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 A Change In The Game
By Mybrotha.COM Staff Writer - March 9, 2006
More accusations of steroid use are being made against San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds. The accusations appear in a new book published by Gotham Books, a subsidiary of Penguin Group, and will be on bookstore shelves around March 26th.
The book entitled Game of Shadows, is written by San Francisco Chronicle reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, and talks about the doping regimen of Bonds from the 1998 season to at least the 2003 season. During those seasons and even today, Bonds has always denied using performance-enhancing drugs.
The book details instances over the past six years where Bonds allegedly used a variety of performance-enhancing drugs, including HgH and the designer drugs known as, "the clear" and, "the cream". When previously questioned about his use of such drugs, Bonds emphatically denied knowing that they were steroids and stated that his former trainer Greg Anderson, had only given him legal drugs to treat arthritis and fatigue.
At the Giants training camp in Scottsdale, Arizona, Bonds was questioned about the book and stated: "I won't even look at it. For what? There's no need to".
Though Bonds has always denied using performance-enhancing drugs, many are starting to wonder whether they can believe him. Bonds' power-numbers, batting average, and his physique have all bulked up since the early 90s when he was just a 6'1", 180lb left-fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Before the start of the 2005 regular season, Major League Baseball had no strict policy for testing players for steroid use. The current plan calls for a stricter testing program that includes random, off-season testing and 10-day suspensions for first-time offenders. Though the plan has been fiercely criticized, it has netted almost a dozen suspensions since its inception, and includes future Hall of Famer Rafael Palmeiro.
But Bonds, Palmeiro and other notable power-hitters, such as former St. Louis Cardinal Mark McGwire and New York Yankee Jason Giambi, have all denied using performance-enhancing drugs. These denials continue despite players' increasing slugging percentages, body sizes, and the speed at which many recover from injury. For those of us who watch these players over the years, the changes have been dramatic.
The San Francisco Chronicle reporters, who based the book on a two-year investigation, detail a summary of sources which include affidavits filed by Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) investigators, grand jury testimonies, audio recordings, and interviews with hundreds of people close to the game.
Only Bonds, his former trainer, and a few others know for sure whether or not he's actually participated in a doping regimen. But baseball fans will forever doubt him and will always question the staggering numbers he's amassed over the years. Some are even beginning to lobby against his future consideration for the Hall of Fame, which at one time was considered a no-brainer.
Unfortunately, Barry Bonds is only one of a number of athletes who now suffers from a tarnished image. Kobe Bryant, Pete Rose, and Ray Lewis sadly belong to this crowd of superstars who crossed the line.
Sitting on 708 career homeruns, Bonds is destined to break Hank Aarons all-time record of 755, and will surely eclipse the old Babe Ruth record of 714 some time this season.
But we have to wonder what kind of a season will it be.
About The Author - Mybrotha.COM Staff Writer
©Copyright 2002-2007 - Mybrotha.COM. This article was written and edited by a Mybrotha.COM staff writer. Articles may not be reproduced, rewritten, or retransmitted without the express written consent of Mybrotha.COM
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