Putting home-run chase on hold might be Bonds' first right move

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Another Day, Another Dollar
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I DON'T FEEL BAD for Barry Bonds. Nor do I have any sympathy or pity for the San Francisco Giants slugger. In fact, hearing his latest comments further turned me away from the greatest baseball player of my time*.

Rarely am I disturbed by an athlete's comments, but hearing Bonds' statements last week made my stomach turn the same way it does every time I see Pete Rose on television or hear Mike Tyson make a fool of himself.

Supported by a crutch under one arm, and his teenage son beside him, the internationally known bopper did his usual Q and A with the press. By that I mean that he fielded questions, responding to a select few of the several dozen asked of him, giving as little information as possible.

In contrast to normal Bonds media conferences, there was no name-calling or bickering. The usually quick-to-strike-back outfielder seemed defensive, for the first time looking conquered. He spoke softly about being emotionally and physically drained, asserting his future to be foggier now than ever. It was almost as if baseball's brightest star had just been flattened by a steam roller.

I've been taught that mistakes are going to be made. There comes a point when consequences must be endured and responsibility taken. That's where it all went wrong for Bonds, who to this day runs from the steroid controversy swirling around him, denying rumors from even the most credible of sources.

Some of his closest peers have testified under oath that he has used illegal muscle enhancers. Even when it was finally found that Bonds had been given steroids, he denied knowing that the muscle builders were steroids.

So in case you are keeping score at home, this weight room freak who cares enough for his health to compare his body to a temple, doesn't know what creams are being rubbed on his skin. We're supposed to believe that Bonds wasn't aware of exactly what it was that his trainers injected into his 230-pound frame?

Call me crazy, but I think he would have done himself a major favor by admitting wrongdoing and moving on, the same way New York Yankees infielder Jason Giambi did (sort of).

The worst part about the entire situation is that Bonds didn't need to take steroids to become the game's best player. He was one of baseball's top performers in his early years, way before he became baseball's rendition of the Incredible Hulk.

In his first year as a starter back in 1987, the then scrawny five-tool stud in Pittsburgh batted .261 with 25 home runs. Over the next 14 seasons he stole 460 bases and hit 445 homers, paving the way for what seemed to be a Hall of Fame-caliber career as one of the most versatile players the game had seen.

As one would expect, the completeness of Bonds' game has declined since he turned 35 in 1999, as the former Arizona State standout has become strictly a power hitter. Since turning 35, Bonds has homered once every 8.3 at-bats, an eye-popping number for even an elite power-swinger in his prime.

He may be the game's all-time leader in walks, rank sixth in runs scored and eighth all-time in runs batted in, but I don't feel bad for the distraught 19-year veteran.

I feel bad for Babe Ruth, the Hall of Famer whom Bonds will pass for second place on the all-time home-run list with just 12 more sweet swings of his bat. The Babe hit more home runs than entire teams did in his day, and his only juice was the hot dogs he ate between innings.

I feel bad for Hank Aaron, who overcame racism and threats in a dark time in our history to belt a record 755 career round-trippers, 52 more than Bonds has smashed at this point.

If Bonds does put his homer parade on halt this spring (as he hinted he might earlier this week) it might be the first thing he's done right in quite some time.
 

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