As a life-long Pittsburgher, Barry Bonds can never be forgiven for allowing Sid "No Knees" Bream score from second on a single in the 1992 championship series, October 17th, game 7, 9th inning. Had his throw not gone up the 3rd-base line 20 feet, the Pirates would have been in the World Series, and it might have reversed 15 straight losing seasons that the Succos have put their city and fans through. Bonds capped his career as a Pirate by batting .191 and 1 homer in his three post-seasons here. That is how Bonds will be remembered by many here in the Burgh.

You have to do no more than look at the statistics.

Bonds started to slump in 1998 with 37 HRs. After seeing McGuire break Marris's record he then decided to start using Steroids in 1999 with 34 HRs but his season was cut short with an elbow injury due to the Steroid use. He came back in 2000 with 49 HRs and an insane 73 HRs in 2001. Followed by 46 HRs in 2002, 45 HRs in 2003 and 45 HRs in 2004. MLB drastically changes their Steroid testing in 2005 and Bonds conviently gets injured hitting only 5 HRs. With the new Steroid testing in place he hits only 26 HRs in 2006? Come on. Without Steroids Bonds would simply have been a great player not the best and that is why it matters.

The Anti "Man-Made" Global Warming Resource

I was a kid in New York when everyone had Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays gloves. Unlike everyone else I owned a Hank Aaron glove. I liked the way he hit - his style - his power - and the way he played the outfield. I admired the strength, class, and courage he hid behind his quiet demeanor.

I was old enough to remember Maris' quest for 61 homeruns and the troubles he had. Aaron went through even more troubles - much more. Aaron was a Black baseball player when bigotry was still prevalent in the stands, in the clubhouse, and in the cities he traveled to. He achieved his record against enormous pressure and threats throughout his career.

What has Barry Bonds done? He cheated. The criticism Bonds has received is of his own doing and has nothing to do with ability and talent.

There has always been something very pure and natural about baseball’s 2 homerun records. It has been about one man and his natural ability to achieve such a momentous record.Barry Bonds (and the rest of his steroid buddies) has stolen that purity from baseball and from all of us. He cheated and his so-called records will forever be tainted and reviled.

Hank Aaron still is the moral voice of baseball and he speaks for nearly all of us. Bonds may have attained the record, but he will never have the respect associated with that record and that will be his asterisk - his punishment.

Perry and Sutton both got caught and punished as they were ejected and suspended. Using Steroids is a worse offense. Palmeiro is a guilty as Bonds as is McGuire. All three should get astericks, if not have their records removed completely.

Bonds is getting hammered because of his arrogance and the records he is breaking. And he deserves it.

The Anti "Man-Made" Global Warming Resource

Not trying to stir the pot: why is ARod a jerk?

I am not for diversity. I am for what works.

I will be your assistant if we can keep it away from my wife...

But synthetics caught my eye in regards to Randy Johnson and his problematic knee.

The Big Unit gets shots of that lubricant when his knee becomes a little creeky. It feels like new for a short time and when it wears off he gets another round.

If the argument is the "performence enhancers" give an unfair advantage, then where does procedures like the one above, Tommy John surgery fit into the mix? These are hardly natural procedures and prolonged two careers of two HOF.

Did John Smoltz have an unfair advantage over Sandy Koufax? What if Mantle played in the age of medicine that can totally repair a knee in under a year? What about corrective lenses that take away stadium glare, Lasik that give 20/15 vision?

Where do we stop? and why does performance enhancers get such a bad rap for people that are paid to perform?

I am not for diversity. I am for what works.

I would think that a grown man's feet going up multiple sizes combined with Bonds' increasing hat size is the only evidence you need to definitively prove that he has used HGH. It is not possible for an adult's shoe size to change as much as his has, unless he was 16-17 years old.

 Well, I think we're making progress - you've gone from saying that steroids made no difference (or made players WORSE) to saying that it has an indirect benefit.

But you're still wrong.  The benefit is direct and absolute.  Steroids and Human Growth Hormones, in addition to expediting physical recovery time, also accelerate the production of ATP, which provides energy bursts that allow a person to accelerate, or create torque from a stationary position.  Kinda of like what happens when a batter uncoils from his stance to crush a pitch.  There are also studies that say that HGH improves eyesight.

Direct and absolute.

And I used Bonds and Sheffield as examples.  I also used Jason Grimsley.  Are you going to say that he was one of the greatest pitchers of our generation?  But for your benefit, we'll also toss Juan Rincon, Ramon Castro, Rafael Betancourt, Ryan Franklin, Matt Lawton, David Segui and Neifi Perez. 

I'm not arguing that Bonds isn't a great hitter.  I'm arguing that he's a cheating scumbag. 

"The most radical revolutionary will become a conservative the day after the revolution."
Hannah Arendt