Barry Bonds Deserves Day in the Sun

Barry Bonds Deserves Day in the Sun

Michael Arnold Glueck and Robert J. Cihak, The Medicine Men
Thursday, Aug. 9, 2007

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We're calling a medical timeout for baseball.

No matter what anyone says or thinks Barry Bonds is now the homerun king of baseball.

Let us count the ways.

Unless there has been a change in legal precedent in this country, we don't know about, a person is still innocent until proven guilty.

The tincture of time will someday allow the verdict to roll in but for this moment and time Bonds has hit more homeruns than anyone in baseball.

We forget that when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's record of 714 homeruns 33 years ago there were many who were angered and complained. So it is with Bonds today. Tomorrow the record will be accepted.

Every era has had its rebels. Who knows what players of other generations did or took to improve their performance? We do know that in generations past our labs did not have the technology to identify or measure new substances. We do not asterisk those pitchers who threw the "spitter" illegally or others who bet on games or teams that threw games.

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We also forget that during the time Bonds is alleged to have used steroids, many supplements that mimic the effects of steroids, which are now illegal, were not considered illegal. Charges of steroid use still abound daily against active and retired players who hit a lot of homeruns. No one knows the whole truth as of now.

No matter how large the dose of steroids any person takes you still have to hit all of the ball with all of the bat with the pitch traveling 90-100 mph. The pitcher can randomly change the speed, location, movement, spin, and grip. Most of Bonds' homeruns were not Fenway park soft fly balls but rather monstrous clouts that went far into the stands and often out of the park and into the bay. His record-setting 756th homerun was a 435 foot blast.

You could take the top 10 weightlifters and Mr. Universes, all buff and laden with steroids, and none of them would hit a home run against a major league pitcher. Try going to a batting cage yourself and even getting your bat on a 90 mph pitch thrown from a machine without all the pizzazz.

So Bonds in 2007, aged, injured, hobbled knees, tired from all the media and fan beating and intense pressure was able to hit that 22nd homerun. No matter that he had to miss many games with injuries and that pitchers walked him 110 times all reducing his times at bat. They threw him inside, outside and at him. By comparison the Angels best hitter and acknowledged superstar, Vlade Guererro, has only 18 homers to date this year.

The commissioner Bud Selig and baseball brass made a mistake. In his usual gutless indecisive manner Selig sent mixed signals. He attended the record tying game (755th homer) but with the country watching had to be told to stand. He did not clap, cheer, yell or even smile. He then missed the record setting game. What a wimp!

This should have been a marvelous day for baseball. It should have been a great day for the country, the game, the players and the fans. This is the mightiest sports record ever set. My guess is that no one will ever hit 756 many homeruns again.

For all of us not to stand up and cheer is a slap to Americas' favorite game and the fans. We should have done better. Bonds deserved better.

But we still have chance. We can clap and applaud at all of Bond's remaining games. We can have a moment of appreciation and recognition during the 2007 World Series.

Not to do so would embarrass ourselves. Until proven otherwise in a court of law this B Bond should be rated Triple A — maybe even a quadruple A.

Contact Drs. Glueck and Cihak by e-mail.

Editor's Note: Michael Arnold Glueck, M.D. pitched this week's column.

Michael Arnold Glueck, M.D., comments on medical-legal issues and is a visiting fellow in cconomics and citizenship at the International Trade Education Foundation of the Washington International Trade Council.

Robert J. Cihak, M.D., is a senior fellow and board member of the Discovery Institute and a past president of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons.

Editor's note:
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