Is Bonds the One Who's Being Cheated? - Vito's View Sports

I’m probably the last among baseball fans to offer any kind of support for Barry Bonds. The steroid allegations, the feisty denials, the perjury charges. He may be baseball’s home run king, but he doesn’t belong in a batter’s box.

The beleaguered game doesn’t need that circus going on an encore tour this summer—last year’s finale in San Francisco was a thankful end to a show that should have been canceled by the Giants years ago.

But, and I’m still struggling to understand how I feel this way, the cheater is getting cheated by almost every club in the majors.

Also See: Russakoff: Every Team Should Try to Sign Bonds

He is being shut out of the game, which speaks volumes for who believes his denials and who believes Game of Shadows. The only team to show a mild interest is the Rays, which seems about right because, in the tradition of many of our elders, Tampa is where baseball stars play out their final days. Wade Boggs, Fred McGriff, Hideo Nomo. Mike Piazza may be next.

Meanwhile, Roger Clemens still might be able to land a credible major league gig. The Rocket is going to be welcomed into Astros camp to work out and throw BP. Like Bonds, The Rocket carries the steroid allegations, has issued feisty denials, and may now face perjury charges.

If Clemens, who has yet to officially retire, proves that his right arm still has some juice, it's reasonable to assume that Houston will offer him the chance to win a spot in its rotation. After all, it’s not like they are worried about signing players mixed up in a perjury probe—they did trade for Miguel Tejada in the offseason. (Hey, Bonds would be a perfect fit!)

Anyone who signs Bonds or Clemens will most assuredly say they are doing it for “baseball reasons” and that the off-the-field noise is out of their control. But when you strictly consider the baseball side of the equation, you see that there’s more than baseball numbers at work here.

By no means was Bonds dominant in ’07, hitting .276 with just 66 RBIs. But his on-base percentage was an eye-popping .480, he drew 132 walks, hit 28 homers, and scored 75 runs. Not bad for a 43-year-old with a bum knee. Surely, he could improve on that stat line with more at-bats as a DH in the AL.

Clemens, by contrast, was hardly effective after his ballyhooed signing with the Yankees last May. Rocket was just 6-6 with a 4.18 ERA in 18 games (17 starts), allowed 99 hits, and walked 31 over 99 innings. Playing in his second consecutive abbreviated season by choice, his time on the hill was further limited by a recurring hamstring injury, which likely contributed to his horrendous Game 3 outing against Cleveland in the ALDS. Not good for a 45-year-old power pitcher with a history of leg problems.

If Clemens proves healthy and hits the free agent market, it’s plausible that the Astros won’t be the only team interested in his services. Bonds is already on the free agent market, and, other than Rays management, the only person to admit interest has been Tony La Russa. But the Cardinals skipper said that when he approached the St. Louis front office about signing Bonds as protection for Albert Pujols, he was given an unequivocal no before any financials were discussed.

Bonds’ agent, Jeff Boras, has said that he’s been traveling from camp to camp trying to sell his client. He can’t get any takers, even though Bonds is sure to make history with this new team—he sits 65 hits shy of 3,000. The interest has been so dry that Boras said Bonds may get his baseball fix in Japan.

Any professional opportunity is more than Bonds deserves. But if Clemens, Tejada, and so many others outed in the Mitchell Report are still playing in the majors, why is Bonds being banished? What's the rationale behind that double standard?

Bonds may be the game’s most notorious cheater, but he’s not the only cheater. Let’s stop treating him like he is.

Message Edited by Vito_Forlenza on 07-03-2008 10:29 AM