The book is Game of Shadows written by the two reporters from the San Francisco Chronicle who originally broke the BALCO story. There are two stories here, one about Bonds and one about steroids in baseball, with a number of sub-threads. Let me share my perspective with you.
The Record
The Bonds story is big because he has become the greatest home run hitter in the game and now he is taking a run at the all time home run record. If Bonds is healthy enough to play this season, and get close to Hank Aaron's record, fans will be both fascinated and horrified. They will be fascinated by Bonds' amazing ability to hit home runs at his age, and horrified by the thought that a cheater could rise to hold the most cherished record in baseball. Bonds' run at the record will be slowed by these latest revelations. He will be under intense scrutiny and opposing fans will be loud and insulting to Barry. The local media in each city will be asking the same old questions. But that is not new to Barry, he might soldier on regardless, but I think it will wear him down and he might call it quits after this season.
The Game
The debate regarding what baseball insiders knew will likely continue until someone spills the beans. Undoubtedly the McGwire and Sosa race for the record really helped major league baseball. Fans do indeed "dig the long ball". So, in a way, steroids helped baseball. But that is a fine line, if fans believe the players are mutated freaks they will lose interest and parents will discourage their kids from following the game. Baseball has recognized this risk, but the main objective of baseball, and the union, is to keep steroids talk out of the papers. The illusion that the game is clean is the most important thing, more on that topic below.
Cheater!
Some fans claim Bonds is not a cheater, that steroids were not banned by baseball. Others claim that Bonds and others use of steroids is akin to corking a bat, or slicing the ball, "getting an edge is part of baseball". I contend that his performance while using steroids, and those of the other home run hitters, show that there is a scale here that is unmatched by cork or a razor-blade. Bonds performance, for his age, is unmatched in major league history. Creatine, vitamins, and other substances can also help an athlete get stronger but steroids are in a class of their own. How many guys who hit 50 home runs talk about their vitamin regime? Look at all the big home run hitters of the last ten years and then you decide. Bonds is a cheater, period.
The Hall of Fame
Mark McGwire will be up for election to the Hall of Fame before Bonds. How will the voters handle them, will they be treated the same or differently? Both were great players before the steroid era but some voters will withhold their votes because of the steroid issue. I don't think it is fair to look at Bonds' numbers, steroid aided. I also don't think it is fair to leave him out of consideration for the Hall of Fame. I would look at his career, pre-steroids, assume a normal, non-juiced, end of career, and make my determination based on those theoretical numbers, not on the actuals.
Steroids - do they work?
Does anyone really doubt that they work? Yes they won't give me the ability to hit a 95 mph fastball, but if I have the talent to be a major leaguer it will make me better, stronger and healthier. Look at any interview with a steroid user and you will find they all could see and feel the benefits. The one interview I always remember was Keli White, the sprinter, who was implicated in the BALCO scandal, and was interviewed on ABC. Unlike Bonds she admitted her involvement and took her penalty. She talked about starting to use the "cream" or the "clear", or both, and she was amazed at her ability to work out. She could do a hard workout in the morning and another one in the afternoon. She could see the impact of the drugs immediately, it was not so subtle that she could claim ignorance. It is that capacity to increase workload, and resulting muscle mass, that makes steroids so valuable. Steroids develop strength and help athletes recover from injury. Readers with long memories will remember injury recovery was Ben Johnson's downfall. Johnson developed an injury close to the Olympics when he was supposed to be off steroids, he took the steroids anyway to allow him to recover enough to run in the Olympics. His gamble backfired. But steroids do work, without a doubt.
The New Drug Testing Regime
I am amazed at how gullible reporters and fans are when it comes to the new testing regime in baseball. Stories about how the problem is over and no-one is taking steroids anymore are unbelievable to me. Athletes have been able to dodge or fool drug testing for years. After Ben Johnson's test, and the resultant enquiry, some fans thought the sport had been cleared up but just look around. Even though there was drug testing in the Olympics for years there continues to be athletes caught. The BALCO affair exposed a number of athletes who were using illegal substances. The last summer Olympics saw two Greek sprinters exposed in drug allegations. The recent winter Olympics had a drug raid on some of the Austrian athletes and their doctor end up in a psychiatric ward. The Tour DeFrance continues to find EPO dopers. Athletes cheat, and they only get caught when there is a new testing regimen or when they slip up. There are other new designer drugs, similar to the "clear: and the "cream", that are available today. There are great masking agents for the older steroids that help avoid detection. Let me put it this way: Steroids improve your game; there are some athletes who will use anything to either make it to the big leagues or to improve their game; there are drugs available that will let you get better and that are undetectable; some athletes will take them and are willing to take the risk of detection; and some of them will tell their friends who will also use them. This is no place for idealism, this is close to a life or death issue for some athletes.
Consider this. Let's say you are a hitter in AAA whose career has stalled. You have had a little bit of major league time but younger guys are moving ahead of you on the depth chart. If you could gain 20 pounds some of those fly balls would become home runs. You just need an edge. If you don't make the majors this season you will be released and then it might be time to look for a job. You signed right out of high school, you don't have an education, so you will have to look for a car sales or life insurance sales job for, maybe, $30,000 per year. Your family still believe in you and you can feel their desire for you to succeed, especially your parents who sacrificed so much for you. If you were released it would kill their dreams too. Or, if you use the juice, you could get that edge, likely win a major league job, make $330,000 per year, and after four years have a shot at a pension. After baseball you would then have a much better chance at a higher profile job. That is a tough choice and it is no coincidence that many fringe players were caught using steroids in 2005. There is a big difference between minor league and major league pay.
Proof
Some fans just don't want to believe this and claim there is no proof. I think there is a lot of proof on Bonds. The government have evidence from the BALCO investigation of five major leaguers who were users. Palmeiro, and others were caught by the testing last year. More than 5% were caught the year before, anonymously. Some fans might not want to believe, but the steroids are available and humans have proven to be willing to take substances to make their lives better.
In case you hadn't figured it out I believe Barry Bonds has used steroids. I also believe many major leaguers continue to use them, despite the testing regimen. And steroids work.
