Why Barry Bonds is Not on Steroids

"This Guy makes some good points. I don’t necessarily agree with them, but I find them interesting." - Luke
This was written before Barry Bonds broke the all-time HR record.

Why Barry Bonds is Not on Steroids
By DAVE ZIRIN

It was the ultimate slap in the face: Barry Bonds on the cover of Sports Illustrated last month with The Asterisk resting on his head.

The Asterisk is the most dreaded of statistical addendums. It howls that the marked achievement emits a whiff of the tainted.

When Roger Maris surpassed Babe Ruth and hit 61 home runs, AL Commissioner Ford Frick - who as a young man was Ruth's biographer, food-taster, and boot-black - affixed an asterisk to the mark because Maris had played in 162 games, to Ruth's 154. Frick removed it after fans from the Bronx started bringing signs to the games telling Frick to "Kiss our Asterisks!"

When the San Antonio Spurs won the NBA title last year, their second in five years, and the clock counted down to zero, the play-by-play announcer yelped, 'This one has no asterisk!' referencing the fact that their first title was won during the 1998-1999 strike shortened season.

For Sports Illustrated to hang the asterisk on Bonds was to publicly call history's greatest baseball career into question.

For the entire 1990s, Bonds averaged 34 homers and 36 steals, but that was just for warm ups. At 37, in 2001, he hit a record 73 home runs; at 38 he batted .370 with an ungodly .585 on base percentage; at 39 he won his sixth MVP, hitting 45 home runs in only 390 at bats.

Now he is poised to pass Willie Mays, Babe Ruth and Henry Aaron to become the all-time home run champ. We should be marveling at his accomplishments, planning the tales to tell our children about the mighty Bonds. Instead, a concerted effort led by MLB owners, is leading an anti-Bonds PR campaign that Cubs Manager Dusty Baker likened to "McCarthyism." While Bonds and Yankee Jason Giambi probably won't be confused with Ethel and Julius Rosenberg any time soon, there is enough media and congressional hot air to steam an army of dumplings.

Reports about Bonds' body: how wide his back, how big his jaw, how thick his legs - basically dissecting the man like an animal - pepper the papers. Never mind that Bonds has maintained that he has never taken any banned substance. Never mind that other than the 73 home run year, Bonds - like Aaron - has never even hit 50. Never mind that Bonds' trainer, indicted for steroid distribution, has maintained Bonds' innocence even though such a juicy snitch would keep him out of the clink. Never mind that unlike Giambi, who showed up at training camp this year looking like Aly McBeal, Bonds has maintained his current physical shape for a decade, and even gained 6 pounds this off season. Never mind how common it is for all athletes, like Michael Jordan to Shaquille O'Neal, to thicken with age.

Never mind all of that. The greatest case for reasonable doubt lies in Bonds' very late career success. His unparalleled middle-aged majesty screams his innocence. Steroids and rapid "unnatural" muscle growth puts tremendous pressure on the joints and tendons. Admitted steroid users like former MVPS Ken Caminiti and Jose Canseco, Lenny Dykstra and banned substance user Mark McGwire all saw their bodies break down as they hit their mid 30s. In the end, they limped away from their careers and were put down like Seabiscuit in Elmer's Glue Land. Bonds has thrived as he hurtles toward 40, not unlike Jerry Rice, Bret Favre, Reggie Miller, and Randy Johnson. To go by the rumors that surround him, Bonds' ankles should be snapping like toothpicks every time he jogs to first base.

But the media has been crushing Bonds without evidence because he has never played their game. If Jordan was the Tom Hanks of the NBA, Bonds is Sean Penn, beating down the paparazzi and challenging perceptions of greatness against our will. To some, this is his greatest sin: not the power numbers, but that they threaten the place in history of the immortal Babe Ruth.

I heard one sports radio chatterbox remark, "Even if Bonds isn't on steroids he is a freak, with his trainers, and supplements, and work out regimens. The Babe would drink a keg, eat a steak, and hit three home runs, Let's see Bonds do that." Therefore Bonds' very commitment to not being the oozing glutton that was Ruth is a knock against him. This is also revisionist history. Ruth was known to have all kinds of 1920s home remedies injected in his system for increased potency (I assume in the field). Ruth has also never been tagged with an asterisk despite the fact he never had to play against competition with black skin, or travel farther than the Mississippi to play. I would love to have seen Ruth face Satchel Paige in a sweltering San Juan double header. Bonds has produced in an era of the global talent pool, cross-country travel, and intense media scrutiny. But none of this will prepare him for the glaring intensity in his face this year. Whether the anti-steroid furies are motivated to "protect the game", crush the players union, or target Bonds - the fact remains: muscle enhancers cannot slam a 95 mph slider into McCovey Cove. Barry Bonds can - Selig can kiss his asterisk.

Phils ruin Media's Dream Series

Phils ruin Media's Dream Series
10/16/08
By Luke Desiato

If you know me, you probably know that I'm not a big Media fan. The Political agendas, the Biases, Jim Grey, and the list goes on.
That being said, let me congratulate my Fightin' Phils for shutting up Foxsports.com's total bias, Manny Ramirez/Dodgers loving Kevin Kennedy who said that the Dodgers were clearly the better team in picking them to win in six. The media was salivating for a Manny vs. Boston World Series and no one loves that dream being squashed more than yours truly.

For the entire series, we heard Joe Buck and Tim McCarver gushing over Ramirez like lovesick school girls which made it so much more satisfying that we ended it quickly. Don't get me wrong, I think Manny Ramirez is the Best right-handed hitter since Hank Aaron. (Save Albert Pujols, but he has a lot more career ahead of him)
I mean the guy drove in 165 runs in 147 games in 1999. He is a career .315 hitter, with 527 home runs, and 1,725 RBI and 28 postseason homers. By comparison, after 15 seasons, Hank Aaron had 510 HR, and 1,627 RBI. Barry Bonds, 494-1,405, get the picture? This guy is a Hall of Fame lock. A model of consistency. But as far as we are concerned right now, we couldn't stand him.

Manny aside, LA-Boston is apparently a better "story" than Philly-Tampa. What is that crap? What's a better story than the two worst franchises in history going at it. I for one, love it. It's not like it's Kansas City-Pittsburgh, you're getting some of baseball's best young players in Cole Hamels, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard versus Scott Kasmir, Evan Longoria, and Carl Crawford. These guys are anything but second rate. Howard is baseball's premier run producer, Utley is the premier second baseman, Rollins is the reigning NL MVP and probably the best all around shortstop, Hamels is one of the best pitchers, and Brad Lidge is the top closer. On the Tampa side, you have Crawford, who has more stolen bases than anyone since 2003, Longoria is probably Rookie of the Year, and Kasmir is, well Kasmir. The most talked about, yet underachieving pitcher.

In closing, I encourage everyone to enjoy this series, because the Phils finally get a shot at baseball immortality. It's nice to see two teams built on the back of their own farm systems rather than free agent assembled teams go for the title.

You're Living in a Dream World: Why a Wide Receiver doesn't Win the Super Bowl

by Luke Desiato

I know everyone in Philly pines for the days of Donovan to T.O. But I have a compelling argument that pretty much denounces the myth that we would have won a Super Bowl by now. It's pretty simple, so here goes,

2005) Donovan plays the first 7 games with T.O. and a sports hernia. At that point, the Eagles are 4-3 and lost to the mediocre Denver Broncos 49-21. Two weeks later Donovan has season ending surgery and is replaced by pretty much the worst QB in Eagles history in Mike McMahon (Remember him? That guy we were excited about because of one Thanksgiving game in 2001 that, oh yes, he did not win?)

So Reason number 1: A Sports Hernia and Mike McMahon are still a Sports Hernia and Mike McMahon. Add T.O. and we Probably have been 8-8 or 9-7. But no Donovan means no Super Bowl.

2006) Donovan has an MVP first half. But in week 10, tears his ACL. Add to the fact that we can't stop the run and the Eagles are 5-5. Jeff Garcia comes in (much to the dismay of the idiot Angelo Cataldi influenced fan base) and goes 5-1 as starter and the Eagles win the division, beat the Giants and lose to New Orleans because we can't stop the run. By the way, Dallas has T.O. and get knocked out in the first round.

So Reason number 2: Had T.O. not left, Jeff Garcia would never have come here and I can't imagine A.J. Feeley guiding us all the way. Plus T.O. couldn't stop Deuce McAllister either. So torn ACL and Deuce McAllister are still torn ACL and Deuce McAllister. Again no Super Bowl.

2007) Donovan Returns, albeit not 100%. He plays slower and more tentative. Reluctant to air it out. I still can't figure out that 56-21, 158.3 passer rating game against Detroit. He has an unspectacular season. A.J. makes two starts and loses both (I know he almost beat New England but remember that HIS bad decision making caused two scoring drives.)Feeley: 2 starts, 7 picks. Donovan returns at 100% and wins the final three including T.O.'s boys, and that team that Garcia couldn't beat. Meanwhile Dallas again loses their first playoff game, with T.O.

So Reason number 3: Donovan is still recovering from an ACL injury. And if T.O. was here, Westbrook doesn't run for 1,333 yards and catch 90 balls. We may have won one more game, but a knee injury and Feeley's picks, are still a knee injury and Feeley's picks. Again no Super Bowl.

And there you have it. T.O. hasn't done any more for Dallas because despite superb Regular Season play, they still haven't won squat.And if I'm not mistaken, Cincinnati and Arizona have the best receiving corps. and they are lousy every year. New England had the best air attack ever. They Lost!!

Basically in a nut shell, Coaching, Defense, Quarterbacks, and Character win Super Bowls. Not Wide Receivers. No receiver in the Hall of Fame, had a lousy Quarterback. They had guys by the names of Montana, Young, Aikman, Moon, Bradshaw and Unitas throwing to them.