Of Bobby Bonds, Barry Bonds, and Innocence Lost

When I was an 11-year old kid, I got a transistor radio for my birthday. I was rarely without my radio after that—humming along to "My Green Tambourine" and listening to the San Francisco Giants.

 

In those halcyon days, summers stretched forever and my beloved Giants could do no wrong. They didn't enjoy much success on the diamond, but they never let down a kid who believed baseball players were on par with comic book heroes and astronauts.

 

When I graduated from junior high school I was given a three-inch trophy for having the third-best grade point average in my class. At that same graduation ceremony, jocks who excelled in intramural sports were given huge trophies.

As a skinny and nerdy kid, I started to resent athletes—but my love of Bobby Bonds was undiminished.

In that innocent time, we never heard about the extracurricular activities of sports stars. I knew everything about Bobby Bonds the baseball player; I knew nothing about his personal life.

About a decade ago I moved from San Francisco to Virginia, but I still follow the fortunes of my favorite team—by watching them on my widescreen TV instead of listening to them on my squeaky transistor radio.

I was delighted when Barry Bonds, the son of my childhood idol, joined the Giants in 1993. Barry isn't the most lovable person in the world, but I was glad the Giants signed the best player in the game.

When Barry morphed from a lanky speedster into a blundering behemoth, though, I knew it wasn't Flintstones Vitamins he was gobbling.

How do I feel about Barry Bonds breaking the most hallowed record in sports? Does he belong in the Hall of Fame, or should his alleged use of steroids disqualify him from Cooperstown?

I'm no longer the wide-eyed little kid who worshiped the Giants and dreamed of writing for the New York Times—I'm a sad-eyed old fart who writes for a small-town newspaper, and who realizes that heroes have feet of clay.

Babe Ruth got wasted on alcohol before games, and Barry Bonds may or may not have used steroids. Nobody is perfect. I'm not making excuses for Barry Bonds; I'm strongly against the use of any illegal drugs. Sports stars should set a good example for the wide-eyed kids who idolize them.

But Barry has suffered for his alleged crimes—he is perhaps the most hated sports star in the world. His home run record should not be marred with an asterisk, and he belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame.