Show Time to make up your mind on BonUs Bonds Jake Williams Sports Reporter Hank Aaron hit That is a fact Barry Bc Bonds ds used steroids Is that a fact Barry Bonds will hit Is this imminent On Monday June 11 II Barry Bonds blasted a at t two run run vo-run homer against the Toronto Blue Jays No of his career That leaves Bonds just eight shy of tying Hank Aarons Aaron's all- all time record of and nine shy of owning the record outright It is now time for casual and diehard fans alike to decide where they stand on Bonds' Bonds achievements This decision cant can't wait until after Aarons Aaron's mark falls falls falls- not if fans want to make an objective and unemotional judgment regarding one of baseballs baseball's greatest hitters ever Steroids or no steroids Mondays Monday's blast was number 13 of the season for Bonds and it occurred in the San Francisco Giants' Giants sixty- sixty third game of the season At that pace it will take Bonds until the end of July to equal and exceed Aarons Aaron's mark Then again this is Barry Bonds Hes He's capable of hitting three in any game against any pitcher Fans who are arc waiting for July to follow the chase for history may find themselves missing a historic moment before June has ended As Pete Rose has taught us significant records are subject to the greatest scrutiny Rose holds the record for career hits He also wagered on his own teams' teams games a move that is against league rules and has consequently earned Rose Rosea a spot outside the baseball hall of fame Bonds faces a similar fate should it be proven his career stats have been inflated by steroids So where do you stand standon on Bonds To answer this you must first answer a few specific questions First do you believe suspicions that he actually took steroids Rumors continue to circle Bonds concerning his connection with steroid supplier BALCO but no steroid use has been proven Secondly what do you you think of a possibility of a using steroid-using Bonds owning the record Should Bonds get credit for the record count whether he used steroids or not Should his final career count include an asterisk And lastly does Barry Bonds belong in the hall of fame whether he took steroids or not The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame is meant to celebrate te the history of Americas America's pastime Does that not include the bad historical moments right alongside the good times Only after answering these questions and many others like them can fans decide how they feel about what seems to be imminent Barry Bonds breaking Hank Aarons Aaron's coveted time all-time record |