by Joshua Chambers

Created on: December 09, 2010

Performance Enhancers Versus the Hall of Fame

762 home runs, 1,996 RBI’s, 514 stolen bases, 8 gold gloves, and 7 time National League MVP. To the average sports fan these gaudy statistics have Hall of Fame written all over them. But to the more knowledgeable baseball enthusiast, these stats represent the most controversial sports debate of all time. This flawless track record belongs to Barry Bonds, the home run king and arguably the best player to ever lace up and play on a baseball field. Only one obstacle is standing between Bonds and a spot at the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, the very likelihood that voters will not induct an alleged cheater into the enshrined promise land that is baseball’s Hall of Fame. Bonds, as well as a number of big name athletes, were accused of taking steroids in 2003 when their names were found an investigated manuscript called the Mitchell Report. Although never convicted, the dilemma of performance enhancing drugs in baseball and sports in general has resulted in some of these athletes being exiled from their own respective professions. But, should Bonds, the media dubbed “Villain” be a first ballot hall of famer? This controversy has dominated headlines much of this decade which has experts calling the 21st century baseball’s Dark Age.

Bonds, McGuire, Clemens, Rodriguez, Giambi, Sosa, Canseco, and Palmeiro begin a seemingly endless list of names with hall of fame credentials that have unfortunately tested positive for or been accused of taking some type of performance enhancing drug. The sad truth is in all probability none of these players listed will make it to Cooperstown any time soon. The Hall of Fame's criteria straight from the books: Voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played. Integrity, the key word in that statement, for all intent and purposes makes Bonds case for the hall of fame, or any athlete whose legacy is tainted by steroids, extremely frail. The fact is Bonds and all his colleagues that made the decision to take anabolic steroids or human growth hormones in order to boost their stats, cheated. Whether the substantial evidence is there or not, visual confirmation in appearance can all but guarantee these players took illegal substances.

So that’s it? Bonds’ supporters are just going to have to deal with the fact that his name is

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