Bonds get tested for steroids

[Mik 0]

Barry Bonds was randomly tested for steroids before the Giants' game against the Dodgers on Friday night, The Contra Costa Times and MLB.com reported.

 

I'm glad this is finally happening," Bonds told MLB.com. "They'll get the results and it will clear my name. It'll show that there's nothing behind what I've been doing [on the field] all year."

 

But in an interview with the Contra Costa Times, Bonds sang a different tune.

 

"My name ain't dirty," Bonds told the paper.

 

Bonds, who has 703 home runs, is just 11 homers behind Babe Ruth (714) and 52 behind Hank Aaron (755) on the all-time list. Bonds, a six-time NL MVP, has 46 home runs this season.

 

The results aren't made public unless a player tests positive twice. A first positive test results in treatment, while a second positive result would lead to a fine or suspension, and the player's name would be made public.

 

Bonds was one of 10 baseball players to testify before a grand jury investigating the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) for alleged tax evasion and the illegal sale of drugs. Bonds was not charged, but his friend and trainer, Greg Anderson, was indicted in the probe.

 

 

Well, they wouldn't release his name if it were positive, but you know it would leak out. So maybe now we can shaddup about this?

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Not really, the league's drug policy is laughable and I wouldn't put it past them to just look the other way for Bonds. And I'm pretty sure he's off the juice this season with the government breathing down his neck or he switched to something new that'll go under the radar.

 

Remember this is the league where a good portion of the White Sox had to refuse a test, failing it, to even keep random testing around.

[Guest Shoes Head]

I thought baseball players don't train as hard during the season in order to "not leave it all in the gym." Bonds is on the j, there's just no way a person can bulk up like that naturally at his age without staying in the gym constantly and eating round the clock.

[KK Rage 0]

Well it's about time. So what I'm wondering is, if he tests positive do all the records still count or do they go off the books? If he tests positive this is the biggest black eye in baseball history. Frankly, I'm suprised they let all of Sosa's shit stand after they caught him corking the bat.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Nothing will happen, you have to test positive twice to see any thing resembling trouble in the MLB.

[Guest Staravenger]

Bonds must've gotten into superman shape late, because 10 years ago, he didn't look at all this bulked up when playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now he's built like a brick shithouse...times two.

 

Still, none of my business, and I really don't care. Just because I didn't care about his milestone doesn't mean I care about him beind on or off steorids (he probably has been plenty of times in his career, but now I doubt it with the BALCO crap and all)

[treble 0]

"I'm glad this is finally happening," Bonds told MLB.com. "They'll get the results and it will clear my name. It'll show that there's nothing behind what I've been doing [on the field] all year."

I thought that quote was kind of strange. Saying 'all year' as opposed to his career (or whatever time frame).

 

I wouldn't be shocked if has done some form of steroids over time (knowingly or not), but he'd be crazy to still be doing them right now with all the shit that's going on.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Bonds must've gotten into superman shape late, because 10 years ago, he didn't look at all this bulked up when playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now he's built like a brick shithouse...times two.

I think we should check his back for acne.

 

 

And what IS a brick shithouse, anyway?

[2GOLD 0]

So no matter what, Bonds is guilty.

 

If it's negative, he stopped taking last year and switched to something. So it's a lose-lose for him.

 

I really don't understand, if the test comes back negative then Barry Bonds should be clear of all allegations. None of this, "well he obvious just switched to something less traceable" crap.

 

The guy is not built, he's big but does not look like he is muscular. Bonds is not a mountain of muscle. He's a mountain of older guy who happens to have one of the easiest swings in Major League Baseball.

 

If it's negative, I'll accept his word he never did steroids.

[UZI Suicide 0]

They're testing him NOW? About 3 years too late there, Selig.

 

This is Bonds in 1997, fairly skinny looking

 

 

 

now in 1998.. more bulk than the previous year, but still not all THAT much.

 

 

now 1999...the incredible hulk

 

 

 

and finally.. the culmination, in 2000

 

[Lightning Flik 0]

You know, by looking at each of those pics, for each year, he simply looks like he gained muscle naturally. Honestly, it doesn't look like he instantly gained the bulk.

[2GOLD 0]

You know, by looking at each of those pics, for each year, he simply looks like he gained muscle naturally. Honestly, it doesn't look like he instantly gained the bulk.

 

Exactly. Not to mention, he looks like he might be chubby in the stomach as well. The guy grew naturally and people are gasping at straws because a) the print media hates him b) Rick Riley hates him...but he hates everyone not named Rick Riley and c) they need another explanation other than he can hit the ball really well.

 

If he's guilty, fine.

 

But if he's not, the photo evidence they have doesn't even look close to damming.

[Mik 0]

Wow. For awhile there I thought I was the only human being alive who thought Bonds was steroid free. I just think that most of the people who throw out blind steroid accusations are people who have never lifted weights in their life and have no idea exactly how much difference you can make in one year.

 

I'd honestly be very surprised if Bonds ever came back with a positive test.

[Guest Staravenger]

Bonds must've gotten into superman shape late, because 10 years ago, he didn't look at all this bulked up when playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now he's built like a brick shithouse...times two.

I think we should check his back for acne.

 

 

And what IS a brick shithouse, anyway?

A Shithouse made out of bricks.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I really don't understand, if the test comes back negative then Barry Bonds should be clear of all allegations. None of this, "well he obvious just switched to something less traceable" crap.

 

Well for starters only a moron would get caught doing steroids right now. Of course he isn't roiding right now because the federal government is involved. You'd be hard pressed to find an MLB player on steroids right now.

[Guest Staravenger]

No one is THAT stupid. Even Jason Giambi got off the 'roids this season (and seems like some people think thats why he had some parasite infesting him and the tumor he had to have removed in July).

[Guest fanofcoils]

Bonds is much stronger but his natural ability has to be down from what it used to be because he is 40. He is clearly worse defensively but I'm wondering how he has a higher batting average so far this decade than he did in the 90s, is he just "trying harder"?

[Guest Staravenger]

Maybe he is one of those "Life Begins at 35" people.

[2GOLD 0]

Bonds is much stronger but his natural ability has to be down from what it used to be because he is 40. He is clearly worse defensively but I'm wondering how he has a higher batting average so far this decade than he did in the 90s, is he just "trying harder"?

 

He slowed down his swing, got closer to the plate and only waits for pitches to hit.

 

He got patient and is more than willing to take a walk now. When he was younger, he seemed to feel that a walk was failure so he'd swing at almost anything.

[Guest whitemilesdavis]

Surely you're not saying steroids could help your eye for the ball, thus improving batting average, decreasing strike-outs, and increasing walks. Forget it, roids won't do that, if it would, give me some.

 

Drugged or not (I believe not), the guy is the best hitter ever. And, I gained 70 lbs in 6 months one time. No drug of any kind, it sometimes just happens.

[UZI Suicide 0]

sometimes it "just happens"? sometimes a guy all of the sudden bulks up in his late 30's and hits 73 HR's in a season?

 

It wasn't too long ago that Bonds would have been lucky to get 500 HR's, and now he's going to probably get 800. That is just pure bullshit and everyone knows it.

[2GOLD 0]

Bonds changed his stance and worked on his swing. He didn't SUDDENLY bulk up at all, he didn't even come close to a sudden increase.

 

Bonds always had the potential to be a better hitter and anyone who watched baseball could have told you that.

 

Bonds was very much like Sosa, swinging as hard as possible and not caring where the ball was when he swung. Now he uses his head and has possibly one of the most destructive swings in baseball. It's a pure pull swing.

 

Steriods do nothing for you if you can't make contact. Young Barry could have taken steroids like Flintstone chewables and he wouldn't have hit the ball cause he had a reckless swing.

[Guest Staravenger]

In Bonds defense, he's been a steady home run hitter most of his career. Outside of hitting 70+ in one season, he's usually been in the upper 30's-40's range, even when he wasn't bulked up for most of his career.

[UZI Suicide 0]

Bonds changed his stance and worked on his swing. He didn't SUDDENLY bulk up at all, he didn't even come close to a sudden increase.

 

Bonds always had the potential to be a better hitter and anyone who watched baseball could have told you that.

 

Bonds was very much like Sosa, swinging as hard as possible and not caring where the ball was when he swung. Now he uses his head and has possibly one of the most destructive swings in baseball. It's a pure pull swing.

 

Steriods do nothing for you if you can't make contact. Young Barry could have taken steroids like Flintstone chewables and he wouldn't have hit the ball cause he had a reckless swing.

 

Give me a fucking break, that's got to be the dumbest excuse I've ever heard. He was like Sosa? Bonds has ALWAYS walked a lot, even earlier in his career, and has never had a lot of K's.

[Guest Shoes Head]

Bonds isn't just "bigger" - he's broader in the shoulders and his chest. A person doesn't bulk up like that naturally. Can anyone name me one professional boxer or football player who's gone through the same transformation? No, because their steroid abuse would be detected.

 

Besides constant training and eating, there is no way a man can gain that much muscle mass at his age. He's on the j.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

sometimes it "just happens"? sometimes a guy all of the sudden bulks up in his late 30's and hits 73 HR's in a season?

 

It wasn't too long ago that Bonds would have been lucky to get 500 HR's, and now he's going to probably get 800. That is just pure bullshit and everyone knows it.

Lucky to get 500? Bonds had one bad season, in 1999. That year he had an OBP of only .389, and slugged .617. Looking at baseball-reference.com, Bonds' most similar players at that point were Frank Robinson, Mickey Mantle, Jeff Bagwell, Duke Snider, and Reggie Jackson. None of those guys had 500 home runs at that point, but three went on to reach that goal. The rest of the top ten also includes Willie Mays, Eddie Mathews, and Sammy Sosa.

 

He's not the athlete he once was, because as he is better at the plate, he is not such a great base-stealer or fielder at this point. But his hitting is off-the-charts. Moreover, he is the most disciplined hitter I've seen in a long, long time.

 

And all this begs the question, if steroids can give you this ability at 41, why isn't everyone taking them?

[Guest fanofcoils]

At 41? He is 40. Steroids are cheating, people generally only cheat when they need to and the people in MLB don't need to cheat because they are already in the league, but it could be different when a player wants a bigger contract during the final year of his current contract for example. Also a reason why some baseball players may not choose steroids are believed health issues.

[Guest Anglesault]

Chances that this will somehow become racism if he tests positive?

[Dr. Tom 0]

So steroids are responsible for Bonds' one big HR season? Never mind that he's been consistently hitting about 45 a year for a decade or so now, and we KNOW that a man can't have an aberrational year in the power department without being on the juice. Wade Boggs, 1987? Clearly on steroids, at least by the "logic" shown in this thread. Why I bet he gained 5 pounds that offseason!

 

Barry Bonds is the best hitter of his generation, and the best to come along in quite some time. He has made himself into a very disciplined hitter with a short, explosive swing. Yes, he's gotten bigger since he arrived in SF, but did anyone consider that he bulked up (naturally, not with roids) to make up for the inevitable decline in skills he knew was coming? Bonds has managed to avoid going into a tailspin at this juncture of his career because he's absurdly disciplined at the plate and is in such good shape. He's definitely lost some skills, notably on defense and the basepaths, but he's fended off the effects of time at the plate.

 

I'm sure those of you who are so insistent he took steroids have some actual proof? You know, besides the "OMG he bulked up and hit a lot of HR~!!!!11!" "argument" that some of you are trying to substitute for proof.

[Mik 0]

Amen.