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Should Barry Bonds retire? In my opinion, yes. Barry Bonds is a super star. There is certainly no argument about that. Five time Giant Player of the Year, 14 time All Star, 8 Gold Glove Awards, three Hank Aaron Awards and a lifetime .298 batting average with 760-odd bombs is testament to his greatness. It would be fitting for this legend of the game to get out whilst on top.

Here are a few preceding comments and stories I would like to relate to you before I make my argument.

I don't particularly like Barry Bonds. He makes it difficult to like him. However his character is not what we are debating here. I cannot imagine the racism that he has probably had to endure being a black man in America. This has most definitely shaped the way Barry sees the world and I have empathy for that.

As for the whole alleged steroid issue? Barry Bonds is not the first man to take performance enhancing drugs in professional baseball and he certainly won't be the last. If you believe otherwise, you are deluding yourself. And, to my knowledge, they still have not invented a steroid that actually helps you make contact with a 90 m.p.h fastball. The record is still phenomenal.

Jeff Pentland, the former coach of Arizona State University Baseball Team and current Seattle Mariners hitting coach in the Big Leagues, told me how Barry would hit 800 foot drives with an aluminum bat and how the game seemed to be in slow motion for him at that level. Such was his prodigious talent. He told me of the time when Bonds was drafted to the Pirates and playing with AAA affiliate, the Hawaiian Islanders. The Pirates Director of Scouting was watching Bonds take B.P before a game and he was smashing the ball over the right field fence. The Head Scout called out to him, "Anyone can pull the ball over the fence!". Bonds pushed the next five balls over the left field fence, turned and looked at the scout with disdain.

That night in his first at bat, Bonds homered over the right field fence, as if to prove a point. Story has it he glared up into the stands when he crossed the plate! After the game, the Director of Scouting was on the phone and Bonds was called up to the big club and there he stayed. That was 1986.

Twenty two years later, with the all-time home run record under his belt and a life time .298 average, Bonds looks tired and sore. I would like to see this amazing, but unlikeable champion of baseball retire while he's on top. That is, if he would like to. He certainly should retire on his own terms. I feel he has nothing left to prove, save for a World Series ring. Plenty of super stars don't have one.

Hang 'em up Barry, you've served enough.

Learn more about this author, Justin Charles.
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