It is a late March day in San Francisco and another MLB season is about to begin.  Home run King Barry Bonds is up to bat once again; but this day it is not in the Giants AT&T Park; but in a federal court where he is defending himself against allegations of lying while under oath 8 years ago; when he testified that he never knowingly used steroids.

This steroids story line is attracting so much media hype that we just had to remain close to the band wagon.  However, today we will not talk about the court case in general; because it is doubtful that the outcome will have any effect on anyone other than Barry Bonds.  The question is; what kind of baseball legacy will Bonds have when all is said and done?

One reporter put it like this:

Have federal investigators in this case really wasted $6 million of government money over the last eight years to bring down the home run king?

Because, unless a conviction means stripping Bonds of his single-season and career home run records, who cares? The damage is already done.

The public formed its opinion eight years ago. This hearing is not going to change people’s minds. It doesn’t matter if he is convicted or not.

Sadly, there is a lot of truth to that assumption.  The fact that millions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted on this pursuit is questionable to say the least.  There is no doubt that there are those in power that want to see Bond’s legacy tarnished forever because of the records he set.  Babe Ruth set the original home run record on hot dogs and beer. Hank Aaron broke the babe’s record on simple hard work and endurance.  Barry Bond’s surpassed Aaron but a dark cloud will forever hang over his accomplishment.

Whether Bonds knowingly or unknowingly used steroids; the fact is he used them.  Other baseball legends like Sosa, McGuire, and Clemens have been the best of their generation and have the same shadow hanging over them.

Once again alleged steroid use is casting a dark cloud over Major League Baseball.

With his trial and the pending one on Roger Clemens, two of the game’s greatest players of their era are reopening deep wounds on America’s Pastime.

The alleged steroid use is hard to overlook, particularly after what both players achieved in the latter stages of their careers.

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Bonds belted 28 homers at the age of 43 and hit over .300, while leading the league in walks in his final season in San Francisco. Yet, not one team wanted him on their roster the following season.

A player that clearly still had more in the tank couldn’t find a job — even in Pittsburgh.

The truth is millions of baseball fans already have made up their mind about Barry Bonds and the others who tarnished their sport by trying to enhance their already superb god given talents.

What does this say to our young children who look up to these baseball icons for direction?  Bonds was a cinch for the Hall of Fame before he turned to steroids; but now his future is unclear.  All of these legends will claim that the steroids had no affect on their record book feats; but unfortunately their unfortunate decisions will leave a bad taste in our mouth for a long, long time.

For more information on this article please visit:

http://www.montereyherald.com/sports/ci_17712181?nclick_check=1

Related posts:

1. Baseball & Steroids, The Future
2. Bonds Steroid Circus Continues
3. Bonds Steroid Trial Over

A Washington chiropractor has been arrested for selling steroids.

An article in the National Post claims that last year, police intercepted a package from Slovakia containing anabolic steroids.  A search warrant was than executed on Florida resident Richard Thomas.  The search revealed $200,000(probably not) worth of steroids.

After his arrest, Thomas told police he sold steroids all over the US, and even to professional athletes. Today, Washington chiropractor, Dr. Douglas Nagel, was arrested for seven counts of conspiracy to deliver steroids to the Washington athletes.

Authorities found evidence that at least seven shipments of steroids had been sent from Thomas to Nagel between April 4, 2008 and May 4, 2009.

This is where things get interesting.

First, Thomas was arrested almost one year ago.  What was the hold up in arresting Nagel if they have evidence against him?

Second, what is the ‘evidence’, that not only took a year to arrest Nagel, but is so strong they actually could arrest him?  They obviously didn’t find any steroids being sent to Nagel, and they didn’t intercept Nagel picking up any steroid packages (that we know of at least).

From what has been given to us thus far, one would assume Nagel was arrest for possibly a) being ratted out by Thomas and b) having tracking slips of packages being sent to his house.  It really doesn’t make sense at the moment.

ALSO, it’s amazing how professional athletes rarely use common sense.  I’m not only talking about this story, but all athletes over the last decade who have been caught or associated with steroids.

Take the Mitchell Report, for example.  Have you actually read through the report with the evidence?  There is check after check, evidence after evidence or players buying steroids, or illegal prescriptions from Doctors.  Instead of being sheep, and following whatever everyone else is doing, wouldn’t it be common sense to take a second and think, “Hey, what I am doing is illegal, maybe I should take a step or two to cover up my tracks, instead of leaving everything in the open.”

They are professional athletes in the spotlight, with their careers on the line!  There are probably thousands of people all over the world buy steroids on a daily basis, anonymously… and yet you hear story after story of professional athletes (who are a very small percentage!) getting caught with anabolic steroids. It takes ten minutes to educate yourself, in what could be a career saving decision

Update March 24: Apparently, both men agreed anabolic steroids were in the seven shipments. Go figure…

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