Barry Bonds (*), BALCO and Baseball: The Needle and the Damage Done
The Truth
Major league baseball has a long, long history. The National League was formed in 1876, the American League in 1901. The sport at a major league level has existed for 130 years.
For the serious fan, there's pleasure in knowing the " all time " records established over this long history. For decades, Babe Ruth's record of 714 home runs stood for 38 years until the Babe was surpassed by Hank Aaron in 1973.
Yesterday, surly outfielder Barry Bonds (*) hit his 714th Home Run. If you accept it as a real home run. For years, there have been suspicions regarding Bonds' use of steroids and other fine products of the laboratory.
The Fraud (*)
Now, this chemically-enhanced bum will forever be in the record books as having the same number of home runs as Babe Ruth.
Shame on major league baseball, and on its players union who have both protected the druggies for decades.
Congratulations to the great NY Post for a front cover that captures what every sports fan in America has been thinking.
BALCO and the worldwide drugs-in-sports industry may be happy with what has happened, but sports fans are very unhappy. Barry has supposedly tied the Babe. Noone believes it, but that's what the record book will say.
The record book is forever tainted. That means that the sport is forever tainted. Take a bow, Barry.
The Sultan of Swat
