2008 Woodie Awards
BALCO tarnishing Bonds
Is the scandal bringing to light the darker side of baseball?
Okey Amuzie
Date created: 5/21/04 Section: SPORTS
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In today's day and age, a lot of athletes are getting bigger and stronger, especially in football, basketball, and baseball.
In baseball, there has been a lot of talk about BALCO, a Bay Area based clinic that supplies muscle-enhancing drugs, like steroids to be used by certain players. Baseball players such as Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, and Barry Bonds have been one of the big names that have been called out and accused of using them.
That brings to mind Barry Bonds' homeruns. When Bonds first came into Major League Baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986, he was a skinny player. Then he began to look bigger after he came to San Francisco in 1993.
"He wasn't in the minor leagues very long," Skyline infielder Brandon Ramsey said. "He was a typical college player. He was able to mature and workout everyday. Now he has money and better trainers. He is going to get bigger as the years progress."
In 2001, Bonds shattered Mark McGwire's single season homerun record by hitting 73 homeruns. In early April, Bonds passed his godfather Willie Mays to place third in the all-time homerun record list, which some people consider to be the most valuable record in sports. On April 29, Bonds hit his 668th career homerun against the Florida Marlins. Combined with his father's 332 homeruns, the grand Bonds total became 1,000.
Are these homeruns that Bonds is hitting tarnished? I believe they are because of what Bonds has done these past few years. I think there should be an asterisk next to Bonds' 73 homeruns in 2001 because of the steroid accusation against him. It is believed there shouldn't be any way someone can get ahead of the game by using strength-enhancing drugs in any sport. But there are some who feel that Bonds' homeruns are due to athletic ability and are not tarnished.
"I say no, because this year he is having just as good of a year as he did a few years before," Ramsey said. "He is one of the best hitters, one of the best swings we have seen in pro baseball, and the guy leads the league in walks and homeruns, and he is doing it again this year without being on steroids."
In baseball, there has been a lot of talk about BALCO, a Bay Area based clinic that supplies muscle-enhancing drugs, like steroids to be used by certain players. Baseball players such as Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, and Barry Bonds have been one of the big names that have been called out and accused of using them.
That brings to mind Barry Bonds' homeruns. When Bonds first came into Major League Baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986, he was a skinny player. Then he began to look bigger after he came to San Francisco in 1993.
"He wasn't in the minor leagues very long," Skyline infielder Brandon Ramsey said. "He was a typical college player. He was able to mature and workout everyday. Now he has money and better trainers. He is going to get bigger as the years progress."
In 2001, Bonds shattered Mark McGwire's single season homerun record by hitting 73 homeruns. In early April, Bonds passed his godfather Willie Mays to place third in the all-time homerun record list, which some people consider to be the most valuable record in sports. On April 29, Bonds hit his 668th career homerun against the Florida Marlins. Combined with his father's 332 homeruns, the grand Bonds total became 1,000.
Are these homeruns that Bonds is hitting tarnished? I believe they are because of what Bonds has done these past few years. I think there should be an asterisk next to Bonds' 73 homeruns in 2001 because of the steroid accusation against him. It is believed there shouldn't be any way someone can get ahead of the game by using strength-enhancing drugs in any sport. But there are some who feel that Bonds' homeruns are due to athletic ability and are not tarnished.
"I say no, because this year he is having just as good of a year as he did a few years before," Ramsey said. "He is one of the best hitters, one of the best swings we have seen in pro baseball, and the guy leads the league in walks and homeruns, and he is doing it again this year without being on steroids."
