In a recent interview Barry Bonds expressed his interest in returning to baseball in some off field capacity. Man, is this pool getting crowded. Another guy who dodged the issue of steroid use, treated teammates and the media shabbily wants to play ball again. Isn’t that nice?
Barry wants back in. Why? Why should a guy who was the poster child of suspected steroid use, a class A jerk on most occasions and a convicted felon want back in to the game that he cheated?
It’s simple. He just can’t get enough of the game. This is the same guy who would have been a Hall of Famer before the steroid discussion came into play. A phenomenal player for his time who had it all working for him and yet he blew it in the court of public opinion, everywhere but San Francisco where he could do no wrong.
While there are some in the media who put their head in the sand as much as baseball did when it came to the whole steroid generation, the Bonds issue will be an easy one. You will see some that will set a LinkedIn site for him to make sure he gets work. Yes, sad but true.
Some will support it because they want to be different. Others will be behind it because they think he has suffered enough. Poor Barry. He spent somewhere in the vicinity of double-digit millions to stay out of jail, so let’s have a pity party. And then there are the the stupid. You know the ones who know no better nor have a clue to support what is right and wrong.
I have a different slant. I just do not care anymore. For me that generation is a lost one for baseball. Too many guys who have been suspected or accused for me to keep score about it. Baseball did a poor job in addressing it. No, not just Commissioner Bud Selig but the players association is in this as well. They protected their members to the point where a player could barely come to the ballpark early without someone filing a grievance. So when the steroid issue popped up, they dug a ditch to stick their head into.
So if baseball didn’t care then, why should I now? I don’t care about Barry Bonds and where he works anymore. I have no interest in even hearing about steroids, obstruction of justice or any of the other items that have been tied to Barry Bonds and those like him.
If you are wondering why Mark McGwire is not mentioned here, he came clean after doing the purgatory thing. He was never indicted before his admission. Oh sure, he was not very good on the stand when questioned by Congress, but when it was all said and done he stepped up, came clean and has since moved on with his life and now career in baseball.
As for Bonds, he could do the same thing one day, but I highly doubt if he would come clean on steroids. Obstruction of justice? Yes. A conviction that he is now appealing. As for his personality, he is what he is. A chameleon who shows the colors that are needed.
Baseball is a very forgiving sport, for the most part. If you admit guilt, then there is a good chance there is a landing spot for you. There are some exceptions, e.g. Jose Canseco, who got the whole steroid mess started, hence his unofficial ban from the game. Pete Rose? He never said he was sorry or admitted guilt so he will sit for a while.
But when you look at the bigger picture here, who really cares at this point? Does it decide the outcomes of games that we care about today? Will it cause a change in the record books? Will it influence the next generation? Perhaps the next generation of cheaters will be smarter but at some point they will be caught to.
If Barry wants in, who really cares at this point either way. The game’s black eye on this one will not get shinier if Barry Bonds is back. Then again, I could care less about Barry Bonds and those like him as I tuned them out years ago. The Mays, Mantles, Ruths and Aarons are still my gold standard.
