Barry Bonds and Aaron

[Juneau4]

I know in late July early August Bonds will probably break the all time homerun record. Should he be given the record or should it be on hold untill many things are decided in the courts. Does he deserve it or not? Myself, I hope he gets an injury that puts him out of baseball before it happens. If there wouldn"t be so much controversary about the different enhancing substances I would then say let the records go.

[bassNspear]

I understand where your coming from, where your thinking that with all the stuff that has been going on with bonds, that he should not get the title.

I love aaron, becuase he was a brave, and becuase he played the game without anything to help him.

The facts are always going to be true, that if/when bonds gets the title, he will always have that behind his name with the things that have went on in the life of bonds in the MLB.

We will have to see what everyone says when it comes to that. My feelings are that they cant give him the title, becuase its something that cant be taken away. Look at sosa with the cock, once that was over, where has he been since.

This is a huge topic, and alot of things can be looked at in alot of different ways. Fact of the matter is, everyone is going to have a different look at it!!

[Scott K]

I dont think he should be allowed to play baseball now! Let him sit on the sidelines without pay untill he can prove he wasnt taking anything! Sorry Im not his biggest fan!

[Bobby Bass]

Well we might as well put the entire season on hold. If Bonds has to Prove he is innocent then every other ball player should also have to prove that they are not on the JUICE. He has not beaten Aron yet. If you are to make him lose a season proving he is innocent and for conversation sake lets say he is. How do you give him that season back at his age? Bonds has never been a fan of the sportswriters and he has an attitude problem no doubt. But that is his right not to speak and the writers are and have been having a field day or years with him. No I am not a fan of Bonds but I am a fan of do process. The man is innocent till proven guilty. You can't take away his lively hood on speculations. Nor his right to pursue a record.

[Scott K]

That is just my opinion, I just dont like the guy, I understand why he is still playing. But if you look back at the size of bonds, 10 years ago and tell me, he got the body he did by lifting weight alone. Well lets look at some of the other players that pumped up in no time, they all have been busted, and or admitted to steroid use. You are correct, they are doing it the correct way, I just would hate to see Aarons record beat by a cheater. And can you honestly tell me that you think he bulked up like that without steroids? As I said they are doing it the correct way because I know he is innocent untill proven guilty, but I dont like it!

[bassNspear]

things have changed since back in the day. Fact of the matter is, that people now days are way different then before.

People are lifting way more then ever before.

[Bobby Bass]

It would not surprise me if he has but..... it also would not surprise me if he didn't. There are freaks out there who can do it with weights and proper diet. It was not all that long ago where a professional played ball for 6 months and sold insurance or cars for the other 6 months. Now they can train 12 months a year and have a personal trainer, cook. If you worked on your body like you worked at a job 40 hours a week or more think of the results. A little off point here but to prove a point check out what the actors for the movie 300 did. These were actors and look at the results they achieved. On the other hand it takes a completely different talent to hit a baseball and to hit it far.

[Jarrod32]

Maybe he did, maybe he didn't (performance enhancing drugs).

Either way, Bonds still had to step into the batters box, face the opposing pitcher (who was still trying to get him out), swing the bat, and hit the ball.

You can't question whether or not he hit the home runs; they were hit. He hit them. They counted in the games, and they will count in the record book.

I don't like Bonds personally either, but you can't suddenly pretend that he didn't hit the home runs.

Well...maybe you can PRETEND that he didn't, if it makes you feel better.

[Juneau4]

Pete Rose also hit the ball used nothing to help him hit the ball, he just bet on who would win or lose, yet the hall of fame is out for him and banded for life from baseball. Tottally another story! I just find it rather strange that since the big homerun fest of a few years back that no one can come close to hitting the same number of homeruns. They must have quit lifting the wweights.

[Scott K]

Im not saying he isnt a talented player, but if you think about his home runs, lets say that some of the home runs that were hit 400 feet, now without the extra boost drugs them homeruns turn into 395 feet and are caught as an out in the warning track! And if he is proven to be guilty, how many of the giants games should have been a loss instead of a win, is it fair to his opponents, that because of enhansing drugs he hit that game winning 400 ft home run, that could have been an out at 395 ft. I know base ball is only doing what they can to him, untill proven guilty, if they can. If they prove him to be guilty they will not give him the home run title, but lets say the giants go to the world series, and Bonds hits a game winning homer, will they take that back also, no they wont!

[Down to Earth]

If you ask me Baseball is getting only what they deserved. They turned their backs, when they knew full well what was going on.

[Harmonica Bear]

I am no Bonds fan, but it really doesn't matter what "baseball" does. Either he breaks the record or he doesn't. Whether he is in the record books or not, or there with an * next to his name. We, and everybody else will know he hit more home runs than anybody else whether we agree with or not. Aaron and Ruth are legends, I don;t think Bonds will attain their level. But, just because "baseball" may not want to recognize that, it doesn't mean it didn't happen. It's kind of like NCAA basketball telling us the Gophers 97 final four didn't happen.

[kaz2611]

His kids will be the ones that suffer if in fact he used illegal performance enhancing drugs.I doubt that it will ever come 100% clean out IF WHEN WHO AND HOW players used illegal performance enhancing drugs. Even if some of these athletes used illegal or legal substances to increase there abilities they still have to work out and train and stay in shape. You still have to have a keen eye in order to time your swing to drive that pitch over the fence. I dont care for bonds either not because of speculation surrounding him but rather because he is all about himself he IMO dont give 100% to his team.

[Juneau4]

The Gpthers played in the final 4 in 97? Who broke Babe Ruths record 30 odd years ago? I'll bet more people in Minn. or any other state can answer that one. Just out of curiosity who were the other 3 teams?

[Harmonica Bear]

Arizona, North Carolina, Kentucky and a 4th team that can't be named because their season has been wiped out of the books.

[sparcebag]

Whos on first? 61 home runs however it took 2 or 3 more games than Ruth.No whats on first & whos on second.Some kid from north Dakota his name is close to a city on the north shore.Oh ya 1961.

[Juneau4]

Who is that guy from Dakota ! Bless the man he only gave them the finger once in the Met once that I know of.

[Spinner1]

The record will be forever tainted. Baseball has no choice but recognize it. As others have stated, they knew what was going on. The long ball is good for attendance. Owners and MLB turned a blind eye. The Big Mac-Sosa episode revived the sport in the opinion of many. Ignoring the drug issue was short sighted IMO. If you really must have more HRs, then move the fences in ten feet, or alter the ball or bat. That taints the records too, but is preferable to the chemistry experiment we got instead.

[kaz2611]

spinner you took the words right out of my mouth i also think it was over looked because home runs at a record pace were drawing fans back after the strike had tarnished major league baseball.

[bigbucks]

I think Bonds is jerk too, but he is a great player either way. Do I think he would have had a chance to catch Aaron & already have caught Ruth without the juice, I doubt it. Did baseball know he & a lot of other guys were most likely taking it, you betcha, they aren't stupid. The HR chase helped MLB recover from the strike for sure.

Look at some other things we talked about this last weekend. Babe Ruth led the league one year in Homers with like 9. The year he hit 60 I believe no other team totalled 60. Nobody will most likely ever truly match his dominance as a HR hitter ever again. If they do they'll probably hit 900 or a 1000 in the current conditions. The parks were bigger & throwing at & hitting people was part of the game, yet he still hit them. Of course nobody trotted out the type of bullpens they do today either. There are few true comparisons, like it or not if Bonds gets the record it has to stand. He may not be in the Hall, but the record will be his as will the 5 MVP's or whatever the number is. Like someone said, he still had to had to hit the ball & steroids didn't give him the plate discipline he's show for all these years.

Like someone else said, Pete Rose bet on baseball, but I don't see how that helped him get even one of those hits he got.

[Jorgie]

I know this is true for me.

[bassNspear]

you still have to have the swing to hit the ball out of the park. you still have to stay focused and have a solid swing. I dont like bonds. Im a huge braves and HANK fan, but hes going ot break it, and there is nothing the we or baseball can do about it

[fishyguy]

Yes you do have to hit the ball to get it out but of his 700 plus HR's how many were 20 feet over that would have fell 20 feet short with out the juice. 20?, 30?, 40?, more?

You have to hit the ball well for a double but you need strength for the HR's. How many would have been doubles or fly ball outs without the juice is the question?

[Scott K]

If it is all talent that makes the ball leave the park, why then do they use steroids?

One other thing is, not only is AAron going to be robbed by a cheater, to have his honest record that has never been anyone close to it. Now he will hold the record for our kids and theirs to look up to him, because he now is the best baseball player ever! Im sure that his new record will stand forever, now that steroids arent allowed anymore, Im sure nobody will get close.

Or are you people just saying that he is just that good, that he would have hit all these home runs with out steroids, if so why do you think he took them. Do you think at 190 lbs, he was going to hit all these home runs, like he was in the early 90s. Im sure just eating his vegatables and lifting a few weights he bulked up to what he is now.