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Bonds should learn lesson from Palmeiro
By Drew Sanders
How about this, Barry: we’ll stop caring when you swallow your oversized ego, be a man and admit it.
No one in their right mind could be using steroids after the Rafael Palmeiro fiasco, so the recent resurrection of power displayed by Barry Bonds is intriguing.
Bonds is most likely steroid-free — for the moment — and still hitting home runs, yet he may never shake off the stigma connected to steroids. Three knee surgeries forced Bonds to watch Giants games from the dugout for much of the 2005 season. Last Wednesday marked Bonds’ seventh game back with the team, and the Giants have gone 6-1 in those games.
Bonds contributed to the team’s success, going deep four times. In his 19-year career, he now has 707 home runs, which leaves him just 48 shy of Hank Aaron’s record of 755.
Let’s assume Bonds is clean for the rest of his career and breaks the record. He is still going to find vindication difficult. Although the public is generally forgiving, the media is not. That is why Bonds will not escape steroid allegations until he comes clean.
Right now he is not admitting anything or denying anything, which makes everyone wonder even more.
If Bonds has been paying any attention to Palmeiro’s fall from grace, he would know that being caught with steroids now is not only crushing to his image, it would be disastrous for his legacy. That’s why he’s dodging steroid questions like a high and tight fastball.
Palmeiro’s Hall of Fame chances have turned from likely to unlikely after he “unknowingly” took a substance with a steroid in it.
In December 2003, Bonds testified before a grand jury about steroids. The San Francisco Chronicle reported last December that in leaked transcripts from those hearings, Bonds verified that he used substances supplied by BALCO that contained steroids, but he didn’t know the substances were steroid-laden. Gee, that sounds familiar.
Bonds doesn’t even want to talk about steroids. He counters the media, fans and Congress by asking why they don’t worry about more important things, like Hurricane Katrina. Apparently Bonds doesn’t watch TV.
Bonds has said Congress is wasting time by looking into steroid use. It sure sounds like someone’s got something to hide.
How about this, Barry: we’ll stop caring when you swallow your oversized ego, be a man and admit it.
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