Does Barry Bonds Deserve His Record?

By: Armen Keteyian
Topics: Field Notes

(CBS)

Armen Keteyian is the chief investigative correspondent for CBS News, and a former reporter for CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated.

Baseball's in my blood. From my very first days growing up in Detroit, I watched it and played it, and covered it at levels higher than the Average Joe. It's pretty much the same story with anabolic steroids, minus the personal history. So it's not without a good deal of experience and education that I come to the subject of Barry Bonds.

Today, during a record-breaking effort of my own (a three-hour commute to New York City; see home page for details) sports talk radio was aflame with reaction to Bonds and his 756th home run. Everyone from Bob Costas to former baseball commissioner Fay Vincent to Vinny from Queens offering an opinion on where Bonds ranks on baseball's list of all-time greats, whether or not THE record was tainted by performance enhancing drugs. (BC should win an award for his analysis)

Does Bonds deserve this record? The recognition? Not now. Not ever. Never. Being one of very best leftfielders in the history of the game, a sure-fire Hall of Famer evidently just wasn't good enough for the godson of Willie Mays. So if you believe best-selling books and grand jury testimony and a raft of other detailed reports Barry is denying the undeniable. He got help – plain and simple – to shatter sport's most sacred record. If not for "The Cream" and "The Clear" and a host of other pills and potions Bonds wouldn't have come within a country mile of breaking Henry Aaron's mark. But he did.

But he didn't do it alone. If you're looking for accomplices to this crime look no further than baseball's powerful players union, which for decades built a brick wall around every attempt at drug testing; at owners who just didn't want to know, at a feel-good media and fans blinded to a game gone wrong.

Today Bonds is the poster boy ("Bar-roid") of that time. The embodiment of a steroid era in which I dare say hundreds of players were into the juice, some looking to sweeten their stats or cash in on free agency, others simply hoping to stay in the game. Which is why, at what should have been a moment of great joy I felt nothing but great sadness as No. 756 sailed deep into a San Francisco night. Sure, Bonds took the almighty swing.

But it was baseball, the greatest of games, that put that bat in his hands.

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by typart-2009 August 10, 2007 7:19 PM EDT: sillywilly4 - Do you have hard facts from players/coaches that steroids helps them hit the ball?
Do you have hard facts from players/coaches that steroids make them throw the ball better?

I don%u2019t want some scientific reach search BS. I want hard facts!!
Here is one fact for you. I played baseball for 25 years and tore ligaments in the knee and I was prescribed steroids for healing. I also know it is used for Asthma patients and other ailments. I also know Doctors prescribed the medicine at a minimum because of the addiction. Having said that I can see players getting the drugs via blackmarket to help their cause.; Reply to this comment


by gsutigers3 August 10, 2007 2:24 PM EDT: Sillywilly4 the truth hurt doesn't it?; Reply to this comment


by j_flood August 10, 2007 1:15 PM EDT: You can have the best eyes and coordination in the world and not hit home runs. BC - Before Cal - shortstops all had great eyes and coordination - but nobody hit home runs. The added ingredient is power. Some have it and some don't. When I was growing up I always remember the saying "hitting overlooks errors", as it does bad base running and bad fielding. If you can hit, you're in the line up. If you can hit and hit home runs, you'll never leave the line up. So you can be good enough for the majors, but you're so much better if you can smack 'em outta the park. Now add something that can take you from average to a bone fide home run hitter, and you have Bonds, Conseco, and the others taking the power pills, creams and injections. And baseball isn't alone, you don't have to look farther than cycling. The peak is small and doesn't hold many, and it seems too many will compromise themselves to reach it. Aaron got there from plain hard work. Bonds took the elevator.; Reply to this comment


by mygramma August 10, 2007 12:18 PM EDT: Armen Keteyian touts his record as a reporter to convince readers he is an authority qualified to make final pronouncement on Bond's and the homerun record. Bullcrap.

The ability to visually track a 90 mph baseball while simultaneously mentally processing the arrival of the ball and the coordinated activation of the body to smack that sucker is NOT enhanced by steroids, effing period !! Muscles, torso strength etc are enhanced by steroids, but NOT the rest of what it takes to do what Bonds has accomplished.

Guilt by accusation? So when did you stop beating your wife?; Reply to this comment


by gabbysmomrs August 10, 2007 4:52 AM EDT: I don't know if he deserves the record or not. His steroid use is important in another area of his life. Steroids have put him in great danger of losing his current or his future health, perhaps his life. Is it really worth it?

Remember Lyle Alzado, a hugely successful player for the Denver Broncos in the 70s and 80s? He took steroids, lost his career, raged, tried to become a professional wrestler, then died of brain cancer most probably related to the steroids.

I hope Bonds stays well and enjoys the acclaim he is receving.; Reply to this comment


by pesojoe August 10, 2007 4:41 AM EDT: All you bonds lovers, teach your kids to be just like him and oj. If you can get away with it do it. Maybe god will have his steroids pop a few muscles between his ears. Only thing he deserves is the hall of shame.; Reply to this comment


by marcpcbs August 10, 2007 4:10 AM EDT: I've heard many Berry Bonds fans say that steroids make any difference and that they don't make you a better ball player. All I can do in responce is sarcastically ask, "So all the ball players that use staroids are risking their health and their careers for absolutely no reason at all?"

Steroids do make a large difference and Mr. Bonds should be the king of the "batters on steroids" category.; Reply to this comment


by gsutigers3 August 9, 2007 9:41 PM EDT: A lot of people still don't get it, Barry Bonds has the record. Nothing is going to change that. Did George Bush win against Gore fairly? The answer is no. Who is the President? George Bush. Cheating in baseball goes back to it's inception. Blacks,Latinos, Cubans,etc. were not allowed to play. When Hank Aaron broke the homerun record the same people were against him. Why he was a Black man. The same racist that are saying this record is tainted not because of steroids, but because of racism. All of sudden WHITE America is all for Hank now. Where were they when he needed them. That stupid question does he deserve it has already been answered. He has the record.; Reply to this comment


by typart-2009 August 9, 2007 5:25 PM EDT: Sillywilly4 - Prove it! Prove to me and others who watch baseball just about everyday that it enhances their ability. If that's the case where are all of 40+ homerun hitters? Why can't we get at least two 20 game winner pitchers in a season? Where are they at???; Reply to this comment


by typart-2009 August 9, 2007 3:31 PM EDT: For the past few days I've come to terms that a lot of the talk surrounding Bonds and Steroids are most likely non-athletic people and probably have never even played organized baseball. Instead of Writers writing junk in the media. Why don't you go around and ask players from the bottom up about how steroids could or does help them hit the ball? I would guess 99% will laugh at you and figure out quickly you know nothing about hitting a ball. So check your facts before running your mouth!!!!; Reply to this comment