Saturday, August 11, 2007

Barry Bonds: Best hitter of all time? Yes. Absolute asshole? Who cares?

Larry Abrams: Bonds -- In and Outta This World - Living Now on The Huffington Post

I couldn't agree more with the author. I don't care that Bonds may have taken steroids. He's still the best hitter I've ever seen. Most players, even when they know what's coming, still fail to hit the ball 7 out of 10 times. Not Barry.

No amount of steroids makes you a better hitter. Your hits may go farther, but balls you don't get 'all of' just become longer outs.

Plus, count up the number of pitchers who have been popped for, or admitted to using, steroids, and they outnumber the hitters by a long shot. And there are far few pitchers in the league than batters.

So, even if he did take 'performance-enhancing' drugs, so did his competition. Viola! Instant level playing field.

Finally, who's to say that wearing contacts isn't performance-enhancing? So-called "God-given" talent is often shouted out during the steroid debate. If you weren't born with the talent, then isn't everything you do 'performance-enhancing?'

And isn't that the point of sports? To do what others haven't or couldn't?

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