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Off the bench: Bonds cheats fans, record book |
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Tuesday, 28 March 2006 |
 | Donny Wisor
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I am scared for the state of our national pastime.
We are approaching a season that should have every fan jumping out of their seats in anticipation.
Yet the whispers and rhetoric about this coming baseball season seem to be full of fear.
Why is everyone afraid?
It is simple.
The baseball player who a lot of people consider to be the greatest of
all time will more than likely be surpassed by a player who many
believe cheated his way to greatness.
Baseball fans both young and old have every right to be nervous about the start of the 2006 season.
Barry Bonds currently sits on 708 homeruns, just six away from Babe Ruth, who is in second place with 714.
A record we grew up cherishing is in danger of losing its prestige to a
man who cares more about himself than he does the history of baseball.
What scares and angers me even more is how everyone in baseball is
tip-toeing around the issue of Barry Bonds and his alleged steroid use.
Everyone from Bud Selig (baseball’s commissioner) to the legends of the game are scared to call Bonds out.
The only people I see calling Bonds out are other baseball writers and sports reporters.
But other than writing books and editorials, writers have no power to stop Barry Bonds from breaking the record.
It is time for people with power to step up and do something.
What are they so afraid of? Are they scared they are going to hurt his feelings?
I wish they would.
It hurts my feelings that a potential cheater is about to force his way into the record books.
Maybe some legends of baseball can voice their concern and make some sort of an impact.
Hank Aaron, where are you?
He is coming after you next. Are you going to sit there and stay silent
while Bonds chops away at the record you worked so hard to obtain?
Yes, the record belongs to all of baseball, but it is Aaron’s name in that spot.
Willie Mays, Bonds is your godson.
Why aren’t you stepping up and speaking out? Are you proud an alleged steroid user passed
you on the all-time homerun list?
Willie, you probably have the potential to make the biggest impact in his life.
Bud Selig, you are the commissioner of Major League Baseball.
Start an in-depth investigation and let Bonds know he will be allowed
to play after the investigation is finished – if he is cleared of all
wrong-doing.
Unfortunately, I doubt anyone of importance will speak out, and we are
entering the last days of what is the most prestigious record in all of
sports.
I will enjoy these days as much as I can.
However, once opening day rolls around, I will wake up with anticipation and hope Barry Bonds does not hit a homerun.
Someday I would love to be sitting on the couch with my kids and tell
them the story about how I saw the record-breaking homerun, no matter
who hits it, but if things stay like they are, then a lot of others and
I will not have a great story to tell.
This isn’t fair to fans of the game.
Not only will Bonds cheat his way into the record books, he will also
be cheating fans around
the world out of a sports moment of a lifetime.
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