Did Barry Bonds cheat or not?

Question

Some say he cheated but others say there was no rule against doing what he did at the time he did it. Were those substances banned at the time he used them? If not, how is he a "cheater"?

Answer 1

Steroids are illegal, so how is there not a rule against them???
Bonds isn't the only one who cheated, a lot of players did.........

Answer 2

He knew what he was doing...He also knew it wasn't right banned or not...Baseball is a game throughout history where players have tried to gain an advantae any way they could. There were the spitball days from the past, pitchers nowadays try to 'doctor' the ball(see Kenny Rogers..) Players are always trying to steal signs...All of these things were and are part of the game.
Now back to Barry. Is what he did any worse? Was he the only one doing it? If not does that make it okay? There is no simple answer however when age old records are being demolished, when 50 home runs is no longer a bench mark number, when the integrity of the game has been placed in question then yes I think he 'cheated'. None of the other things dramatically changed the game. Steroids did. Bonds isn't the only culprit, he is however the face of it.

Answer 3

Couple of things about Bonds.
If Bonds didn't know that the 'cream and the clear' were steroids and didn't know that steroids were cheating, when asked a million times why the sudden surge in home runs, he would have said "oh, I am rubbing this cream on my self when I work out"

If you drove up in a very expensive car and someone asked how you could afford it and you reply "well, I make 150k a year", that's an explanation. If they ask you how you can afford it and you don't make that kind of money (say you stole the money), you don't answer the question, you give a vague, half truth ("I ah, came into some money") or you lie.

If someone put in print that you took steroids and you didn't, you sue for libel. Everyone does it, the inquirer type magazines get sued all the time, but they don't care, they make sales regardless.

So, if something is legal (in baseball, even though it wasn't legal in law), but cheating, you don't speak up. If it's legal all around and not cheating, I think most people talk about that openly.

When they asked Nolan Ryan why his career was so long he said "I work my legs harder than anything. A pitcher's life is in his legs. If you don't have good legs, you are done". That's someone who said something that he knew wasn't illegal or cheating, so he was open about it.

Answer 4

Everything "looks" like he cheated. I don't know how anyone can prove when he may have used the substances. The bottom line is there is no hard evidence to prove he's cheated. Unless the league takes a hard stand against this and tests everybody right now nothing is going to happen. And Bonds, if he is cheating, is not alone. Sosa takes a year off and now doesn't look physically like the Sosa of a few years ago. Ivan Rodrieguz "slimmed down" as well. They, in my opinion" didn't want to get caught so they got honest.

Answer 5

Barry Bonds a Hall of Famer????? Are you NUTS? Barry Bonds is a cheater and if he is allowed to enter the Hall of Fame, the Pete Rose should be a lock to get in. You know, scuffing up a baseball was not against the law, but there were rules against it. Using Vasoline to get a better drop on the off speed pitches is against the rules also. They were considered cheaters. Anyone remember George Brett and the tar? That was cheating. Barry Bonds is a cheater and racist at that. Mark McGuire is a cheater also. Sammy Sosa? Yes, him to. All of these guys were cheaters and none of them are Hall of Famers. Bottom Line!!!

Answer 6

He definitely did not cheat. Of course steroids and growth hormone were banned in pro sports, but to test negative for all of them various times????? Tests like that are impossible to beat because the blood was drawn and cup filled in front of witnesses. Cheating in baseball is more like throwing a game for the benefit of monetary gain via gambling, or paying off umpires to make calls in their favor.

I believe that steroids will not help you gain an edge in hitting home runs. If Barry was on steroids, the total for "splash hit HR's" into San Francisco Bay would be over 200, and not a measly 43 as of 7+ years the stadium was in operation. Also, his HR's do not cut through the wind and most die out before it hits the warning track. That's not a sign of superhuman strength.

Barry Bonds is not "cut" or defined, otherwise it would be difficult to have a quick bat speed due to all the tight and enlarged muscles in his arms and back if he took steroids.

Barry still has adequate eyesight in order to see the ball. Steroids will diminish your vision and deteriorate your eyesight to the point where nothing will be viewed sharply.

Barry has his wits about him. The story that Barry Bonds is a jerk and has an attitude problem is just made up by disgruntled reporters because Barry does not want to grant 100% of the requested interviews. His anger is only due to reporters and their smear campaign against him. Also, the abrasive fans that are brainwashed into thinking he is a bad person rubs him wrong too. Steroids will turn you into a maniac that cannot control rage. I met him many times at my place of employment during the "so-called" drugged up years. He was pleasant, willing to chat, sign autographs, respected all that approached him and was not a jerk. Even when I met him after he got his knee scoped, he shook people's hands, signed autographs and did not get impatient, even though he was in obvious pain.

Barry's growth spurt is not unusual and not related to drug use. Barry is not "hulked" up or turned into Mr. Universe. When you age, your metabolism slows down. He is not built, defined or cut. Just big, fat or chubby, as his younger brother told the media.

Answer 7

LOOK AT THE GUY!!! does a wild bear s#&t in the woods. there is no way he built up that much muscle in 3 months without a little help from his buddy Balco. i mean come on don't be so nieve. i pray that for Aaron and the sake of baseball the guy dies before he touches home for the 756th time. Hammerin Hank is the all time leader, not some no talent, cheating son of a you know what. they tried takin maris's record away for more games and now you have a guy coming in and cheating his way to the hall and they do nothing. what would the babe think of this?!? You got guys like Shoeless Joe and Charlie Hustle that wont get into the hall because one threw the series by having no errors and batting over .300 with a homer and the other who is one of the best players of all time and all time hit leader and your saying somebody who takes steriods can. where's the fairness their??? all in all he is a no good dirty rotten cheat who only deserves a place in hell with Palmeiro, Canseco, MacGwire and Sosa.

Answer 8

he's a cheater, yes
but really, doesn't that make him kind of smart?

steriods are illegal. plain and simple. but since when has the law ever stopped pro athletes and celeberities from doing what they want? as long as u have the money to back it up, u can probably get away with a lot of things in America. As sad as it is, it's true!

also, Bonds knew the league wasn't gonna do $hit about it. He was correct. In my opinion baseball brought this on themselves, they deserve to have a cheater break the record bcuz they do little to enforce it.

so since bonds has the money he lollygags his way to a home run record and major league baseball wind up looking like fools.

Answer 9

The circumstantial evidense of steriod use is magnificent, yet there's no data of cheating. the achieved MLB pastime enthusiasts could desire to have used steriods and lots extra beneficial of them did than optimal human beings will ever get to take heed to approximately. Why? for the clarification that an embarassed league likes the achieved undesirable press approximately steroids being directed at one scapegoat. they do now no longer % extremely extremely all and sundry talking with regard to the area the achieved one hundred MPH fastballs went or why so few pastime enthusiasts are hitting 30+ homestead runs now. in easy words carry talking approximately Bonds.

Answer 10

Anyone who thinks that Barry Bonds was a "sure thing" hall of famer before his steroid assisted 73 HR season is probably on steroids too...

In Pittsburgh he was an average outfielder who just so happens has the same last name of a MLB All Star and godson of Willie Mays.

Like some of the other posters have stated on this question, you can't gain 40 lbs of muscle in the span of 6 months..it's impossible, unless you're adding something to the mix.

Since joining the Giants, what has he done? Other than began the slow destruction of MLB as America's past time

The only thing worse in baseball than Bonds steroid run to the HR record, is Bud Selig's allowing it to happen. I know he's scared of Danald Fehr and the MLBPA, but don't destroy baseball so you can say the HR record was broken during your reign

Answer 11

He is a cheater because he used them even after they were banned. For those who say he did not use steroids, look at the size of his head compared to before the "alleged" use. Same goes for Jason Giambi. If these guys want to risk their health for my enjoyment of the game I say go for it. No one likes a boring game, and the home run is one of the most exciting parts of the game.