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Baseball
Player Bonds Nears Historic Mark |
Posted:
05.24.06
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San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds is on the verge of
surpassing baseball legend Babe Ruth for second on the career
home runs list. Usually such a milestone is cheered, but in this
case, allegations that Bonds has used steroids have prompted a
debate over racism and cast a shadow over his achievement.
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 Statistically,
Bonds is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of all time.
His 73 home runs in 2001 are a single-season record. Bonds also
is the only player to have 500 home runs and 500 stolen bases
in a career.
On May 20, he hit his 714th home run, matching Babe Ruth's total
and placing him behind only Hank Aaron's 755.
However, along with several of his fellow players, Bonds is suspected
of using illegal steroids.
"There is no other conclusion you can draw from the evidence
that we laid out in our book but that he knowingly used drugs
from '99 through the 2003 season," said Lance Williams, co-author
of a book called "Game of Shadows" that chronicled Bonds'
alleged use of steroids, on the April 3 NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.
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Bonds backlash
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Other alleged steroid users, such as Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa
and Mark McGwire, have retired and faded out of the public eye.
But Bonds keeps hitting home runs and attracting negative attention.
When Bonds leaves the friendly confines of AT&T Park in San
Francisco, he is often booed and heckled by angry fans. In April,
a baseball fan in San Diego threw a plastic syringe at Bonds.
When Astros pitcher Russ Springer hit Bonds with a baseball, he
received a standing ovation from the Houston crowd.
 Tyler
Snyder, the fan who caught Bonds' 714th home run, was asked if
he planned to give the ball to Bonds. "Probably not, I hate
that guy," he told reporters, according to Associated Press.
Even some of his fellow players have spoken out against Bonds.
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Corey Lidle openly questioned the
legitimacy of Bonds' home run total. "Basically, he had decisions
to make," Lidle told the Philadelphia Daily News. "There
are consequences in every decision. He's a grown-up. He's got
to live with those consequences."
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Racism allegations |
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There also have been allegations that the negative reaction to
Bonds' success is driven by racism.
 The
situation has been compared to that of Hank Aaron, also an African
American, who received death threats when he surpassed Ruth in
1974.
"White America doesn't want him to [pass] Babe Ruth and
is doing everything they can to stop him," Leonard Moore,
director of African and African-American studies at Louisiana
State University told USA Today in March. "Once Bonds passes
Ruth, there's nothing that will make [Ruth] unique and they're
scared. And I'm scared for Bonds."
Minnesota Twins outfielder Torii Hunter echoed these allegations.
"He has never failed a drug test and said he never took steroids,
but everybody keeps trying to disgrace him," Hunter told
USA Today.
"How come nobody even talks about Mark McGwire anymore?
Or [Rafael] Palmeiro? Whenever I go home, I hear people say all
of the time, 'Baseball just doesn't like black people.'"
 In
the spring of 2005, Bonds himself addressed the race issue. "Blacks,
we go through a little more, and that's the truth," Bonds
said in a news conference, according to The Washington Post. "Unfortunately,
I said it. And I'm not a racist, but I live in the real world."
However, Oakland Athletics third baseman Eric Chavez disagreed
that racism is behind the skepticism of Bonds' accomplishments.
"Barry was my childhood hero growing up, and what he's going
through I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. But as far as this
being race related? I totally disagree. If Big Mac [McGwire] was
playing, he'd be in the same boat," he said in an interview
with USA Today.
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Bonds' future |
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 Barring
injury, Bonds is expected to surpass Ruth any day. His focus will
then turn to Aaron's 755 home runs.
Two years ago that record seemed well within reach, but after
sitting out most of last season with injuries and still showing
some pain, the 41 year old may have to return for the 2007 season
to have a chance at that mark.
--Compiled
by Jeremy Lundblad for NewsHour Extra
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I think we've been witnessing violence for years, whether in reality through the media or through video games, and I don't think that's a first-hand effect.
