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Bonds, McGwire Face RealityHall of Fame rejects slugger Mark McGwire, new reports surface about Barry Bonds' drug use.While Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn celebrate at Cooperstown, two other baseball stars are watching their Hall of Fame hopes fade.
The news hit the sporting world like a Ruthian homer, only this long shot was called back. Within 48 hours, former Oakland A's and St. Louis Cardinals basher, Mark McGwire, and San Francisco Giants star Barry Bonds faced the type of news that may forever define the era they played in. McGwire was voted down for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame by three-fourths of the voters, and it was revealed that Bonds tested positive for amphetamines last season. While Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn celebrated the dream of their respective boyhoods as Hall of Fame inductees, McGwire and Bonds faced shame and criticism based on decisions they made when the balls were flying out like there was no tomorrow. We know little of McGwire's reaction to this news, which many attribute to his attitude before the U.S. Senate during steroid investigation hearings. Bonds' agent and PR rep had no statement, though it is reported that the outfielder, on the verge of breaking Hank Aaron's all-time home run mark, said he got the dope from the locker of teammate Mark Sweeney. Barry, please. First everyone was after you because they love Babe Ruth (not that many current fans saw Ruth play). Then it was race. Later you professed lack of knowledge of what you were putting inside your body (the cream and the clear controversy) - an insult to the intelligence of every baseball follower above the age of 11, who know that even high school athletes know the precise names and benefits of every training machine, workout routine, supplement and drink they use. When Barry Bonds tells a lie, does his head grow a la Pinocchio's nose? If he took uppers, and lies, and Rafael Palmeiro took anabolic steroids, and lied, and Sammy Sosa corked his once-powerful bat, and lied, what do those astronomical batting stats from the 1990's really mean? How about the pitchers? Were Ken Caminiti and Jose Canseco right? This is merely the tip of the banned substance iceberg. It's going to all melt down in a global warming of revelations, tests results and tattletale ballplayers. Not every trainer or supplier is willing to do jail time rather than name names. The fallout will prevent McGwire, Bonds, Sosa and Palmeiro, all of whom possess Cooperstown-calibre numbers, from ever being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Moreover, the suspicion and atmosphere will taint others who played well from 1996-2004, some of whom may be innocent. Bonds should be happy. He'll take not only poor Sweeney down with him, but a baseball generation.
The copyright of the article Bonds, McGwire Face Reality in Baseball is owned by Bijan C. Bayne. Permission to republish Bonds, McGwire Face Reality in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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