Much has been made of Barry Bonds supposed steroid usage as well as his legal troubles.  I have gone on the record many times defending Bonds because much of what we know was written by two reporters who were trying to cash in by writing a best selling book.  They used leaked grand jury testimony in their book and by doing so probably insured that Barry will never see one day of jail time.  In fact, the federal authorities have all but given up on the steroids issue and are trying to find Barry guilty of tax evasion and perjury.  Perjury is a charge they will never be able to convict him of and should they find him guilty of tax evasion he will only have to face a hefty fine.

Recently, Bonds tested positive for amphetamines.  Immediately, the Bonds’ haters were out in full force using this to bolster their argument that he obviously cheated.  Never mind that he only tested positive for “speed” this season after the bulk of his HRs have been hit.  Forget that “amphetamines” were only added to the list as MLB and its chief clown, Bud Selig, added them in response to the US Congress.  Selig is trying to prove that MLB cares about what substances its athletes take even though they have turned a blind eye to “greenies” for years.  In Mike Schmidt’s book, he documents how that the water coolers were labeled so players knew which ones had the speed in them and which ones were just water.  He asserts that most MLB players used amphetamines.  This would have been during the last years of Hank Aarons illustrious career.  Yet no one wants to accept the fact that Hammerin Hank probably used speed as well. 

Pardon me if I don’t get all excited that Barry tested positive for amphetamines.  This still does not prove he used steroids.  It only proves he used amphetamines which are viewed differently by MLB.  That is why he will not sit for 50 games as when someone is caught using steroids.  They are not the same, although I do believe they are performance enhancers in one sense. 

Let me make my position perfectly clear on Bonds.  I think he is a pompous, arrogant, self-absorbed, and egotistical narcissist.  Does that make him guilty of steroids?  Nope.  Will that keep him out of the Hall of Fame?  Nope.  Does he deserve to be in the HOF?  Yep.  In my opinion, he is the best hitter to ever play the game.  It doesn’t mean that I like him, but I do think he is treated with a double standard that Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Hank Aaron never had to deal with.  Not to mention that I think pitchers get a free ride when it comes to steroids.  Everyone knows Roger Clemens uses or has used steroids, but the media is too afraid to touch that one.  Of course if you believe Jose Canseco, and everyone seems too when it comes to his remarks on Mark McGwire, then over half of MLB was taking steroids including pitchers.

Let’s give Barry a break and sit back and enjoy his success this season.  We should be celebrating as he passes Hank Aaron and not whining.  Many are anticipating Barry's arrival for spring training today and many are waiting for him to fail.  I am one of the ones who can't wait to see him pass Aaron because I believe he is the best hitter to ever play the game.

There is so much hate for Barry and yet he is as clean as Lance Armstrong.  Everyone in the cycling world “knows” Lance used EPO, but yet most Americans cling to the notion that he was steroid free.  The fact is that unlike Floyd Landis, Lance hasn’t been caught and never will.  I got news for everyone, neither will Barry.

 

SoCalSportsFan

Last night as I watched ESPN Outside of the Lines, everything I have said about baseball, steroids, and cheating came full circle.  The episode last night was about the rampant use of amphetamines in baseball, otherwise knows as “Greenies.”  Apparently many players including HOF players such as Mike Schmidt used amphetamines just to perform.  So where does that leave us in the world of post steroids?  Will the debate take a new twist and turn down Bud Selig Lane?  I doubt it, especially with his choice for the special investigation.  There is no way that someone so close to baseball will be able to give an impartial report on the use of steroids.  His report will be filled with useless information that I believe will implicate no one and only stir up the murky waters of an already clouded debate.

Cheating has been a part of baseball since its inception.  First players used improper equipment such as Babe Ruth’s infamous laminated bat to
####lordper139700.html">####lord Perry and the use of spit balls.  Spit balls were outlawed in 1919, coincidentally the very last year of Babe Ruth’s full year as a pitcher.  They were outlawed to give the batter an advantage at the plate.  Today we have steroids, but long before steroids were a hot button topic, Greenies were prevalent in the world of major league baseball. 

Players have admitted to taking them to get up for a day game after a night game.  Players would take them to give them a mental advantage as well as the energy to perform.  They believed they had strength beyond what they had and it enabled them to go out and perform at unbelievable levels of play when they were dead tired.  On this episode of OTL, many players admitted and were accused of using amphetamines.  This is nothing new in sports, it just appears the MLB is finally doing something about it.

You can be one of those people who try to dismiss their use because they are not anabolic in nature, building of muscle, but the fact is they are performance enhancing and they are on MLB’s banned substance list now.   For those who say that steroids were not banned prior to 2002-03 but were illegal by the laws of the United States, I would make the argument that amphetamines have been illegal much longer than many steroids have been.  The fact is that if you go down that slippery slope of calling the players who used steroids cheaters, then you have to say the same thing about a HOF liker Mike Schmidt.

The world of chemical supplements is one that has always been prevalent in sports as players are always looking for an edge.  Those who used greenies were doing so to gain an advantage and it had nothing to do with personal addictions such as Doc Gooden and his cocaine abuse.  Although the use of amphetamines can turn into a horrible addiction, these men were not using them towards that end but rather to physically be able to go to the ballpark and perform when their bodies did not want to do otherwise.  That is really what many steroids do when they allow players to heal faster and then go back to the weight room sooner than normal. 

Like it or not, the steroid controversy is not over and it will only intensify now that ex-senator George Mitchell is investigating this whole issue.   New allegations will surface with each HR Bonds swats out of the ballpark and as he advances beyond Babe Ruth his critics will deride his many accomplishments.  Game of Shadows will raise more questions than it will answer especially since Victor Conte has gone on the record saying Barry was never given steroids from his company.  One thing is for sure.  Players are always looking for the advantage and it will never stop.  Today’s players may not use steroids but tomorrow’s athletes will continue to try to compete with enhanced vision equipment such as the MaxSight by Nike or better supplements.