Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

It's Time to Let Barry Bonds into the Baseball Hall of Fame

I am a baseball purist.

Probably worse, I am a National League baseball purist. I like sacrifice bunts and a well-executed hit-and-run. I like the strategy behind making double switches and inordinate amounts of pitching changes. You’ll regularly hear me espousing the lament that the game changes with every single pitch, and those that lack the proper mental make-up and attention span just can’t possibly understand this. Yeah, I’m that guy. I root for the scrappy, underdog guys like Chris Sabo, David Eckstein and Jonny Gomes.

I don’t like Barry Bonds. I’ve never cared for his demeanor. I didn’t like how he attempted to turn his own wrongdoings into a supposed media-built witch hunt. Mostly, I loathe that he took Hank Aaron’s all-time home run record.

However, as another year passes and Bonds’ name is excluded from the list of Hall of Fame inductees, I feel strongly that it’s time for the Baseball Writers of America to remove themselves from their pedestals. Barry Bonds belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Let’s go ahead and get it out of the way; Barry Bonds cheated. One glance allows you to collect all the data you need. A simple comparison of his baseball cards during his days with the Pirates versus his later Giants playing days will tell you that normal human beings on normal workout regimens don’t suddenly develop cranial structures that rival The Great Gazoo. All the denials in the world can’t hide the fact that 2012 Barry looked like he regularly dead-lifted early 90’s Barry… and then ate him. That aside, his obstruction of justice charge all but tells you plainly that Bonds was covering up a secret.

These things notwithstanding, Barry Bonds belongs in the Hall of Fame.

Barry Bonds belongs in the Hall of Fame because of the incredible things he was able to do on a baseball field. Bonds belongs because of the 14 All-Star game nominations, the eight Gold Gloves, the seven NL MVPs, not to mention the multiple records he still holds. To date, those numbers have not been stricken from baseball’s record book. Bonds has not been stripped of a single award. For several years he was easily the most feared hitter in the game, and when he wasn’t being walked intentionally, he was hitting monster moon shots into McCovey’s Cove and the stratosphere beyond. Sure, you can argue that his juiced-up frame allowed for a lot of these numbers to be enhanced. I’d counter-argue with two things:

One, all the HGH, horse tranquilizers, cream, clear, and deer antler spray in the universe can’t magically make you able to hit a diving 88 MPH slider on the outer half of the plate. Yes, PEDs might turn that warning track flyball into a dinger, but they can’t allow you to make contact.

Two, Bonds put up these gargantuan numbers under the “watchful” eye of… well, damn near everyone, including the game’s highest brass. No, Bud Selig and company didn’t like it, but they definitely were not in any hurry to put an end to it. That publicity, those dollars, and that marketing potential were way too great to endanger with clear evidence of cheating. They let it happen. The numbers stand. Does that make it right? Not necessarily, but until Major League Baseball decides to remove Bond’s on-field accomplishments from the all-time numbers, those very numbers are what make Barry Bonds a legitimate Hall of Famer.

While the baseball purist, National league fan mentality is largely being passed by through SABR-metrics, instant replay and a forced modernization of the game, I can still yearn for the success of the underdog who does things the right way. The guys you know in your heart of hearts are clean, make sacrifice bunts, and a execute hit-and-runs to pefection. I don’t have to like what Barry Bonds did. None of us do. But, to not give him his due is utter folly.

 

Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @aaronmoore1322. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.

Interested in writing for LWOS? We are looking for enthusiastic, talented writers to join our Baseball writing team.  Visit our “Write for Us” page for very easy details in how you can get started today!

Share:

More Posts

Send Us A Message