Noting that Barry Bonds “has been in prosecutors’ cross hairs for more than two years,” the Houston Chronicle’s Richard Justice argues that the Most Despised Man In Baseball has been unfairly targeted.
Maybe Barry Bonds is correct when he says he’s the object of a witch hunt. Some of baseball’s highest-ranking executives are starting to feel the same way.
They find Bonds to be a loathsome character. They also believe it’s time prosecutors either indict him or admit they don’t have anything.
They were outraged when pitcher Jason Grimsley revealed that prosecutors wanted him to wear a wire and strike up a conversation with Bonds.
That request was the first indication these investigators may not have done their homework.
”Hey, Barry. Where’d you get the steroids?”
If a case against Bonds is hinging on someone’s carrying on a substantive conversation with Barry, it’s dead.
“Don’t you think this has gone on long enough?” a high-ranking baseball official said. “I mean, either indict the guy or get off his back.”
Promising that “the second half will be better”, Bonds claims in today’s Sacramento Bee that he’s capable of 35 home runs next season. If he’s talking about the Golden League, I think he’s being modest.
I can’t believe what Barry Bonds has gone through. People call him a cheat and hate him. For WHAT? Copying the unwritten rule of the MLB. Mark and Sammy go into a homerun derby and everyone praises them… even though Mark admits he’s using steriods and says “It’s legal.” Barry Bond may or may not have known he was using steriods, but he was only doing exactly what everyone else at the time was> USING! Regardless of what everyone thinks or says, they forget one thing. Barry Bonds has been the first and only person in baseball to hit 400 homers and steal 400 bases. His defensive play, speed and stats alone warrent his induction into the hall of fame, and all that was done without the use of steriods. And no one can argue that! Just because he “joined the Club” he has been vilified and berated, and I dont think he’s been treated fairly at all. Lets start going after everyone or no one.
Chet Kirylo