755

[wyvrn]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: wyvrn

Originally posted by: TreyRandom

Originally posted by: wyvrn
Page 2 goes on to describe how nobody can prove anything, but they just think it does. Well that does it for me!!!! LOL.

You said you wanted scientific proof, and I gave it to you, which you didn't address: Force = mass x acceleration. A larger force on the same sized mass will cause a greater acceleration. And steroids gives you that larger force to cause the bat to swing faster.

If basic physics can't change your mind, nothing will, I guess.

Nice try. Now explain to me why all the researchers in the world looking at this cannot solve the debate by using your simple little equation? Perhaps because the problem is not nearly as simple as you need it to be to justify your stance.

Of course steroids can increase one's bat speed. Why do you think Ben Johnson and other sprinters have used steroids. Steroids can increase one's strength and speed. Increasing one's bat speed can allow a hitter to wait longer before swinging at a ball giving them a better look at a pitch.

And when the ball is hitting with greater force due to the increase in strength and bat speed one is not only more likely to hit more home runs but also hit balls pass infielders and outfielders.

Anecdotal. Hey if random people on the Internet could figure it out, then our scientists must have this well documented, right? Oh wait, they don't. And neither do you.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: wyvrn
For the record, I think Bonds might have used steroids and that if so, it probably increased his home run count. But I am playing devils' advocate because nobody has any measurable science or other tangible proof. It is all one argument that nobody can win or prove, given our current information. But on the other hand, Bonds was going to hit a ton of home runs anyway because he is a very talented player. He could have put on muscle with regular training and still hit a whole bunch of them. So how do you calculate where his legit home runs stop, and the 'roid ones begin? You cannot and the evidence for such an argument simply does not exist.

What do you mean that "Bonds might have used steroids"? He admitted to a Grand Jury to using the Cream and the Clear for over five years, unknowingly knowing they were steroids.

 

[TreyRandom]

Originally posted by: wyvrn
TreyRandom, your formula solves nothing. It is more complex than that. Read the research.

Then I guess it is time to stop feeding the troll.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: wyvrn

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: wyvrn

Originally posted by: TreyRandom

Originally posted by: wyvrn
Page 2 goes on to describe how nobody can prove anything, but they just think it does. Well that does it for me!!!! LOL.

You said you wanted scientific proof, and I gave it to you, which you didn't address: Force = mass x acceleration. A larger force on the same sized mass will cause a greater acceleration. And steroids gives you that larger force to cause the bat to swing faster.

If basic physics can't change your mind, nothing will, I guess.

Nice try. Now explain to me why all the researchers in the world looking at this cannot solve the debate by using your simple little equation? Perhaps because the problem is not nearly as simple as you need it to be to justify your stance.

Of course steroids can increase one's bat speed. Why do you think Ben Johnson and other sprinters have used steroids. Steroids can increase one's strength and speed. Increasing one's bat speed can allow a hitter to wait longer before swinging at a ball giving them a better look at a pitch.

And when the ball is hitting with greater force due to the increase in strength and bat speed one is not only more likely to hit more home runs but also hit balls pass infielders and outfielders.

Anecdotal. Hey if random people on the Internet could figure it out, then our scientists must have this well documented, right? Oh wait, they don't. And neither do you.

What the heck are you talking about? It's been proven that steroids can improve one's strength and speed. Why do you think it's banned in all major sports, the olympics, etc. Folks have already provided you with quotes from articles that steroids can increase one's bat speed. You keep mentioning all these scientists can't prove it, how about providing us some links that document this. Oh wait, you can't. Nice try.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Just do a google search:

Just one of many articles - http://www.usatoday.com/sports...cholars-steroids_x.htm

Yesalis, author of the book Anabolic Steroids in Sport and Exercise, says steroids produce greater muscle mass and that translates into faster bat speed.

Batting power is generated by muscles in the player's forearms, shoulders and especially the hips, all areas that can be improved with steroids.

"That increased bat speed means he can wait longer on the pitch," he says. "Even if the contact is not solid, the added power will give the ball more velocity."

He adds that more power can turn an infield ground ball into an outfield hit "and turn a regular home run into a tape-measure home run."

 

[moshquerade]

Bond's "record" will have an asterisk attached to it.

Former MVP rips Bonds as a drug cheat
Murphy says ?without a doubt? slugger took performance-enhancers

Associated Press
Updated: 6 minutes ago

SALT LAKE CITY - Two-time NL MVP Dale Murphy thinks Barry Bonds is a ?terrible example for our kids? and that the San Francisco Giants used performance-enhancing drugs ?without a doubt.?

?Barry?s a great player, there?s no question about it, but he put an asterisk by his name on his own,? Murphy said Monday on AM radio 1280 The Show. ?He?s deserved all the negative publicity that he?s getting. I mean, people are calling up and complaining, I?ve heard the last few weeks, that that he?s being treated unfairly. You know, life just usually isn?t like that. You don?t usually get treated unfairly. You usually get what you deserve. This is what Barry deserves. He?s a hard guy to like. He?s a hard teammate to have and, you know, he?s set a terrible example for our kids.?

Murphy, who hit 398 homers in 18 major league seasons before retiring in 1993, said he refuses to watch Bonds? games.

?That?s what you say to your kids. You say, ?This is what happens when you take steroids. Your dad doesn?t want to watch this, because this is stuff that?s drug abuse, basically, as we know,? he said.

Bonds, who broke Hank Aaron?s record Tuesday night by hitting his 756th home run, has denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs. A federal grand jury in California has been investigating Bonds on possible perjury and tax charges.

?Even in a court of law you can have ... a preponderance of circumstantial evidence to convict somebody,? Murphy said. ?Now, maybe I?m wrong, but when you get enough stuff on a guy, you can make a decision and it?s just really a no-brainer. The guy would have become one of the great ones, anyway. ... But now, he sucked the fun and the life right out of it. I mean, there is enough evidence to me to say without a doubt he used performance-enhancing drugs. He hit 73 home runs when he was 37. I mean, Hank would have hit 855 if he had the same advantage.?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20169613/

 

[wyvrn]

Originally posted by: TreyRandom

Originally posted by: wyvrn
TreyRandom, your formula solves nothing. It is more complex than that. Read the research.

Then I guess it is time to stop feeding the troll.

Wait, I am a troll because you cannot convince me you know more than the collective wisdom of all the really smart people who have debated this problem? Lets have the New York Times interview you because apparently you have it all figured out. Lets just end the debate with your nifty little formula. Damn, that was easy!

 

[wyvrn]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: wyvrn

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: wyvrn

Originally posted by: TreyRandom

Originally posted by: wyvrn
Page 2 goes on to describe how nobody can prove anything, but they just think it does. Well that does it for me!!!! LOL.

You said you wanted scientific proof, and I gave it to you, which you didn't address: Force = mass x acceleration. A larger force on the same sized mass will cause a greater acceleration. And steroids gives you that larger force to cause the bat to swing faster.

If basic physics can't change your mind, nothing will, I guess.

Nice try. Now explain to me why all the researchers in the world looking at this cannot solve the debate by using your simple little equation? Perhaps because the problem is not nearly as simple as you need it to be to justify your stance.

Of course steroids can increase one's bat speed. Why do you think Ben Johnson and other sprinters have used steroids. Steroids can increase one's strength and speed. Increasing one's bat speed can allow a hitter to wait longer before swinging at a ball giving them a better look at a pitch.

And when the ball is hitting with greater force due to the increase in strength and bat speed one is not only more likely to hit more home runs but also hit balls pass infielders and outfielders.

Anecdotal. Hey if random people on the Internet could figure it out, then our scientists must have this well documented, right? Oh wait, they don't. And neither do you.

What the heck are you talking about? It's been proven that steroids can improve one's strength and speed. Why do you think it's banned in all major sports, the olympics, etc. Folks have already provided you with quotes from articles that steroids can increase one's bat speed. You keep mentioning all these scientists can't prove it, how about providing us some links that document this. Oh wait, you can't. Nice try.

Wait, go back and show me where it was proven steriods improves bat speed or hand eye coordination. You mean the ones where people admitted there was no research, but they just thought it did? Or was there another one ?

 

[wyvrn]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Just do a google search:

Just one of many articles - http://www.usatoday.com/sports...cholars-steroids_x.htm

Yesalis, author of the book Anabolic Steroids in Sport and Exercise, says steroids produce greater muscle mass and that translates into faster bat speed.

Batting power is generated by muscles in the player's forearms, shoulders and especially the hips, all areas that can be improved with steroids.

"That increased bat speed means he can wait longer on the pitch," he says. "Even if the contact is not solid, the added power will give the ball more velocity."

He adds that more power can turn an infield ground ball into an outfield hit "and turn a regular home run into a tape-measure home run."

Well that seems more legit than the rest of the crap people have been posting. However just for the fun of it, I'd like to see his research. I want to know how much it makes a difference.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: wyvrn

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Just do a google search:

Just one of many articles - http://www.usatoday.com/sports...cholars-steroids_x.htm

Yesalis, author of the book Anabolic Steroids in Sport and Exercise, says steroids produce greater muscle mass and that translates into faster bat speed.

Batting power is generated by muscles in the player's forearms, shoulders and especially the hips, all areas that can be improved with steroids.

"That increased bat speed means he can wait longer on the pitch," he says. "Even if the contact is not solid, the added power will give the ball more velocity."

He adds that more power can turn an infield ground ball into an outfield hit "and turn a regular home run into a tape-measure home run."

Well that seems more legit than the rest of the crap people have been posting. However just for the fun of it, I'd like to see his research. I want to know how much it makes a difference.

I'm still waiting for your link to research from all these scientists that you say that steroids don't improve one's bat speed.

 

[dabuddha]

*

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: moshquerade
Bond's "record" will have an asterisk attached to it.

Former MVP rips Bonds as a drug cheat
Murphy says ?without a doubt? slugger took performance-enhancers

Associated Press
Updated: 6 minutes ago

SALT LAKE CITY - Two-time NL MVP Dale Murphy thinks Barry Bonds is a ?terrible example for our kids? and that the San Francisco Giants used performance-enhancing drugs ?without a doubt.?

?Barry?s a great player, there?s no question about it, but he put an asterisk by his name on his own,? Murphy said Monday on AM radio 1280 The Show. ?He?s deserved all the negative publicity that he?s getting. I mean, people are calling up and complaining, I?ve heard the last few weeks, that that he?s being treated unfairly. You know, life just usually isn?t like that. You don?t usually get treated unfairly. You usually get what you deserve. This is what Barry deserves. He?s a hard guy to like. He?s a hard teammate to have and, you know, he?s set a terrible example for our kids.?

Murphy, who hit 398 homers in 18 major league seasons before retiring in 1993, said he refuses to watch Bonds? games.

?That?s what you say to your kids. You say, ?This is what happens when you take steroids. Your dad doesn?t want to watch this, because this is stuff that?s drug abuse, basically, as we know,? he said.

Bonds, who broke Hank Aaron?s record Tuesday night by hitting his 756th home run, has denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs. A federal grand jury in California has been investigating Bonds on possible perjury and tax charges.

?Even in a court of law you can have ... a preponderance of circumstantial evidence to convict somebody,? Murphy said. ?Now, maybe I?m wrong, but when you get enough stuff on a guy, you can make a decision and it?s just really a no-brainer. The guy would have become one of the great ones, anyway. ... But now, he sucked the fun and the life right out of it. I mean, there is enough evidence to me to say without a doubt he used performance-enhancing drugs. He hit 73 home runs when he was 37. I mean, Hank would have hit 855 if he had the same advantage.?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20169613/

:thumbsup:

And if anybody does not know, Dale Murphy is one of the most nicest and good players that has ever been on the field. So for him to say this I think speaks a lot about what Bonds has done to hurt baseball.

 

[wyvrn]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: wyvrn

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Just do a google search:

Just one of many articles - http://www.usatoday.com/sports...cholars-steroids_x.htm

Yesalis, author of the book Anabolic Steroids in Sport and Exercise, says steroids produce greater muscle mass and that translates into faster bat speed.

Batting power is generated by muscles in the player's forearms, shoulders and especially the hips, all areas that can be improved with steroids.

"That increased bat speed means he can wait longer on the pitch," he says. "Even if the contact is not solid, the added power will give the ball more velocity."

He adds that more power can turn an infield ground ball into an outfield hit "and turn a regular home run into a tape-measure home run."

Well that seems more legit than the rest of the crap people have been posting. However just for the fun of it, I'd like to see his research. I want to know how much it makes a difference.

I'm still waiting for your link to research from all these scientists that you say that steroids don't improve one's bat speed.

I don't have to. You see by most other people's posts, the researchers have shown the evidence does not exist, and they don't even agree with each other. They did the job for me, because that is exactly what I was seeing. Read the post above where I pull direct quotes from an article someone posted in favor of their argument, which actually admitted the research into the issue did not exist and researchers cannot answer the question.

Now this other article quote here is an opinion also, and I would like to see the research behind it. But at least it appears somewhat credible. It would be worth following up on.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: wyvrn

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: wyvrn

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Just do a google search:

Just one of many articles - http://www.usatoday.com/sports...cholars-steroids_x.htm

Yesalis, author of the book Anabolic Steroids in Sport and Exercise, says steroids produce greater muscle mass and that translates into faster bat speed.

Batting power is generated by muscles in the player's forearms, shoulders and especially the hips, all areas that can be improved with steroids.

"That increased bat speed means he can wait longer on the pitch," he says. "Even if the contact is not solid, the added power will give the ball more velocity."

He adds that more power can turn an infield ground ball into an outfield hit "and turn a regular home run into a tape-measure home run."

Well that seems more legit than the rest of the crap people have been posting. However just for the fun of it, I'd like to see his research. I want to know how much it makes a difference.

I'm still waiting for your link to research from all these scientists that you say that steroids don't improve one's bat speed.

I don't have to. You see by most other people's posts, the researchers have shown the evidence does not exist, and they don't even agree with each other. They did the job for me, because that is exactly what I was seeing. Read the post above where I pull direct quotes from an article someone posted in favor of their argument, which actually admitted the research into the issue did not exist and researchers cannot answer the question.

Now this other article quote here is an opinion also, and I would like to see the research behind it. But at least it appears somewhat credible. It would be worth following up on.

Nuff said, you're just trolling with nothing to back-up any of your claims. Ignorance is bliss.

 

[dug777]

I think it's pretty neat.

 

[wyvrn]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: wyvrn

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: wyvrn

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Just do a google search:

Just one of many articles - http://www.usatoday.com/sports...cholars-steroids_x.htm

Yesalis, author of the book Anabolic Steroids in Sport and Exercise, says steroids produce greater muscle mass and that translates into faster bat speed.

Batting power is generated by muscles in the player's forearms, shoulders and especially the hips, all areas that can be improved with steroids.

"That increased bat speed means he can wait longer on the pitch," he says. "Even if the contact is not solid, the added power will give the ball more velocity."

He adds that more power can turn an infield ground ball into an outfield hit "and turn a regular home run into a tape-measure home run."

Well that seems more legit than the rest of the crap people have been posting. However just for the fun of it, I'd like to see his research. I want to know how much it makes a difference.

I'm still waiting for your link to research from all these scientists that you say that steroids don't improve one's bat speed.

I don't have to. You see by most other people's posts, the researchers have shown the evidence does not exist, and they don't even agree with each other. They did the job for me, because that is exactly what I was seeing. Read the post above where I pull direct quotes from an article someone posted in favor of their argument, which actually admitted the research into the issue did not exist and researchers cannot answer the question.

Now this other article quote here is an opinion also, and I would like to see the research behind it. But at least it appears somewhat credible. It would be worth following up on.

Nuff said, you're just trolling with nothing to back-up any of your claims. Ignorance is bliss.

No I am not trolling. There is no evidence and I cannot prove a negative. It may be true, but it is up to those positing it as true to prove it. And I have shown at least, given the evidence that has been posted here, that any existing evidence people want to tout as proof is actually very controversial among the researchers, or plain anecdotal (opinion not based upon fact). That is not trolling, that is just requiring someone to prove their point, which they cannot.

And as I have said here, I think it is probably true but I don't think we know to what extent and therefore it is silly to sit here and say that Bonds does not deserve the title.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: wyvrn

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: wyvrn

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: wyvrn

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Just do a google search:

Just one of many articles - http://www.usatoday.com/sports...cholars-steroids_x.htm

Yesalis, author of the book Anabolic Steroids in Sport and Exercise, says steroids produce greater muscle mass and that translates into faster bat speed.

Batting power is generated by muscles in the player's forearms, shoulders and especially the hips, all areas that can be improved with steroids.

"That increased bat speed means he can wait longer on the pitch," he says. "Even if the contact is not solid, the added power will give the ball more velocity."

He adds that more power can turn an infield ground ball into an outfield hit "and turn a regular home run into a tape-measure home run."

Well that seems more legit than the rest of the crap people have been posting. However just for the fun of it, I'd like to see his research. I want to know how much it makes a difference.

I'm still waiting for your link to research from all these scientists that you say that steroids don't improve one's bat speed.

I don't have to. You see by most other people's posts, the researchers have shown the evidence does not exist, and they don't even agree with each other. They did the job for me, because that is exactly what I was seeing. Read the post above where I pull direct quotes from an article someone posted in favor of their argument, which actually admitted the research into the issue did not exist and researchers cannot answer the question.

Now this other article quote here is an opinion also, and I would like to see the research behind it. But at least it appears somewhat credible. It would be worth following up on.

Nuff said, you're just trolling with nothing to back-up any of your claims. Ignorance is bliss.

No I am not trolling. There is no evidence and I cannot prove a negative. It may be true, but it is up to those positing it as true to prove it. And I have shown at least, given the evidence that has been posted here, that any existing evidence people want to tout as proof is actually very controversial among the researchers, or plain anecdotal (opinion not based upon fact). That is not trolling, that is just requiring someone to prove their point, which they cannot.

And as I have said here, I think it is probably true but I don't think we know to what extent and therefore it is silly to sit here and say that Bonds does not deserve the title.

Bonds does not deserve the title. You are delusional if you think he does. Bonds is a cheat.

Read:

Bonds' growth suspect
By Doug Robinson
Deseret Morning News March 5th 2007

Maybe Barry Bonds can argue that weightlifting, not drugs, accounted for his weird, middle-aged home-run barrage and freaky body makeover, as he has maintained. He can argue (weakly) that squats and power cleans enabled him to hit nearly 300 home runs after his 35th birthday and added 30 pounds to his skinny frame.

He can argue (not convincingly) that bench press and shoulder shrugs enabled him to get so big that he went from a size 42 jersey to a size 52. But how does he explain this: His head grew from size 7 1/8 to 7 3/4. Or this: His feet grew from size 10 1/2 to size 13. There are a lot of exercises that make your muscles bigger, but there aren't any that increase the size of your head and feet.
Anyone for a set of head presses? A few reps of foot cleans?
How does he explain an increase in his hat size ? and this despite shaving his head bald?

"I expanded my mind, man," he could say. "I've been reading the Harvard Classics. You can gain a hat size just by reading Shakespeare and the Elizabethan dramas." The increases Bonds made would be mind-boggling at any age, but for a middle-aged man, it's more like science fiction. It's straight out of the Incredible Hulk. Sure, a lot of men make increases in size as they age ? in their waistline.

Among the reported effects of middle age: loss of hair, loss of muscle mass, weight gain, sore knees, diminished eyesight. So far no one has mentioned anything about a larger dome. It's probably just a coincidence that one of the side effects of human growth hormone is believed to be growth of the cranium and extremities.

The increases in Bonds' body parts were recently revealed by authors Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada in an afterword they included in the newly released paperback version of their ground-breaking book, "Game of Shadows," which chronicles Bonds' steroid use. The book is just part of the overwhelming case against Bonds that seems to get bigger and bigger, like his head. But he's still playing baseball.

Bonds will return next month, at the age of 42, and resume his pursuit of baseball's hallowed career home run record. He needs 22 to overtake Henry Aaron, who, by the way, was 6-foot, 180 pounds ? 50 pounds lighter than Bonds. It's a race against time. The game's purists hope a strong enough case can be built against Bonds to stop him before he catches Aaron.

Meanwhile, you have to wonder what they're waiting for. If Bonds jammed a needle into his rump while standing in the batter's box, would that be enough evidence? What does a guy have to do to get busted in baseball?

Bonds' name turned up in the BALCO records, along with several other athletes (some of whom were punished by their sports). His ex-girlfriend tattled on him in "Game of Shadows," a well-documented and researched book that leaves the reader convinced of Bonds' guilt (the slugger has never refuted any of the book's facts).

The book prompted baseball Commissioner Bud Selig to launch an investigation into steroid use, headed by former Sen. George Mitchell, but after nearly a year nothing much has happened. Bonds recently refused to cooperate with the glacially slow investigation, which sounds a lot like Mark McGwire stalling in front of Congress, without the public outcry.

Bonds himself is being investigated by a federal grand jury for possible perjury for testifying in 2003 that he had never intentionally taken steroids. Bonds has never flunked a steroid test, but neither did Tim Montgomery and Chryste Gaines, who were both banned from track and field based on evidence from the BALCO scandal.

Some defend Bonds by claiming that baseball did not prohibit steroids prior to 2002. But in 1991, Fay Vincent, who was the baseball commissioner at the time, sent a league memo stating that any player caught using illegal drugs, including steroids, could be punished. This occurred shortly after the federal government classified steroids as a controlled substance, making it illegal to sell, distribute or use them without a prescription.

Somehow, that hasn't been enough to stop Bonds. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that something stinks about the slugger. (Maybe it takes a guy with a big head.)

 

[wyvrn]

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: wyvrn

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: wyvrn

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: wyvrn

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Just do a google search:

Just one of many articles - http://www.usatoday.com/sports...cholars-steroids_x.htm

Yesalis, author of the book Anabolic Steroids in Sport and Exercise, says steroids produce greater muscle mass and that translates into faster bat speed.

Batting power is generated by muscles in the player's forearms, shoulders and especially the hips, all areas that can be improved with steroids.

"That increased bat speed means he can wait longer on the pitch," he says. "Even if the contact is not solid, the added power will give the ball more velocity."

He adds that more power can turn an infield ground ball into an outfield hit "and turn a regular home run into a tape-measure home run."

Well that seems more legit than the rest of the crap people have been posting. However just for the fun of it, I'd like to see his research. I want to know how much it makes a difference.

I'm still waiting for your link to research from all these scientists that you say that steroids don't improve one's bat speed.

I don't have to. You see by most other people's posts, the researchers have shown the evidence does not exist, and they don't even agree with each other. They did the job for me, because that is exactly what I was seeing. Read the post above where I pull direct quotes from an article someone posted in favor of their argument, which actually admitted the research into the issue did not exist and researchers cannot answer the question.

Now this other article quote here is an opinion also, and I would like to see the research behind it. But at least it appears somewhat credible. It would be worth following up on.

Nuff said, you're just trolling with nothing to back-up any of your claims. Ignorance is bliss.

No I am not trolling. There is no evidence and I cannot prove a negative. It may be true, but it is up to those positing it as true to prove it. And I have shown at least, given the evidence that has been posted here, that any existing evidence people want to tout as proof is actually very controversial among the researchers, or plain anecdotal (opinion not based upon fact). That is not trolling, that is just requiring someone to prove their point, which they cannot.

And as I have said here, I think it is probably true but I don't think we know to what extent and therefore it is silly to sit here and say that Bonds does not deserve the title.

Bonds does not deserve the title. You are delusional if you think he does. Bonds is a cheat.

Read:

Bonds' growth suspect
By Doug Robinson
Deseret Morning News March 5th 2007

Maybe Barry Bonds can argue that weightlifting, not drugs, accounted for his weird, middle-aged home-run barrage and freaky body makeover, as he has maintained. He can argue (weakly) that squats and power cleans enabled him to hit nearly 300 home runs after his 35th birthday and added 30 pounds to his skinny frame.

He can argue (not convincingly) that bench press and shoulder shrugs enabled him to get so big that he went from a size 42 jersey to a size 52. But how does he explain this: His head grew from size 7 1/8 to 7 3/4. Or this: His feet grew from size 10 1/2 to size 13. There are a lot of exercises that make your muscles bigger, but there aren't any that increase the size of your head and feet.
Anyone for a set of head presses? A few reps of foot cleans?
How does he explain an increase in his hat size ? and this despite shaving his head bald?

"I expanded my mind, man," he could say. "I've been reading the Harvard Classics. You can gain a hat size just by reading Shakespeare and the Elizabethan dramas." The increases Bonds made would be mind-boggling at any age, but for a middle-aged man, it's more like science fiction. It's straight out of the Incredible Hulk. Sure, a lot of men make increases in size as they age ? in their waistline.

Among the reported effects of middle age: loss of hair, loss of muscle mass, weight gain, sore knees, diminished eyesight. So far no one has mentioned anything about a larger dome. It's probably just a coincidence that one of the side effects of human growth hormone is believed to be growth of the cranium and extremities.

The increases in Bonds' body parts were recently revealed by authors Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada in an afterword they included in the newly released paperback version of their ground-breaking book, "Game of Shadows," which chronicles Bonds' steroid use. The book is just part of the overwhelming case against Bonds that seems to get bigger and bigger, like his head. But he's still playing baseball.

Bonds will return next month, at the age of 42, and resume his pursuit of baseball's hallowed career home run record. He needs 22 to overtake Henry Aaron, who, by the way, was 6-foot, 180 pounds ? 50 pounds lighter than Bonds. It's a race against time. The game's purists hope a strong enough case can be built against Bonds to stop him before he catches Aaron.

Meanwhile, you have to wonder what they're waiting for. If Bonds jammed a needle into his rump while standing in the batter's box, would that be enough evidence? What does a guy have to do to get busted in baseball?

Bonds' name turned up in the BALCO records, along with several other athletes (some of whom were punished by their sports). His ex-girlfriend tattled on him in "Game of Shadows," a well-documented and researched book that leaves the reader convinced of Bonds' guilt (the slugger has never refuted any of the book's facts).

The book prompted baseball Commissioner Bud Selig to launch an investigation into steroid use, headed by former Sen. George Mitchell, but after nearly a year nothing much has happened. Bonds recently refused to cooperate with the glacially slow investigation, which sounds a lot like Mark McGwire stalling in front of Congress, without the public outcry.

Bonds himself is being investigated by a federal grand jury for possible perjury for testifying in 2003 that he had never intentionally taken steroids. Bonds has never flunked a steroid test, but neither did Tim Montgomery and Chryste Gaines, who were both banned from track and field based on evidence from the BALCO scandal.

Some defend Bonds by claiming that baseball did not prohibit steroids prior to 2002. But in 1991, Fay Vincent, who was the baseball commissioner at the time, sent a league memo stating that any player caught using illegal drugs, including steroids, could be punished. This occurred shortly after the federal government classified steroids as a controlled substance, making it illegal to sell, distribute or use them without a prescription.

Somehow, that hasn't been enough to stop Bonds. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that something stinks about the slugger. (Maybe it takes a guy with a big head.)

Yes I know all about the trial and his trainer, etc etc. Still no proof. Looks like he did it, but no proof. And even if he did, we still haven't solved the argument of does steroids make you hit more home runs. Another case of using a circular argument to prove your point.