John, I'm entirely opposite from you on this. If I had my way, he would be banned from baseball and his stats entirely wiped from any record books. Despite the lack of a conviction, there is a preponderance of evidence that approaches OJ levels that Bonds was involved with performance enhancing drugs. Yes, much of this is Selig's fault for being slow to act and then acting impotently when he did.
You used to argue (maybe you still believe this, I dunno) that using such drugs would not actually help a baseball player hit a ball, only allow them to hit it farther. But new studies and personal accounts from players, not to mention the rise in Bonds' overall batting average during a time when most players fall off, contradict this view. The reaction time, the speed with which a player can turn on a ball, in addition to overall power, are all improved by these drugs.
And it scores you no points to argue that Ruth was an alcoholic womanizer and Ty Cobb a dick--none of these things has a direct impact on the game as it is played. The game changes and none of the external conditions are ever the same. This isn't science. But Bonds has been allowed to persist in his pursuit of the game's most cherished record in spite of the evidence surrounding his use of substances to achieve precisely that goal. Frankly, I wish that more people would have stood up to him, ala Curt Schilling. I wish that as he approached the record pitchers would have refused to pitch to him. He is a shameful disgrace, and his presence in baseball diminishes the game each time he plays.
As much as I think A-Rod is a douche, I'm rooting for him to surpass Bonds and take the all time home run leader record.
(And for the record, I do think that it is a vicious double standard that Bonds bears the brunt of all the steroid talk and Roger Clemens gets none, despite the fact that he is also huge and experienced is huge improvement in his stats in the later years [starting with his time as a Blue Jay], when most pitchers are falling off.)
