Bonds on the Hot Seat

by Elias Feldman
2006-04-02

Major league baseball is living in a lie and everyone knows it. The recently announced steroid investigation is supposedly designed to investigate players linked to the BALCO scandal. Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig justified the investigation with broad brush strokes saying that it will uphold 'the integrity of the game.' But what he hasn't said is that he really just wants to pound Barry Bonds into submission and keep him from breaking sports most highly regarded record.

The steroid probe was set off by the publication of "Game of Shadows," a book by two San Francisco Chronicle writers, which claim to have the inside scoop on Bonds' steroid use following the historic 1998 season. When Selig initially came under pressure to start an investigation he held his ground and said no. But after weeks of media and public attention Selig balked and surrendered. So why doesn't Selig call it the Barry Bonds investigation?

Selig tried to disguise his attack on Bonds by saying that lead investigator George Mitchell can expand the probe at his own discretion. But you can bet that if the investigation uncovers Bonds as a steroid user, Selig will sit back and be content with his work. The entire baseball world should acknowledge that power hitters started getting their power in the early 1990's when steroid use became prevalent and players ballooned into home run hitting machines. Bonds is only the most recent suspect in a long line of abusers. And don't forget, Bonds has not tested positive for steroids and Major League Baseball hasn't raised any concerns about anonymous positive test results that have come trickling in since 2003.

'Believe half of what you see and nothing of what you hear.' If baseball fans stand by this saying, take a step back, and watch the game without a critical eye, than a great record will fall with grace. But if fans and the media continue to turn their backs on Bonds, baseball history will become shrouded in a dark cloud of steroid era despair. Acknowledge what Bonds has done in the context of his entire career, and recognize that records are meant to be broken.

Check out all of our Barry Bonds Articles.