It’s Time Barry Bonds is Enshrined in Cooperstown
Cooperstown is the illustrious location for where Major League Baseball recognizes the game’s greatest players. While the Hall of Fame has been populated by the finest players in the history of the Major Leagues, there has been much difficulty and controversy in recent years, about the newest inductees. More specifically, about who does and doesn’t belong in the Hall.
The main issue that seems to cloud the minds of the voters is the topic of performance enhancing drugs (PED’s). Many of the current voters, who are members of the Baseball Writers of America Association (BBWAA), have cast strong voices and opinions since the release of the controversial Mitchell Report in 2007. And given the names of the players denied admittance to the Hall in recent years, it seems that they’re backing up their opinions with their votes.
The Mitchell Report, was a government assisted investigation by the U.S. Senator from Maine, George Mitchell, that investigated links between performance enhancing drugs and Major League baseball players. Though many names were listed in the Mitchell Report, the one name most people seem to remember best is former San Francisco Giants great, Barry Bonds.
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Bonds put up some incredible numbers over the course of his career — 2,227 runs scored, 2,935 hits, 601 doubles, 762 home runs, 1,996 RBI’s, 514 stolen bases, and 2,558 career walks. His career accomplishments led to 14 All-Star trips, 8 Gold Gloves, 12 Silver Slugger awards, and an unbelievable 7 MVP’s. Bonds was a feared hitter — perhaps one of the most feared hitters in the history of baseball. Pitchers would purposely walk him as they knew what damage he could do with the bat.
Not only did pitchers not want to throw to Bonds, he had a keen eye for the baseball. It is said that his eyesight was so pin-point, he would practice swinging at golf balls and would see the dimples on the ball. Naturally, Barry had a knack for the game of baseball.
Barry was always a highly-touted baseball player, dating back to high school, and his college days at Arizona State University. He is the son of a former Giants player and long time Major Leaguer, Bobby Bonds. Baseball is in Barry’s blood, and he was perhaps destined to be a great player. The Pittsburgh Pirates went on to draft Bonds sixth overall in the 1985 draft, and his performance on the field never disappointed, whether they were in Pittsburgh or with the San Francisco.
Mar 10, 2014; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants former outfielder Barry Bonds (right) greets Willie McCovey during batting practice prior to the game against the Chicago Cubs at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Bonds’ last season in baseball was in 2007, in what looked sure to be a first ballot Hall of Fame worthy career. In 2007 though, the Mitchell Report was released and the baseball world came crumbling down. While the list didn’t necessarily tie Bonds to a positive performance enhancing drugs test, hearsay was enough to include his name in the report. As a result, Barry Bonds found his accomplishments sitting beneath a cloud of suspicion, and a million questions were being asked of him.
To this day, Bonds is still facing legal issues relating to the topic of steroids. Bonds has never tested positive for performance enhancing drugs, so why are the writers keeping him out of Major League Baseball’s group of historical greats?
While it is easy to assume steroids may have been used — after Barry grew to an enormous size over his tenure in San Francisco — how can someone judge a player if a test sample never came back positive? We will never know for sure if Bonds used performance enhancing drugs, but a clean sample is a clean sample. Only Bonds knows the truth.
Many believe the writers are holding players hostage over the assumption that these players used steroids. And given that he is the Home Run King to this day, Bonds’ name will stir more controversy than any other eligible and worthy player being kept out of the Hall.
Bonds looked to be on the Hall of Fame path long before his arrival and career-setting time with the San Francisco Giants. Of Bonds’ seven MVP awards, he earned two of those with the Pirates. Given his prodigious hitting ability, why would he need the boost in power to begin with? Bonds’ detractors, despite the fact that he never tested positive or admitted to PED use, argue that he did it for big money and to break the home run record.
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Bonds never hit more than 50 Home Runs in a season until his 2001 campaign at age 36, where he set the single-season record with 72. Bonds’ numbers were consistent through his career, with the one year spike in 2001. In the early 2000’s, we saw Alex Rodriguez‘s record-setting deal at the time of 10 years/$252 million dollars, Manny Ramirez with 8 years/$160 million dollars, and Derek Jeter with 10 years/$189 million dollars. The early 2000’s was the birth of the big contracts in sports. Could it be true that Bonds wanted to capitalize on the outpouring of cash and would do whatever it took to be the Home Run King? Once again, only Bonds knows.
Bonds had God-given talent, but also has quite the ego. With the ego Bonds has, it makes it exceedingly likely that it influenced his decision making in the chase for a big contract and glory. If there was anything to question about Bonds, it was the type of person he was. When Bonds was in San Francisco, he was arrogant and selfish. Bonds had his own locker with a personalized big-screen TV to himself.
While Bonds was a great player, he was also enamored with himself. Bonds never seemed to care for team chemistry, but the Giants always seemed find ways to excel as a team despite his personality. Bonds wanted to chase greatness, and he achieved that.
While Bonds never displayed the character and attitude of past Giants’ Greats like the “Say-Hey Kid” Willie Mays, or Willie McCovey, he helped boost baseball and put together an illustrious career, that very few will ever come close to again.
Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire saved baseball, and Barry Bonds finished what they started. Many idolized Bonds and are still strong supporters of Bonds on the issue of steroids.
While the writers can’t get steroid users and assumptions out of their rationale or reasoning when casting their votes, it all traces back to Major League Baseball’s testing policies. Major League Baseball itself created these issues. Testing before 2007 was nowhere near the extreme of today’s testing. Also, it should be asked why team owners and management didn’t raise the red flags and handle the situation when suspicions were first raised? Why didn’t they push for more testing? The rise in statistical numbers benefited baseball and generated revenue and wins. All we can do is categorize this as a specific era of baseball, but it shouldn’t leave the questionable players out. Especially without solid and concrete proof of their transgressions.
Mar 10, 2014; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants former outfielder Barry Bonds (left) talks with catcher Buster Posey during batting practice prior to the game against the Chicago Cubs at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Numbers speak for themselves, and have always been a major indicator for why a player or coach reaches the Hall of Fame. Rather than go along with the idea of putting asterisk alongside players in the so-called “Steroid Era,” we should leave the numbers as they are. Opinions will always be held about certain players, but life isn’t fair.
There are signs of hope though. In February 2015, Bonds was voted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame. The Giants have also been open about one day letting Bonds return to the organization with a specific title, but the time or title is as of yet, unknown.
In 2014, the Giants invited Bonds to be an instructor at Spring Training, and have extended that offer for the 2015 season as well. Bonds being around the Giants’ organization more regularly, is an encouraging sign he has been welcomed back to a degree.
Bonds Hall of Fame fate lies in the hands of an unsupportive BBWAA. Rob Manfred is the new Commissioner of baseball as of 2015, and many hope that he is willing to use his influence to persuade the writers that some day, players such as Bonds deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.
Despite his numbers — some of the best in the history of baseball — Bonds is still not in Cooperstown. It is time to get his name enshrined.