by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright August 8, 2007
All Rights Reserved.

mashing his way again into the record books, San Francisco Giant slugger Barry Bonds hit No. 756 July 7 at PacBell Park, breaking Hank Aaron's once unthinkable lifetime homerun mark of 755. Bonds already broke in 2001 Mark McGwire's 1998 single-season homerun record of 70. McGwire's record stood for less than three seasons, taking 37 years to break Roger Maris' 1961 single season-record of 61. Maris broke Babe Ruth's 1927 record of 60, once thought untouchable. Bonds knocked Washington National's pitcher Mike Bacaik anemic 84 mph fastball 435 feet into the right-centerfield bleachers, raised his arms triumphantly and trotted slowly around the bases. While PacBell Park erupted in celebration, Bond's critics were busy discounting his milestone because of his suspected steroid use. Bonds has never tested positive for steroids since Major League Baseball's 2004 ban.

      When Babe Ruth set the record in 1927, he was powered by hotdogs and beer, not “performance-enhancing drugs” or nutritional supplements. Like Bonds, McGwire's short-lived record was also questioned because of his admitted use of androstendione, a nutritional precursor to testosterone. When McGwire's former Oakland A's teammate Jose Canseco published his tell-all book in 2005, “Juiced,” implicating McGwire and other ballplayers in a steroid scandal, McGwire looked sheepish answering questions under oath March 17, 2005 from the House Government Reform Committee about his past steroid use. In 2005 Bonds denied knowingly using steroids to a grand jury, according to transcripts obtained by San Francisco Chronicle sports reporters Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada in their 2006 book, “Game of Shadows.” Bonds celebrates while a grand jury considers perjury.

      Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, who's been marking Bond's progress toward Aaron's record attending recent games, reluctantly gave much credit. “While the issues which have swirled around this record will continue to work themselves toward resolution, today is the day for congratulations on a truly remarkable achievement,” said Selig, raising the steroid scandal on Bonds' big night. Hank Aaron refused to attend the the game in which Bonds broke his 34-year-old record, expressing reservations because of Bonds' rumored steroid use. Aaron appeared on video, halfheartedly giving Bonds his due. Neither Selig, nor Aaron, nor any sportswriter, nor anyone else can say with any certainty that nutritional supplements or steroids improve reaction-time, hand-eye coordination, bat-speed, overall swing or any other factor affecting homeruns. Bashing supplements and steroids is the latest hysteria.

      California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a seven-time Mr. Olympia and 1968 Mr. Universe professional bodybuilder, admitted to using Dianabol and testosterone propionate, before steroids were banned in 1990. Major League Baseball banned steroids in 2004 under extreme pressure from Congress. Before Victor Conte, the founder in of BALCO [Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative] supplied steroids to track stars and professional athletes, he offered nutrition counseling, blood and urine analysis. Conte was an expert in performance-enhancing nutritional supplements, like androstendione. He kept ahead of the anti-doping curve, providing substances not yet detectable to the U.S. Anti-doping Agency, responsible for finding banned substances in amateur athletes. According the sealed grand testimony, BALCO's chemist Patrick Arnold developed the steroid called “The Clear.”

      Called “The Clear,” tetrahydrogestrinone (THG), was an undetectable steroid given to amateur and professional athletes. According to grand jury transcripts obtained by journalist Williams and Fainaru-Wada, Bonds received “The Clear,” from his weight trainer Greg Anderson beginning in 1999, after McGwire broke Maris' the single-season homerun record. Both Conte and Anderson entered plea deals July 15, 2005 for distributing steroids and money laundering. Like I. Lewis “Scooter" Libby, who was convicted in the Valerie Plame affair of perjury and obstruction of justice, Bonds finds himself caught in a white lie, because steroids were not technically illegal under medical supervision in MLB before 2004. While called “performance enhancing drugs,” there's no evidence that steroids improve the skills needed to hit home runs or perform any other technical act.

      Whether the sports world and media can accept it, Bonds' homerun record stands on its own, regardless of whether he took nutritional supplements, steroids or anything else. You can't place an asterisk beside his record either (a) on speculation or proof that he used steroids or (b) until it can be proven scientifically that steroids improve reaction-time, hand-eye coordination or any other skill needed to hit homeruns. Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig should have bit his tongue before publicly raising the steroid issue on Bonds' big night. Bonds' compact stroke, lightening-quick bat-speed and unequaled focus earned him the accolade of the greatest hitter to ever play the game. Until anyone breaks his records, the public, media and, yes, MLB must acknowledge his accomplishments. There can be no asterisk next to his record because of all the hype about nutritional supplements and steroids.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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