he would have had at least 600 home runs. But you are bordering on blind allegiance to suggest that steroids WOULDN’T help him hit more home runs.
Okay Don, I was thinking of you with this post. Did you go and at least read the article I linked to?
You are welcome to butt heads with me on this issue, though.
Bob,
I’m not sure why you were thinking of me for this post, but nonetheless…I did read what Kent wrote and although I appreciated his passion and argument from personal experience, I did find it less than convincing.
Here is a link for you to read (if you haven’t already):
“Barry Bonds and the Urban Myths about Steroids”
One more thing and I will be done. If steroids are of no value to athletic performance for baseball players, why is/was there such rampant use of them? I hope all of these players weren’t risking their health and lives for nothing.
Don,
I was razzing you man!
Maybe I’m getting you mixed up with Mike Hess, but one of you guys posted on Barry a few times now.
I’ll read your link too.
And for the record, I don’t approve of steroids or of influencing kids to think its okay to use them b/c you won’t get caught.
I don’t look up to Bonds as a person, but as a player.
I’ll quit messing with ya now!
I thought you had me confused with Mike Hess who did post a few times on Bonds.
Keep razzin me, I can take it!
You’ll have to get Mike over here then! He’s missing out! 😉