As home run 661 flew into McCovey Cove, San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds moved into third place on the all-time home run list, ahead of his godfather, and the beloved former Giants legend, Willie Mays. He now has the two greatest home run hitters in the history of the game of baseball left to conquer: Babe Ruth (714) and Hank Aaron (755). Some think there's no doubt he'll conquer Aaron and become the all-time home run king, while others think that age and time will catch up with Bonds and ultimately ruin his quest.
But whatever one thinks about the likelihood that he'll break the record, everyone who has been following baseball for the last six months at least wonders if Bonds has been using performance enhancing steroids. As writers and now the government try to figure out if he has, the question has to enter a baseball fan's mind: Should we root for Bonds?
If you look at baseball players today, you will see many massive men. Bonds, Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield of the Yankees, Sammy Sosa of the Cubs, Juan Gonzalez of the Royals, Frank Thomas of the White Sox, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz of the Red Sox and Mike Piazza of the Mets are all examples of muscular baseball players who have hit tons of home runs.
Many people have questioned whether or not these players were enhanced by something besides improved weight room technology and natural, legal supplements like creatine. And after (former single season home run king) Mark McGwire admitted to using androstenedione (commonly known as "andro"), a natural testosterone-level enhancing supplement, the question of what else athletes are using to make themselves bigger and stronger became more prevalent.
But not until a federal investigation into Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO), a California laboratory that was producing a certain type of performance enhancing steroid, turned up the names of Sheffield, Giambi and Bonds did the general public really begin to question and scrutinize players' possible steroid use.
While many fingers have been pointed to Sheffield and Giambi since their names were linked to this investigation, no one has heard more questions about steroids than Bonds. This is especially true when a direct link between his personal trainer and the California lab was established. And as more and more home runs fly out of Pacific Bell Park, and as more and more information about the BALCO investigation continues to leak out, the questions and criticism will continue to mount.
But does that mean that we have to stop rooting for him? The baseball purist inside of us says yes. Anyone who does anything to illegally enhance his play goes against everything that the game stands for. The "Black Sox Scandal," Pete Rose, anyone who has ever corked his bat, spitballers, sign stealers (only those that decided to use cameras to their advantage) and now steroid users all fall into the category of those who corrupt the purity of baseball.
If we think of huge milestones that have gone by the wayside in our lifetime, we see a very eclectic group of players. Nolan Ryan broke the all-time strikeout record, Mark McGwire broke Roger Maris' single-season home run record and Cal Ripken, Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games played streak. Ryan and Ripken were two tremendously beloved players. Ryan was the pinnacle of pitching throughout the 70s and the 80s, although he never actually led the league in wins during that time and went on to walk more guys than anyone in baseball history and lose more games than only three pitchers, until Roger Clemens came along and stole some of that spotlight from him.
Ripken broke Gehrig's consecutive games played streak in 1995, and was embraced by most of the American public, although he cared more about the record than winning and this selfishness stopped the Orioles from winning at least one championship in the mid-90s.
McGwire broke Roger Maris' home run record in 1998, which stands as one of baseball's most memorable seasons. Although he came out of this episode absolutely loved by the public, most people don't remember how he was perceived for most of the season. Although mostly not-standoffish, McGwire refused to be embraced by the media or the public. He would not give interviews, he would not stop to sign autographs, and he would not allow himself to become a loveable person. Then Sammy Sosa joined the home-run race and he had a partner in this whole saga to take a lot of the heat and teach him to have fun. As we can see now that he has retired and has disappeared into oblivion, he is a very private man and never really wanted to take on the spotlight that came onto him.
Bonds is much the same way. The only problem is that Bonds has no partner to help deflect some of the pressure and the questions. Bonds has also had a prior reputation of being standoffish with the media and ignoring the fans. He has a lot of time to change this perception. As he gets closer to Ruth's and Aaron's records, he will definitely have the chance to change his public perception forever. He has had many press conferences lately where he has tried to do the right thing and be available for questions.
But it will still be hard for many people to root for him. Although, in the United States of America one is innocent until proven guilty, many people have already condemned Bonds. But can you still root for him? I think that it is all right to do so until it is proven he actually took steroids. Then, in my opinion, all of his records become moot. Although I do not like him at all from what I see and read about him, I am rooting for his name to be cleared and all of his records to stand. Only in this way can baseball today truly be legitimized. And that would be the best thing for America's pastime.