Jackson Free Press

Barry Bonds hit his 714th home run on Saturday, tying Babe Ruth for second place on MLB's career homer list. Bonds' steroid-fueled feat was mostly greeted with indifference or hostility. As usual, the New York Post's coverage was unique.

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What's wrong with Barry using the cream? After all his legs and hands were dry and ashy. If a mark is to go by Barry's feat for allegedly using steroids shouldn't one go by the Babe's record, too. After all, blacks weren't allowed in the league until 1947. Josh Gibson or some other black player might have hit more than the Babe. Steroids can't give you that vision, bat speed, the ability to read pitches, patience, and ability to put the bat to the ball that Barry has. If you don't believe me we can go to the WWF or someother place and find juiced body after juiced body who can't hit a fast ball, slider, curve, or anything else. As I understand it, all steroids can do is allow you to recuperate and replenish quickly which I want my athelte to do. The great philosopher and sportcaster, Jim Rome, once said "if you ain't cheating then you ain't trying to win, and it's only cheating if you get caught." How about we let all the players use steroids so we can enhance the league's statistics? Just a thought that I'm patently against.

Ray Carter

May 22 2006

Steriods make you stronger, which allows Steriod Boy to hit it farther. I say baseball should quit keeps stats. Aside from Won/Loss, what does it mattter?

Ironghost

May 22 2006

There's cheating and there's cheating. Barry Bonds broke the law, so that's the difference between him and, for example, Hall of Fame spitballer Gaylord Perry. As for Babe Ruth, he didn't make the rules when he played so he can't be held responsible for who he was allowed to compete against. Ruth also played in an era when the mound was higher, most games were played during the day (distinct advantages for the pitcher), and the game's talent level hadn't been diluted by expansion. Recently, a historian affiliated with blackbaseball.com said that if Ruth had been able to compete against the best National League pitchers (the only interleague play was during the World Series), that would have had a bigger impact on Ruth's home run numbers than competing against Negro League players. However, there's no doubt that Josh Gibson would have been a star if allowed to play in major league players. Would he have surpassed Ruth? Unfortunately, we'll never know. We do know that Barry Bonds has admitted to using banned substances. He's a cheater. But Doctor S doesn't believe in asterisks.

Dr. S

May 22 2006