Stop Picking on Barry Bonds

by Romiezzo

On August 7th, 2007, Barry Bonds made history, by hitting his 756th home run against the Nationals. I'm sure a lot of fans were happy that a 30+ record was broken, while others think that he did not. No one does NOT care; you're either a hater while you just say the 8/7/2007 is the worst day of your life, or you decide to be a real sports fan and congratulate Bonds.

Why should you not congratulate Bonds? Why? Because he's on steroids and cheating? Sorry, but I need something better than that in order for you to convince me about that. Firstly, it's a frickin' record that hasn't been broken for 33 years. Secondly, even if he did cheat, it won't be long until A-Rod breaks the record most probably less than a decade from now. There's all this controversy and BS about the whole situation.

Barry Bonds has been playing for years, and yes, I admit it, I'm not the biggest Barry Bonds fan, but we should learn to appreciate what he has done as a ballplayer. Let's look at his other feats besides anything that has to deal with home runs:

• 1st All time leader in career walks

• 1st All time leader in intentional walks

• 2nd All time leader in extra base hits

• 3rd All time in runs scored

• 4th All time in total bases

• 5th All time in RBIs

• 6th All time in career SLG

• 6th All time in career OBP

• Most Walks in a single season

• Highest OBP in  a single season

• Highest SLG in a singe season

• The only baseball player in the 500-500 club and the 400-400 club

• 7 MVP Awards

• 98 hits away from getting 3000 hits

• 14 Time All Star

• 8 Time Gold Glove Award Winner

• 12 Time Silver Slugger Award Winner

• Tied the NL record for the most consecutive plate appearances getting on base

• 1 of 2 players to ever have 2 season of a .800+ SLG

• Oldest player to win a batting title (.370 AVG)

• Highest OPS record in a single season

• First player, and only player, to have more times on base than at bats in a season

Is there anything else he CAN accomplish, besides get 3000 hits or 800 home runs? He's basically done everything a baseball player can do. It is not official that  Bonds took steroids, but a lot of evidence goes against him. Let's say he didn't take steroids. Do you think he would have not been in the 500 home run club? He hit 25 home runs during his second year of playing in the MLB. If he played 19 more seasons after that, Bonds would've been in the 500 home run club just like that.

I just hope that when people think of Barry Bonds now that he broke the record, people won't just say "He cheated his way to becoming first in the all time home run list." Just remember, IF, I repeat, IF he gets caught taking steroids, people will say that he cheated his way to doing most of those other things that I mentioned, not just home runs.

Alex HolowczakHall of Famer

867 days ago

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To be fair, 1st in career walks isn't something that he can control. Most are probably IBB.

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HappyskinnyAll-American

866 days ago

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Yes, but as much as I hate Barry, IBB speak volumes about the caliber of hitter he is/was over his career. IBB are just as good as regular walks.

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Alex HolowczakHall of Famer

867 days ago

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I think the HR record is the most revered record in baseball, and the one that most people care about.

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JuTMSY4Legend

867 days ago

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It is Alex...

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JuTMSY4Legend

867 days ago

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"98 home runs away from getting 3000 hits" - hahaha

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Alex HolowczakHall of Famer

867 days ago

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He is! A Home Run still counts as a hit doesn't it? :P

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RomiezzoLegend

867 days ago

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It's true isn't it?:P Thanks for catching that, JuT

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InsanMajor Leaguer

867 days ago

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'Is there anything else he can accomplish?' How about a world series ring?

'It is not official that Bonds took steroids?' He admitted it himself.

'Even if he did cheat, it won't be long until A-Rod breaks the record most probably less than a decade from now.' That's not guarenteed, look at what happened to Griffey. The people that are mad don't care about this anyway, we care that he broke it and he doesn't deserve this moment.

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RomiezzoLegend

867 days ago

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Good points. He could use a World Series ring, but I'm talking about statistics for the most part. Why doesn't he deserve the moment though? He at least deserves a congratulations by the fans, that's all...

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Steel TownDraft Pick

866 days ago

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Congrats Barry from me down here with my head buried in the sand pretending that PEDs didn't help you break the homerun record. On top of the fact that he probably cheated, which is reason enough not to congratulate him, he is a complete ass. He is arrogant and completely self serving. You can dislike the guy on so many levels.

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PSU ROCKSVarsity Captain

867 days ago

Score 2

you know half of those are from steroids 1st in intentional walks because nobody wanted him to get a homerun off them 2nd in extra base hits you do know you can hit the ball farther when your juiced 5th all time in rbis because of steroids and all his awards steroids

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RomiezzoLegend

867 days ago

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What about 3000 hits? Putting the ball in play is because of steroids? 500 stolen bases? And how many home runs would you decrease if he didn't take steroids? 600? Taking steroids doesn't make you Superman, you know. I know, half of those stats are from steroids, but come on. Bonds said that he STILL wants to play. It's not like he just wanted to break the record and then say that he's done...

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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer

867 days ago

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I've liked him for a long time!

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Anonymous Fanatic #1

866 days ago

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Bonds was a HOF'r before he took the roids, would never claim otherwise. As for breaking a record that stood for 33 years being impressive, well having seen baseball in the 1980's, that's pretty much a decade of impressiveness removed. People often led the league with 35-39 HR. Definitely a pitching era by comparison with recent years.

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Tyrone BriggsHall of Famer

866 days ago

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All Barry Bonds needs to do is TELL THE TRUTH. Is it not more important to be a HOF caliber person rather than a HOF baseball player?

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The oldest manVarsity

866 days ago

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Bonds is getting what he deserves. He has liar, cheated and in somewhat of a sense stolen the homerun crown. If he hadn't had be doing steriods he wouldn't be in the position he is today. And he records mean little when compared to some of the players in the past. How many at bats did it take him to get to 756. His homeruns per atbat aren't even close to Ruth. And all the bad press isn't going to stop because he hit his 756th the other day. People are always going to ask if you didn't do the steriods where would you be in the record books today. Bonds had steriods, the lively ball era, less talented pitchers and more of them, better conditions, better food, better equipment and much better playing fields to play on then Ruth, Williams, Gehrig, Foxx, and the others that came before. If Bonds wants it to stop that he is going to have to tell the truth and ask the baseball world for forgiveness. I am older than most likely all of you writing and granted I am not a Bonds fan but just hearing him say things on the TV gets my blood boiling. As a old time baseball fan for over 80 years I think he is a huge joke to baseball and what it has represented in the past and myself I can see how good of a player he was before all this steriod scandal and what he has done since the late 90's and after his 35 birthday but I personally cannot honestly put him in the same class as Babe, Lou, Mickey, Ted, Jackie,and the many others that have represented MLB over the past 100 or so years. Ty Cobb was said to have cheated when he use to sharpen his baseball spikes and would slide into the opposing players at all bases but he never would have done anything to put baseball into a serious drug scandal, and I thought Cobb was one of the biggest assholes to ever put on spikes. But god, he could place baseball with the best. Bonds will for me and many other fans be remembered for his drug scandal, his lies and complete dishonestly that he has shown during his run to fame and the homerun crown. Enough on Bonds and lets get back to the season and enjoy baseball games again.

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HappyskinnyAll-American

866 days ago

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Yeah, what he said.

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Steel TownDraft Pick

866 days ago

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Listen to this guy when he talks about baseball, he has seen alot.

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Kwitt11Varsity Captain

866 days ago

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His homeruns per atbat aren't even close to Ruth.

Bonds' AB/HR (the inverse stat, but it measures the same thing) is 12.91, third all-time; Ruth's is second (11.76). Mark McGwire is easily first, with 10.61.

So, if you say that Bonds is nowhere near Ruth, you have to say that Ruth is nowhere near McGwire, and that nobody else who ever played the game is anywhere near any of those three. Jim Thome is fourth, by the way, with 13.61 (how many of you would've guessed that?). And Hank Aaron? 36th all-time (16.38), behind some all-time greats such as Ron Kittle, Cecil Fielder, and Jim Gentile.

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Tyrone BriggsHall of Famer

864 days ago

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I think I have been replaced as the biggest Bonds hater at the 'Chair. Gawd I love it! Welcome aboard, you da man!

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Ea34Div-I Stud

866 days ago

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One thing bugs me about this. And I think Bonds did take something. I don't have a clue as to when, how much or for how long. Someone touched on it earlier, but I'd like the Bonds-haters to come up with a number for exactly how many home runs Bonds wouldn't have hit had he not taken performance enhancers. 4? 13? 82? He had 504 HR entering the 2001 season. in the 5+ seasons since (he was hurt for almost all of '05), he's hit 253 home runs- how many would you like taken back? even if he averaged just 30 "clean" HR/yr, he'd still be over 650.

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Yakob878MVP

864 days ago

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nice article but i still think he did roids

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RomiezzoLegend

863 days ago

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Thanks, but roids or not, you still have to look at his career and think, if he has accomplished almost everything a baseball player can do except 2000 RBIs (which he will do within the next year or so), 3000 hits (same), and winning a WS ring, which he could do if he moves to an AL team with a lot of money, then I'm going to say that he deserves SOME props. I don't not respect him YET, but you have to give him some credit one way or another...

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Niteowl049AAA-er

864 days ago

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Bonds may have been a great player but still think he cheated to hit about 100 of those homers....he would be two behind Willie Mays right now if not for cheating.

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RomiezzoLegend

863 days ago

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And he'll pass Mays before you know it if you do cancel those 100 home runs.

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The oldest manVarsity

863 days ago

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You can't even put McGuire or Bonds in the same breath with either Babe or Aaron because neither of them did steriods. Without the drugs he wouldn't be close to the homerun crown or total hits, bases, walks etc. he was walked alot these last years because he was hitting homeruns that without the drugs would have been outs. And without the steroids he wouldn't have been able to play at the level he did. THe steroids allow you to heal faster and they make you stronger and hit the ball further therefore less fly ball outs and more homeruns and doubles more rbis, runs scored. What I don't get is Bonds had the hall of fame numbers before he went into the steroids and performance enhancing designer drugs. Why put all that at risk and get into the drug crowd. Please give me the argument he didn't know what he was doing because that will never hold any water whatsoever with anyone that knows medically what antibodic steroids do and why they take them. It made him a homerun hitter in the class with Ruth and Aaron but with outside help. For someone who could have gone down in baseball history as one of the greatest homerun hitters it just doesn't make any sense. He loses all his creditability in everything he had gone before and most certainly since. I know how great Ruth and Gehrig and Williams and Foxx and Mays and Aaron and the list goes on and on but because of the drug use and his lack of truth Bonds becomes another McGuire in a lot of people's minds. From one of the greats to a name that means steroids and performance enhancing drugs in one stupid move. His statistics say one thing but his actions speak another. We the fans lose the most and baseball in general.

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Tyrone BriggsHall of Famer

863 days ago

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One of the best posts I've ever read here, thanks Man. Hope the kids here don't run the elderly off the website.

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The oldest manVarsity

862 days ago

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I don't know if any of some of the fans here remember Bobby Bonds, Barry's father who was a good player in his own right. I am sure that if he were alive today he would be extremely unhappy with the way his son has conducted himself in the face of all the Balco investigations and all the spec about his son's use of performance enhancing drugs. His father was a straight up indivdual and when he played with the Angels was always talking to the fans and kids in general about baseball. I have stated it before that I am glad his father isn't alive to see what is happening. Barry is his own man and is finaling going to have to face the decisions he has made during his career as it ends in deep problems and sets a real blackmark on baseball history. Balco Barry Bonds will be remember in baseball folklore as a drug enchanced player who for whatever reason had to keep the limelight on him and used illegal and very dangerous performance enhancing artifical drugs to continue and enhance his personal statistics and place in baseball history.

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