# Do the latest revelations tarnish Barry Bonds' legacy?



## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

In the end, there is only one question that needs to be asked:

Do you believe Barry Bonds, or the book?

If you believe Bonds, then you believe the third-leading home run hitter in the history of Major League Baseball is the victim of an unrelenting federal and media conspiracy designed to frame him for the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

If you believe the excerpts of "Game of Shadows," then you believe that Bonds and his mind-boggling, bloated numbers of 1998-2004 (he missed most of last season with an injury) are a fraud.

I believe the book. I think Bonds is -- or was -- a human Walgreens, a grotesque and insulting example of better baseball through chemistry. And I think he should slither away, joining Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro in forced baseball exile.

Bonds is finished. He might play again, but there is only a chalk outline left around his integrity and home run totals. And the only way he gets into Cooperstown is if he spends the $14.50 for a Hall of Fame admission ticket.

Winstrol. Deca-Durabolin. Insulin. Testosterone decanoate. Human growth hormones. Norbolethone. Trenbolone. Clomid. These are the substances and steroids Bonds is alleged to have injected or ingested. They are the medicine cabinet of a cheater.

Clomid is prescribed to women for infertility. Trenbolone enhances the muscle tone of cattle. Deca-Durabolin is a medication used in the treatment of kidney failure-related amnesia. And yet, write "Game of Shadows" co-authors Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, Bonds did so with regularity and without remorse.

Bonds always has been a drama king. He was insufferable in high school, insufferable at Arizona State, and insufferable now. But his statistics didn't come with a personality rating. Love him or loathe him, you simply couldn't argue with his talent. He arrived at the big leagues as a prodigy, a lithe, five-tool player. He will leave as a cautionary tale, an asterisk wearing a San Francisco Giants uniform.

How can you not read the work of the two San Francisco Chronicle writers and not at least wonder if Bonds knew about the working end of a syringe. Either you're naïve or a member of the Bonds family.

When asked Tuesday at the Giants' Scottsdale facility if he was aware of the contents of "Game of Shadows," Bonds told reporters, "Nope. I won't even look at it. For what? I won't even look at it. There's no need to."

Here's guessing the Feds will. So will the IRS. So will his ex-wife's divorce attorney. So will MLB commissioner Bud Selig, though he was conveniently in Milwaukee on Tuesday, despite Team USA making its World Baseball Classic debut here at Chase Field. An MLB spokesperson said Selig hadn't seen the book and had no comment regarding the book's allegations.

Then again, what can Selig do other than secretly root that Fainaru-Wada and Williams got it right? In so many ways MLB, the owners and the Players Association share part of the blame for creating this situation. For years they were helpless -- or clueless -- when it came to addressing the issue of performance-enhancing drugs.

Faced with a choice of remaining true to the game, or becoming what he once despised, Bonds allegedly chose home runs over ethics. But even as his numbers increased almost exponentially, as kayak-gridlock became commonplace at McCovey's Cove, as the countdown to baseball immortality became more pronounced, there was always an uneasiness about Bonds' accomplishments. They didn't seem, for the lack of a better word, natural.

Bonds has his defenders -- lot's of them, including Derrek Lee, the Chicago Cubs All-Star first baseman who is everything Bonds isn't: a player who handles himself with grace and dignity. Lee hadn't heard of the book excerpt until he was asked about it after Team USA's 2-0 victory against Mexico.

"What's the story?" he said. "I don't know the story."

It was explained: detailed allegations of performance-enhancing drug use by Bonds.

Lee dismissed the latest revelations. It wasn't a story, he said. Bonds has never been caught using steroids. Leave him alone.

"People have been alleging him forever," Lee said.

Lee believes Bonds. I don't, and never will. I don't believe in coincidences, or physical transformations so stark that you do a double-take. I don't believe the numbers of 2001.

The tragedy of it all is that Bonds didn't need the alleged chemical boost. His legacy was secure. His Hall of Fame plaque was a done deal. It didn't matter if we thought he was a jerk because his statistics were so overpowering. No longer.

In recent years, perception was reality when it came to Bonds and the subject of steroid use. But this latest excerpt, complete with his smarmy grand jury testimony, convinces me reality is reality when applied to Bonds.

Earlier Tuesday afternoon, about an hour or so before Team USA's game, Alex Rodriguez was asked about the death of Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett, who died a day earlier from complications stemming from a major stroke.

"One of the saddest days in baseball for me," said A-Rod.

I felt the same way Tuesday. This time it was the death of a reputation.

Barry Bonds, rest in peace.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/ ... d=tab1pos1
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Does this tarnish Bonds forever in your opinion? Should there be an asterisk by his numbers? Does he deserve to be in the Hall of Fame if this becomes an guilty indictment?

Ryan

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## mallard (Mar 27, 2002)

I say it does,if there is proof.Hall of fame?No way if he is found guilty.They wouldnt let Pete Rose in based on gambling while he was a manager.Why should Bonds be treated any different.


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## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

I heard an interesting argument today on PTI... they were saying that Bonds as least has the excuse that steriods weren't banned specifically by MLB until after the 1999? season...

Anyways...there point was that he did quit taking steroids after MLB banned it outright... but that technically he was playing within the official rules. It was an interesting argument.


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## Tator (Dec 10, 2005)

if that's the case, just come out and admit guilt, yes, I took sterioids, just come out and say it, be honest with fans and media, he is full of sh!t when he says he's never touched em. His attitude is sh!t and that's why most people don't like him too, personally, I can't stand the guy...but it's my opinion. he cheated the game, I'd like to see maris on roids back in the day, that skinny punk probably would've hit out 97 dongs...it's too bad his name will be in the record book with that honor............


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## Triple B (Mar 9, 2004)

i gotta agree to a point with you guys, but then again hulk hogan and bill romanowski are still the $hit and i'm thinking they aren't all natural! :rock:


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Is anyone really surprised??

Yes it will further tarnish an already self-tarnished image.

Bob


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## rock7178 (Jan 18, 2005)

My question for you guys is this...Have any of you seriously lifted weights taking supplements such as creatine, whey protein, etc...?? Let me tell you, that sort of stuff WILL make you bigger, WILL give you serious gains of muscal mass, and WILL help you hit more bombs into McCovey's Bay!! So you guys think this guy took steriods, has anyone ever proven it?? Also, how do you know for sure that the old timers like 'babe' or Maris weren't taking something like steriods? I am sure all of you know that the media thrives of stuff like this, if there is something they can blow way the hell up, this is it!! I personally think the allagations against people like Bonds or Mcguire, Sosa are BS!! Why doesn't anyone give them credit for working their a$$ off in the weight room. For God's sake all these ball players were damn good before the media got wiff of this steriod BS! 
Another question, how would all of you feel if you worked so hard on something and finally got the superb results as these baseball players did, and then have some damn journalist come in and tell everyone you cheated. I know that would piss me off, not sure about the rest of you. I lift a lot of weight at college, and have gotten pretty 'big' if you will, and no one is accussing me of taking steriods, the media is just blowing this up way too much!

I don't know for sure that Bonds or Sosa didn't take steriods, but come on, why doesn't someone stick up and give them the benefit of the doubt. I know I will!!! Take that asterisk off his name and let the great ball player get into the damn hall of fame!! Nothing ****** me off more than people talking down about these guys!!!

Let me know what the rest of you guys think??!!

Lets go have a :beer: and talk about it!!


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## mallard (Mar 27, 2002)

In my post I said "if there is proof".Do you really think there were muscle building supplements or steroids being used in the 30's,or late 50's early 60's?The only ones I heard of Ruth using was booze and lifting 12 oz.'ers.Maris was using nicotine.The point in time when I seen baseball players possibly abusing muscle enhancers was when Brady Anderson went from a good singles and doubles hitter to a beefed up homerun contender in one year.


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## rock7178 (Jan 18, 2005)

I agree, I know where you guys are comming from, that is all I was saying is that someone should give these guys the benefit of the doubt, and that guy will be me...until someone can show me proof...I am going to stay optimistic!


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## Tator (Dec 10, 2005)

well rock, welcome to never never land. I honesty read your post and had to sit back in my chair and think "what the he!! is this guy thinking???" and laughed a little bit.......but anyways, have you looked at pictures of bonds/sosa/mcguire from then/now. Ya, lift weights ya get big, but cmon, these guys got BIG......and that's not just liftin weights on creatine.......cmon buddy, I know lot of guys who lift weights on sups and are 'big' but they sure as he!! ain't that big!!!!!!

Mallard, great point in Mr. Anderson. Single hitters are now jacking 40 dongs a game.....which is fine, maybe they were in the weight room, lifting weights, and taking the innocent creatine.......maybe. but for the 3 mentioned above........nah ahhh. I know it's just my opinion, and strong one at that, but when I grew up watching bonds with the pirates.....cmon, he weighed a buck seventy, maybe.....and he stole bases, and hustled out every play, ya, he's older now......but he's not the same guy.

I remember teh first year seeing Sosa after the offseason, my eyes didn't blink for a minute!!!!!!! I thought, man this guy is frickin HUGE!!!!! and it only took him 1 off season!!!!! haha, must've been some really good creatine!!!!!!!

in all fairness, there are a lot of players doing it, and one thing that gets overlooked is the pitchers that do it...........roids and durability are a big issue............no wonder why bonds can't last a whole season, or sosa for that matter, hell the guy sneezed and was on the DL for 1/2 the season!! haha, oh well.

Bill Romo might have little nuts, but at least he had a pair to admit to it....that guy has my respect...............Hulk Hogan............the guy is a wrestler, I really could care less about the WWE guys doing roids. But man, does he have one helluva daughter, anyone else watch that stuff...mmmmm nice

:2cents:

by the way, this column is my .02


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## rock7178 (Jan 18, 2005)

Hey Tator,
Don't get me wrong, I understand what you mean and what all the other people mean. But I personally good friends with serious body builders that compete in body building shows. One of the friends which just started lifting two years ago!! Seriously if you lift hard and take the right 'legal' supplements you can easily put on 20-30 pounds of lean muscal mass in a year....GUARANTEED!!

I am not the type of person that wants to argue here, but come on, why do you think he along with others take roids, just because they got big in one season? Just becuase he started hitting 40 plus bombs a season...Did you know Bonds had 4, 40 HR seasons prior to 1998! Granted he has had 5 since!!

I mean come on...don't get me wrong here, I understand what ya'll are saying, I am just trying to stand up for what I believe is the truth!! Yeah maybe way far in the back of my mind I wonder if he did take the easy way out and get on the roids, but does anyone know for sure that he did??

I guess all I can say is I hope he didn't take that easy way out...and if he did, I hope he stopped before the 1999 season when the MLB actually banned all types of steriods.

I do, however, agree with you tator...I feel there are a lot of players using roids right now in ALL sports for that matter!! I think it is a BS way out of good ol' fashion hard work 

Once again, not trying to start a battle here, just wanted to get my point across! :beer:


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## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

You just gotta wonder how these guys think they will get away with it all...

I mean with the way the media is today... If they want to dig into your life, they can find out anything and everything...

I always thought Barry thought he was untouchable.... he didn't warm up to the fans, and now they aren't there to support him.

It still is neat though to watch pitchers quake in their shoes to face him. There are few ballplayers that I'd pay to see... but he is one...

Even with the controversy....there's nothing like seeing someone jack a ball into the upper decks!


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Throw a multi-million dollar incentive in front of someone and then question the length they will go to to get the money?? Get real it isn't about "love of the game" any more it is about MONEY!

There is no sport that is immune.

Bob


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## HUNTNFISHND (Mar 16, 2004)

What's really sad is they destroyed the legends of the game; Babe Ruth, Hank Arron, Roger Maris and all the other greats. Those guys didn't use drugs to set records, they did it through hard work and the love of the game.

McGuire's bat should be used for kindling and all of these so called sluggers of the modern era should never make it into the Hall. :******:

My :2cents: !


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## 870 XPRS (Mar 12, 2003)

Bonds never took roids knowingly, and is the best player of all time....now McGuire and Sosa should be banned for life for what they did to the game. You can't tell that I'm a SF Giants fan can you?????


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

> 'babe' or Maris weren't taking something like steriods?


I think Mallard is right. All the Babe took was 12 oz. curls and an extra helping of potatoes and gravy!!!!



> these ball players were damn good before the media got wiff of this steriod BS!


That doesn't mean they weren't on them before the media found out, I guess I don't get your logic here???


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## rock7178 (Jan 18, 2005)

It basically all comes back the original question...Do you believe Bonds, or the Book???


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## fargodawg (Sep 20, 2005)

I hope that he took roids, I may not be a baseball purist (in fact I am the farthest from) that said... who cares if he took roids, he makes baseball watchable, he and "Sammy Sooser and Mike McGwire" (ted kennedy quote) made baseball entertaining for a season or two. let them inject themselves and beg for huge pensions when they are going to need the money for the hospital bills. I think that we all complain about the drugs but not so many non-purists are gong to watch or promote a 9 inning game full of singles and bloop-hits, the money is there for the taking and marketing it with "scandals" or home run races is the only way to make baseball water-coolery (I know that isnt a word) to the non-superfan. that is my $.02.


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## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

rock7178 said:


> It basically all comes back the original question...Do you believe Bonds, or the Book???


I believe the book. The book has so many sources it is virtually unrefutable. Hundreds of interviews with people in the know, grand jury testimonials, discovery from affidavits.... How much more do we need? We all know that unless he is on camera doing it, he'll never admit to any wrongdoing.

I think a proponderence of the evidence should be sufficient to change public opinion. I don't need his confession. I saw the change in his body with my own eyes, as well as swing'in Sammy Soda pop.

.


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## gaddyshooter (Oct 12, 2003)

I, also believe the book. There are just too many people who were work-out partners, trainers etc, who now say they personally witnessed Bonds taking/using numerous drugs. Federal affidavitsl, and the list goes on and on. Either all of these people are liars, and are willing to lie on a witness stand in front of federa Judges, or Bonds is a liar. I am going with Bonds on this one.

Also, while his body transformation, in and of itself is not enough for me to definately say I believe he is a liar, with that and the above, it is. Yes supplements such as creatine and protien etc, will help you make gains, they will not completely transform your body from how skinny Bonds, and even Mcguire were, to what they turned into. There is just no way. As someone said before, why not just believe that they just put in the hard work and made those gains? Because the gains were just too much, in too short of a time. I also work out and take creatine and eat a high protien diet. Guess what, I still only weigh about 185-190 pounds. If creatine could do that to Bonds, I should be about 250 by now.


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## Joltin_Joe (Oct 11, 2005)

Even if it were possible to produce concrete proof that Bonds is a complete roid monkey, I would be positive he is guilty without it.

*Look at the growth of the man's gord since the late 90's. * That is one giant head. Not to mention his transformation from a sleek, gap covering outfielder who stole 40 bases a few times to being a Mr. Olympia that casually sits back and outmuscles pitchers.

Although my love for sports supercedes my hatred for what is icreasingly taking place behind closed doors, I still watch every game with a grain of salt.

It's unfortunate that the progress involved with development of less detectable and more effective drugs is much more advanced than the science involved with detecting them.

So, no, the book does nothing for me. All it did was reiterate a lot of assumptions that most people had already come across.

I predict the NFL experiencing something similar to what baseball is presently going through in the next ten years.


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Judge Denies Bonds' Initial Bid in Lawsuit 
By DAVID KRAVETS Associated Press Writer 
The Associated Press - Friday, March 24, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO

A judge denied Barry Bonds' bid to block the authors and publishers from making money on a book claiming the San Francisco Giants slugger used steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, and said Bonds' suit against them has little chance of success.

Bonds' attorneys argued that the authors, publisher Gotham Books, the San Francisco Chronicle and Sports Illustrated, which published excerpts of the book, should be held liable for publishing "illegally obtained grand jury transcripts."

The book, "Game of Shadows," by Chronicle reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, is based partly on grand jury testimony from a federal investigation into the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, where Bonds and several other major league players allegedly obtained performance-enhancing drugs.

But Judge James Warren refused to issue a temporary restraining order against the authors and publisher, citing free speech protections. And though he did not throw out the lawsuit, Warren said it has little chance of success.

Meanwhile, Bonds' attorneys also sent a letter Friday to U.S. District Judge Susan Illston demanding that the writers and publishers be held liable.

"The true victim is not Barry Bonds, but the sanctity and integrity of the grand jury process," attorney Alison Berry Wilkinson wrote.

The book claims Bonds used steroids, human growth hormone, insulin and other banned substances for at least five seasons beginning in 1998.

"We fully stand behind our reporting of the book," said Mark Fainaru-Wada, one of the authors.

"We certainly stand by our reporters and the reporting they did for us," Chronicle executive vice president and editor Phil Bronstein said. "Nothing that's happened will change that."

Spokeswoman Lisa Johnson said publisher Gotham Books supports both authors.

"We at Gotham Books are shocked that Barry Bonds would take such a foolish step," she said. "Any respected First Amendment lawyer in America knows that his claim is nonsense."

Attorney Michael Rains said Bonds will not comment directly on the lawsuit, but strongly supports the case. Bonds has refused to discuss allegations in the book.

"His bat speaks for himself and he's not going to speak on this action and this book," Rains said.


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## mntwins (May 19, 2005)

I don't thimnk they tarnish anything further. If you did'nt already no he was a cheating jerk, you probley will believe anything he says


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