The flamboyant and egotistical nature that makes Barry Bonds one of the most talked about players in all of sports will no doubt be overshadowed by invaritable self destruction. Bonds has indelibly carved his niche in the annals of sports right up there with the likes of Pete Rose, The Chicago Black Sox Scandal, O.J Simpson and the 1958 NFL championship game just to mention a few.
None of these so called criminal acts can be proven in a court of law (except for the Black Sox) but deep down in the hearts and minds of true sports phanatics their crimes are unforgivable.
Fans could have forgiven the son of former San Francisco Giants outfielder Bobby Bonds for his earlier antics with the Pittsburg Pirates where he constantly snubbed fans and teammates alike and his constant feuding with Bobby Bonillia.
I remember in the summer of 1989 taking in a friendly Cubs-Pirates game at the cozy confines of Wrigley Field watching more than a dozen autograph hounds getting snubbed during batting practice.
You would thing that after less than two years in the league you would want to do anything and everything to endear yourself to your fans and not drive them AWAY FOREVER.
Just like Charlie Daniels wrote “to give the devil his due” Bonds did deliver as advertised in Pittsburg leading all NL rookies with 16 homers 36 steals, and 48 RBI’s in only 113 games in 1986.
Bonds won his first MVP award in 1990 with 33 homers, 114 RBI’s and 52 stolen bases. He followed that up in 1992 with a league leading 109 runs scored and his second MVP award.
Much to the delight (or chagrin) of Pirates fans everywhere Bonds signed with the San Francisco Giants as a free agent on December 8th 1992 where he still hobbles around the outfield today.
Between having his best season as a Giants in 1993 leading the league with 46 homers, and 123 RBI’s earning his fourth Gold Glove to the 2001 season where he jacked 73 bombs controversy ran rampant in the Bonds’ camp.
Even the fact that Bonds’ finally “exercised his demons” by making his first ever appearance in the World Series in 2002 couldn’t quiet the whispers that followed Bonds’ through his career.
Despite re-writing the record books during the entire decade of the 1990s sportswriters still snubbed him in favor of Ken Griffey Jr. as the Player of the 1990s.
Bonds’ endeared himself to sportswriters again in 2001 after breaking two of Babe Ruth’s many records that were never thought breakable proclaiming that he was dead set on breaking every single one of Ruth’s accomplishments.
He attested that he wanted to eclipse Ruth’s home run record but not wanting anything to do with Hank Aaron’s record sparking racial tension that has added to the Bond persona.
In a recent interview, Bonds stated that he was not trying to break Hank Aaron’s record but was focused on breaking Babe Ruth’s.
Babe Ruth’s home run total is no longer the record. He is in second with 714, Aaron has 755. If the race for the record has become a “race” issue, it is because of statements that Bonds has made.
And because of that, the steroid investigation is being billed as racist because Bonds is the primary target.
Even though controversy and Bond’s go hand in hand throughout his career you can’t help but feel a little sorry for the guy over these constant steroid allegations.
Yes, he is in the twilight of his career and his knees are literally on their last legs Bond’s is not the only player that has taken steroids and should not be a scape goat for the entire league.
His monstrous home run years should be a thing of the past and taken away along with any records or accomplishments after 2004 when the rumors went before grand jury hearings but Bond’s has just picked up where others have left off.