Should Bonds, Sosa, and McWire's Records be thrown out?
612329
yes and let charlie hustle back in baseball
449095
First of all, don't forget Shoeless Joe Jackson! Rose should already be in - as a first ballot inductee.  If there is a Hall of Fame, then his playing career numbers are among the best in MLB history.  Bonds should also get in.  Assuming he took steroids, his pre seroid numbers easily qualify him for first ballot induction.  \n\nIs anyone opposing the induction of Rose and Bonds aware of  the character flaws of prior inductees?  Cobb allegedly killed his father in law.  A high percentage of HOF members who played in the 70's through the 90's used "greenies" (available in the clubhouse!!!) - illegal without a medical prescription!!!  A few pitchers (illegally) threw spit balls to enhance their careers. \n\nFurthermore, arguably baseball wouldn't be as popular today without having gone through a steroids period.  Consider that the cancellation of the World Series by the owners as an over reaction to a labor dispute created a bad odor over all of baseball.  When MLB baseball resumed, fan interest had declined significantly.  It wasn't until the (perhaps steroid induced) homerun barrage, highlighed by the colossal battle between McGuire and Sosa, that fans fully returnd their attention to baseball.  So, perhaps steroids brought the fans back and fattened the pocket books of the owners (who are also complicid in this).  If steroids were the reason, who lost (I don't for a moment discount the trajedy of some hero worshipping teen thinking steroids are ok; and then causing serious injury to his life).  \n\nSome argue that the concept of comparing statistics from one era to another is no longer possible and that records no longer mean anything.  Well, even  without steroids, it still would not be possible to accurately compare the statistis of one era to another.  Yes, Ruth as unbelievable as his stats were, (hence the term "Ruthian"), still can't be compared to later day stats. Ruth didn't compete against the best athletes of his day - only the best white athletes (due to the racist rules of the owners)!!! (Interesting, as an aside, in the off season, while "barnstorming" he competed against Negro League all stars.)  Also, Ruth played in few night games (there weren't any until the late '30s).  Also there was no plane travel to the Left Coast.  There were only 8 teams; none further west than St louis nor further south than Washingon (DC).  Travel was relatively easy.  In short, a players statistics can only be compared to those who played in his era.  \n\nThe Hall of Fame is only for the top 1% of a particular era.  And, in view of all the character flaws of the existing members of the HOF, voters have (and should continue to) only looked at what transpired "between the lines".  Would anyone argue that Rose, Bonds AND Shoeless Joe Jackson were not in the top 1% of players in their respective eras?
250748
Barry Bonds is a cheater.\nHe deserves in the Hall of Fame right after they let Pete Rose into the Hall.\nSammy Sosa, Jose Conseco, Mark McGwire, Giambi, Sheffield, etc. \nThey all knew the rules and broke them. Steroids have changed the game as we know it. Take the Home Run title away from Bonds and give it back to its rightful owner, Roger Maris.
1185572
You're right....IW's are a copout...pitch to players like Bonds, Ortiz, and Ramirez....Let the pitcher prove his worth.  If they are that good, then face them and pitch.  That's what makes baseball so exciting and unpredictable (to a certain degree).
391223
Beyond a shadow of a doubt.  It's obvious just by looking at pictures of him 10 years ago and now side by side.  He should be banned from baseball.
1103339
Yes he should because he played the game. He was wrong not to turn the others in BUT that shouldn't keep him out of the Hall. He should have been kept out of the game, forced to retire. The ones who were cheating should have been kept out of the Hall. Bonds isn't IN THE HALL for the record. Neither is Big Mac, who proably won't get in. I'm sure he is pissed that Bonds hasn't retired because Bonds is a reminder of that era and it will make the voters vote against him as a punishment to what he likely did. Until they are in you can't compare the two situations.
610448
MLB realizes that they're in a mess with this whole steriod thing, which includes both McGwire and Sosa. They're trying to be hush-hush as much as possible and hope it will go away. But with Bonds now chasing the all-time HR record, that's not gonna happen.
183179
My opinion is that they should only count the record upto the time that it is proven that he started taking drugs. I also think that he should be barred immediately from playing another game until he is clean. Think about it...if YOU were found by your employer to have illegal drugs in your body, what would your employer do??? You would be either fired or forced to do rehab.
901807
Yes to both McGwire and Bonds.  Nobody has definitively proven they broke any rules of baseball.  Keep in mind that in the speculation of when McGwire took steroids it was not a banned substance.  Canseco?  I don't think his numbers were there.  He was great in the 80's and very early in the 90's but he did not have a HOF career.  He did however have a very good career.
230499
First of all I do not support steroid use and personally yes I do believe Barry Bonds knowingly took steroids.  However, just because he juiced up did not mean he did not have the ability to hit these homeruns, just because he "juiced" up did not make him able to see the ball better etc.  He has to have natural ability and has to be a great athlete to accomplish what he has.  Yes the steroids made him stronger but he still had to have the abilty to make contact with the ball and steroids did not cause that to happen.  So no I do not think they should take his record away, just like I do not believe it is right for Pete Rose to be banned from the "Hall of Fame".  Yes it says in the rules it is illegal to bet on baseball games as a player or manager but NOWHERE does it say if caught you will be banned from being in the Hall.  Which is something he earned as a player before he was ever caught betting on baseball
491725
If Barry Bonds retired in 1998, he would be a hall of famer. The second he rubbed on the cream, injected the clear, posed for ZMA, he ruined his life. Barry Bonds does not deserve the hall of fame. He cheated. Winners never cheat. Cheaters never win. Besides if he was in the hall of fame, they couldnt make a plaque because his head is too big.
186880
Wipe his records.  Ban him from the HOF.  But keep him in the MLB.\n\nGame of Shadows pretty much proves that he used steroids.  Forget that he never tested positive.  Assume he did.  Assume 2000 rolls around, he takes a drug test on his own and fails.  At this point it is not against baseball policy.  We all knew it was going on.  If you looked at McGwire in '98, saw his 21 inch biceps and thought "he must work out"  you are delusional.  We all knew it was going on.  We ignored it, now we have to pay for it.  Shame on Barry.  But shame on all of us for letting this problem escalate to where it is.
140780
Yes, his numbers in that series, I forget exactly what they were, but they prove he wasn't part of the scandal, or if he was at first he backed out of it.  What was done to him is obviously misjustice and he should be re-instated and voted to the hall of fame.
630023
--- First of all, I'm sick of people accusing ALL players of using steroids if they're doing well in baseball. Some people just have natural talent! To whoever is rolling their eyes at this, has Pujols ever failed a drug test? Giambi? Bonds? A-Rod? Sheffield? Whether you remember or not, people HAVE failed drug tests. As far as the baseball world is concerned, they're clean.\n--- Secondly, the sport needs a player like Pujols. With all the steroid allegation surrounding baseball, a clean home run hitter is just what we need to peek fans' interest in the game again, just as McGwire and Sosa's chase of the home run record after the lockout. Let's face it, fans like offense.\n--- FInally, anyone who calls someone a cheater just because they're good at what they do is jealous of their ability. That's all there is to this steroids issue.
641663
I do not understand. We live in a democratic government in which our judicial system lives and breathes by the phrase, "innocent until proven guilty." Bonds hasn't been proven to have done any steroids, yet our culture as a whole has already hung him out. Incredible! I would like to keep faith in Bonds, and MLB as much as possible. So I 'choose' to believe that Bonds is innocent until investigation proves otherwise. I believe that if he is found guilty of charges, then any records he breaks should be stripped, but I just want to make the argument that taking steroids is no help at all to a 95 mph fastball hurled inches from your body; if anything its a disadvantage, considering the awkward growth of muscles attributed and the relearned comfort required for a power hitter's swing...\nP.S. I am not a Giants fan, but I am cheering for Bonds to break the record; as well, I'm hoping he is found to never have taken THG or any other steroids.
691649
I think they'll honor it just like any other record, if he does break the record.  They didn't say that wouldn't.  Steroids were banned just recently, and they can't go back and enforce something that was legal back then.  Otherwise, they would have to go back and investigate every single player since the start of baseball in order to have no discrimination and that's not going to happen.
241607
I hope he breaks his neck before he breaks any baseball records. Maybe he should be thrown out of baseball for doing steroids. Think about it... if you did drugs in the workplace, would you be fired??? I don't think that any player of any game that gets the saleries that the likes of Bonds gets should be able to compete for any records if they are on any performance enhancing drugs.