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Why Is Barry Bonds Important In Sports

1371 Words6 Pages

WRI 110
College Composition
Dr. Hoag
11/2/17

Performance Enhancing Drugs

Barry Bonds. What a controversial name. A name that shook a whole league, and a name that brings a taint to the sports world surrounding drugs. As a baseball player for the San Francisco Giants, Bonds had one of the biggest bats in the league and quickly became one of the most popular. Throughout his years with the Giants he shattered several MLB records: most notably through his home runs, which could infatuate a whole stadium from their sheer distance. As prolific as a player that he was however, his legacy became tarnished from the accusations of steroid use. Bonds, and many other athletes from sports all over like him, have become increasingly subject to the scrutiny …show more content…

Home runs were coming easy for him, and when they did, they would go far. For reference, the average home run hit in the major leagues the past decade has sat just under 400 feet. Barry’s average was around 420 feet, his longest coming from his historic 500-foot moonshot at AT&T Park. In 2001, only three years after Mark McGwire had broken the single season home run record with 70, Bonds broke it with 73. In a time where his previous record holder (Mark McGwire) was already subject to steroid accusations, Bonds slowly drew similar claims since he had just broken the “steroid users” record. Shortly after, he too was required to undergo drug testing to settle suspicions. The use of drugs at this time wasn’t just happening in baseball, but all across different athletic platforms. Since several athletes in the past years were tested to have used PED’s (performance enhancing drugs) at the time of competition, the International Olympics Committee took a fighting stance against the use of drugs in sport stating: “The use of doping agents in sport is both unhealthy and contrary to the ethics of sport” as their central “reason” to why PEDs are banned from the Olympics. Given the prestige that the Olympics holds over all other sports, leagues from different sports all over started to follow suit. However, the statements to ban the use of these drugs on the account that they are unhealthy to the athlete and “contrary” to the ethics of sport is

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The most popular scandal for steroid usage came during the 2013 season with the biogenesis scandal. The biogenesis scandal was reported in Miami that an anti-aging clinic had given high level baseball players steroids (The guardian). The baseball world was shocked from the number of players that were suspended in connection with the clinic. Among the players that were exposed, Nelson Cruz from the then Texas Rangers, Alex Rodriguez from the New York Yankees, Everth Cabrera of the San Diego padres, and Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers were all linked to this clinic. This was a huge issue because three of those players were all stars that year, and Alex Rodriguez has had major success in baseball.

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According to Micheal Rosenberg of Sports Illustrated, he states, “His performance did not need enhancing— and when he started enhancing it, baseball had a “nothing to see here” approach to PEDs. And yet: Many players believed steroid use was cheating, even without rules prohibiting it”. This quote proves that even though Bonds used steroids, he shouldn’t be punished for said actions by the league. Along with being technically legal in the MLB, Bond’s steroid use was also legal under federal law, as stated by Micheal Rosenburg once again, “the drugs Bonds took were so ahead-of-the-curve that he never had a confirmed positive test for steroids.

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Most Athletes Do Drugs, But Who Really Cares Athletes using performance enhancing drugs have always been in the media. When a beloved athlete is caught using drugs the media tears them apart. Any one’s favorite athlete could become nothing to them after a drug test. The articles “Cheating and CHEATING” by Joe Posnasnski and “We, the Public, Place the Best Athletes on Pedestals” by William Moller, show two sides of the effects of media as well as fame for athletes. As mentioned, “Cheating and CHEATING” by Posnanski gives its own side to the effects of media.

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For the fans, the juiced era was exhilarating, but for the game of baseball it was horrifically dark. This era tarnished the name of the great game that was one time formed around the honesty and character of it’s players. Steroid users harmed not only their own careers and chances of joining the brotherhood of the HOF, but the careers and chances of numerous other players who strived to obtain their own ticket to join the prestigious group. The juiced era was ten years of broken records and padded stats. Names like Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa,and Mark McGwire, went from HOF bound to disgraces to the name of baseball.

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