By Jordan Townley
Barry Bonds was one of many major league players who fell into the trap of performance-enhancing supplements, which is why I don’t believe he should be in the Hall of Fame. This is a very controversial topic in the sporting world because it poses the question if he genuinely garnered his success on talent alone.
Most people do not know that this baseball legend was born in our backyard. Bonds was born in Riverside July 1964 to former MLB All-Star Bobby Bonds and Patricia Howard. Bobby Bonds is a Riverside legend, being in the Riverside Sports Hall of Fame. He also has given back to the community by building a park and recreational center near downtown.
Despite his fame and success, it came crashing down just as fast as it went up. I think that Barry Bonds should not be in the hall of fame; as a pitcher, it baffles me that people would even consider putting him in the Hall of Fame because the substances he used greatly affected the way he played the game.
Bonds played in an era of baseball where taking steroids was as common as taking Advil if your arm is sore. Before the 1999 season, he began using steroids and wasn’t alone with other testimonies of MVP pitcher Roger Clemens who also took performance-enhancing drugs.
Steroids running rampant in baseball have ruined countless players’ careers, with Alex Rodriguez being one of the worst. Rodriguez was not only suspended for the entire 2014 season for violating MLB’s performance-enhancing drugs policy, but it also cost him his spot in the Hall of Fame.
These three legendary players will forever be known for the great things they did, but the question will always remain if they truly earned it. Steroids tarnished the game of baseball forever and it caused mistrust amongst the fans and the players.
What once was a game that tested the natural athleticism of its participants was turned into a game of who took the best steroid. Players who took performance-enhancing drugs during their careers to gain popularity or boost their stats should not be allowed in the Hall of Fame.
