| The Truth Revealed |
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| Written by Troy Chuinard | |
| Saturday, 17 November 2007 | |
After breaking the prestigious all-time home run record, Barry Bonds must have felt on top of the baseball world. Little did he know that months later the Grand Jury would have something to say about his alleged steroid consumption.
This past Thursday, Barry Bonds was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice. The indictment goes into explicit deal on how Bonds lied in front of a Grand Jury, stating that he never knowingly used performance enhancing substances. Reports have indicated that Bonds lied on 19 separate occasions. The results of these investigations make Bonds’ future as an MLB athlete questionable, and it is very possible that the records that he is accredited for become revoked. "This record is not tainted at all. At all. Period," quoted the potential Hall of Famer. Bonds was charged with four counts of perjury and one obstruction of justice. If convicted, he could be sentenced to as much as 30 years in prison. Experts also believe that if he does not have to serve any time, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig will permanently suspend him from stepping foot on a baseball field again. The attorney involved in the investigation stated that the government obtained the results of positive steroid tests while performing a search of BALCO facilities. One interesting note is the fact that Bonds’ personal trainer, Greg Anderson, was released from prison on the same day of the indictment. Anderson was put behind bars for refusing to testify in front of a court. Reports also indicate that Anderson may have been the source of the performance-enhancing substances that Bonds was consuming. Either way, the attention has now shifted to the athlete who dominated Major League Baseball over the past decade. How will this affect Bonds reputation as a major league athlete? It is very unclear how Commissioner Bud Selig will respond. The legal process has to pan out before MLB Executives can step in and do their part. After all, Bonds has not been found guilty for anything yet, and though it is likely he will lose this battle, the MLB is a completely separate party. Several other figures of baseball history, such as Gaylord Perry, Dwight Gooden, and Denny McLain, have taken part in illegal/suspicious activity, and the MLB did not take any action to penalize them. Should the same apply for Bonds? It is hard to determine if his single-season and all-time home run records should be considered credible. Either way, there is no doubt that he will go down as one of the most disputed athletes to play the game. Major League Baseball has released its financial figures, and this past season it grossed just over $6 billion in revenue. This figure is amazing considering that the organization was having trouble getting over the $2 billion barrier in the early 90’s. Commissioner Selig does not have time to worry about Bonds and the steroid issue at the current moment. Many believe that placing an asterisk next to his name should be the only penalty that the MLB invokes on Bonds. A Federal Grand Jury in San Francisco led the investigations on Bonds for four years, and it is now time for the whole situation to be put to an end. When it once seemed that Bonds would be taking pride in his entrance into the Hall of Fame, it now appears that he will be reminiscing of his past actions while behind bars.             |
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