As much as it pains me to do this, I am going to have to acknowledge the blatant racial discrimination in the treatment of Barry Bonds during the whole steroids, BALCO, Victor Conte saga. At the time, I thought that Barry was just getting the treatment he deserved as a cheater and an all around poor human being. However, the recent Roger Clemens debacle has changed my view on a few things regarding Barry Bonds.
Roger Clemens is Barry Bonds; just white. Just look at the facts. From age 35 to age 39 (2000-2004 seasons), Barry Bonds averaged over 51 homeruns and never hit fewer than 45 in that time span. Barry was clearly getting better as he entered the ages where most players start experiencing diminishing skills. Roger Clemens' stats during the same period should have triggered the same type of witch hunt Bonds endured. From age 35 through age 43 (1997-2005) he had an ERA over 4.00 only twice (he spent time on the DL in both seasons: 1999 & 2002), over 180 Ks in every season except 1999, over 200 IP in every season except '99 and '02 and double-digit win totals every year! That kind of excellence and durability just doesn't happen among pitchers once they hit their late-30s.
Yet here we are in 2007, a few years after the whole steroids issue blew up and Roger Clemens is just now taking some heat. It was all too clear that Roger Clemens had been using steroids for a long time. If someone's production seems too good to be true, it usually is. So while Bonds faced fans booing, throwing things at him and holding up signs ranging from a simple asterisk to extremely inappropriate comments, Roger Clemens gets his nice day in front of Congress, and that is about it. Honestly, it seems like Clemens was the big story for a week or two, and that was it. Even the whole alleged affair with Mindy McCready has not resulted in the feelings of hatred or outrage toward Clemens that Bonds experienced for steroid use. Baseball fans were screaming for Bonds to be suspended, for his records struck from the record book and for him to be burned at the stake live in Times Square. Yet the same fans seem to be content with letting Roger Clemens be. In fact, the Astros reported that they have not ruled out the possible signing of Roger Clemens to pitch for them this season.
In looking at Roger Clemens, let's just skip the whole steroids issue first and look at the alleged affair with McCready. Assuming that everything is true (and let's face it, Clemens hasn't exactly appeared to be Mother Theresa lately), Mindy McCready was only 15 years old when the affair began and Clemens was 28 and married. At the time, Clemens was pitching for the Boston Red Sox. Statutory rape laws in both Florida, where the two first met, and Massachusetts prohibit adults from engaging in sexual activity with a minor under the age of 16 (15 < 16 for the math nerds). Therefore, if this affair is found to be true, Roger Clemens should, but won't, face up to 15 years in prison. Of course, fame and money will never allow that to happen (I call this the OJ effect). But the point is that nobody cares! I haven't seen Clemens on TV in the past week. The only thing I have heard about anything Clemens-related is that he is "not retired" and the Astros may sign him.
So that brings us to the idea that Bonds may be the victim of collusion among the MLB teams to keep him out of baseball for good. At first glance, this appeared to me to be ridiculous too. But you know... there may be something to this. In 2007, when he played, Barry Bonds was still a very serviceable hitter; we won't mention fielding. Last season, Bonds still hit 28 home runs, walked 132 times and had an OPS of 1.045. He did all of this with only 340 ABs, meaning he homered every 12.1 at bats. You mean to tell me that someone couldn't use this guy in the middle of their lineup? He can't play the field well anymore, so let's stay in the AL and look at two teams that have been mentioned numerous times as possible fits for Bonds; Detroit and Seattle. With Gary Sheffield injured (and mostly worthless), the Tigers, who have been this years biggest disappointment, desperately need a power boost, especially one from the left side of the plate. Drop Bonds between Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera and that offense in bound to get better. The better fit would probably be Seattle, where Jose Vidro is the best option they have at DH. Yes, that Jose Vidro who couldn't stick as the second baseman for the Nationals! Vidro has only hit 20 HRs in a season once, and that was 8 years ago! He has never had more than 100 RBIs in a season and is only slugging .304 this year. Isn't the designated hitter supposed to be someone who drives in runs and provides some power? Vidro barely even gets on base (OBP .254) and when he does, he doesn't run (1 SB) and he doesn't score (12 Runs). Barry Bonds could step in with a tiki torch and provide more production than Jose Vidro. Not to mention Ichiro and Ibanez are the only two regulars who bat left-handed. Bonds would come relatively cheap and immediately and drastically improve that offense. Something fishy must be going on for Bonds not be in a Tigers or Mariners uniform by now.
What about Clemens? Well, last year looked like this for him: 18 appearances, 99 IP (5.5 innings per appearance), 6 W, 6 L and a 4.18 ERA. Not to mention he wore out the bullpen and had to skip a number of starts due to injuries, fatigue, etc. Is it just a coincidence that once they started more stringent testing for steroids, his performance severely diminished? While players with talent will always get second and third and fourth chances, there comes a time when the bad outweighs the good. Then again, if the double-standard continues and nobody cares about what (or who) Roger Clemens did, what is the risk? Roger Clemens would now, at best, be a marginal starting pitcher. At least U.S. Olympic Baseball GM Bob Watson realized what Clemens is: an average pitcher and a ticking time bomb.
You won't hear me say this often, but the treatment Barry Bonds received was racist and unjust. The idea has been out there for a while, but unlike many other instances, the race card is justified. For Roger Clemens to be allowed to just fade out of view, or even to possibly be signed to pitch again, while Barry Bonds was all but ridden out of baseball on a rail is discrimination. So play the race card loud and proud! I want Al Sharpton preaching at a press conference. I want Jesse Jackson leading a parade in Barry's name. Steroids or not, Barry Bonds is still one of the greatest players in the history of baseball. For him to be forced out while his Caucasian equivalent is ignored or embraced again is absolutely wrong!
Roger Clemens is Barry Bonds; just white. Just look at the facts. From age 35 to age 39 (2000-2004 seasons), Barry Bonds averaged over 51 homeruns and never hit fewer than 45 in that time span. Barry was clearly getting better as he entered the ages where most players start experiencing diminishing skills. Roger Clemens' stats during the same period should have triggered the same type of witch hunt Bonds endured. From age 35 through age 43 (1997-2005) he had an ERA over 4.00 only twice (he spent time on the DL in both seasons: 1999 & 2002), over 180 Ks in every season except 1999, over 200 IP in every season except '99 and '02 and double-digit win totals every year! That kind of excellence and durability just doesn't happen among pitchers once they hit their late-30s.
Yet here we are in 2007, a few years after the whole steroids issue blew up and Roger Clemens is just now taking some heat. It was all too clear that Roger Clemens had been using steroids for a long time. If someone's production seems too good to be true, it usually is. So while Bonds faced fans booing, throwing things at him and holding up signs ranging from a simple asterisk to extremely inappropriate comments, Roger Clemens gets his nice day in front of Congress, and that is about it. Honestly, it seems like Clemens was the big story for a week or two, and that was it. Even the whole alleged affair with Mindy McCready has not resulted in the feelings of hatred or outrage toward Clemens that Bonds experienced for steroid use. Baseball fans were screaming for Bonds to be suspended, for his records struck from the record book and for him to be burned at the stake live in Times Square. Yet the same fans seem to be content with letting Roger Clemens be. In fact, the Astros reported that they have not ruled out the possible signing of Roger Clemens to pitch for them this season.
In looking at Roger Clemens, let's just skip the whole steroids issue first and look at the alleged affair with McCready. Assuming that everything is true (and let's face it, Clemens hasn't exactly appeared to be Mother Theresa lately), Mindy McCready was only 15 years old when the affair began and Clemens was 28 and married. At the time, Clemens was pitching for the Boston Red Sox. Statutory rape laws in both Florida, where the two first met, and Massachusetts prohibit adults from engaging in sexual activity with a minor under the age of 16 (15 < 16 for the math nerds). Therefore, if this affair is found to be true, Roger Clemens should, but won't, face up to 15 years in prison. Of course, fame and money will never allow that to happen (I call this the OJ effect). But the point is that nobody cares! I haven't seen Clemens on TV in the past week. The only thing I have heard about anything Clemens-related is that he is "not retired" and the Astros may sign him.
So that brings us to the idea that Bonds may be the victim of collusion among the MLB teams to keep him out of baseball for good. At first glance, this appeared to me to be ridiculous too. But you know... there may be something to this. In 2007, when he played, Barry Bonds was still a very serviceable hitter; we won't mention fielding. Last season, Bonds still hit 28 home runs, walked 132 times and had an OPS of 1.045. He did all of this with only 340 ABs, meaning he homered every 12.1 at bats. You mean to tell me that someone couldn't use this guy in the middle of their lineup? He can't play the field well anymore, so let's stay in the AL and look at two teams that have been mentioned numerous times as possible fits for Bonds; Detroit and Seattle. With Gary Sheffield injured (and mostly worthless), the Tigers, who have been this years biggest disappointment, desperately need a power boost, especially one from the left side of the plate. Drop Bonds between Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera and that offense in bound to get better. The better fit would probably be Seattle, where Jose Vidro is the best option they have at DH. Yes, that Jose Vidro who couldn't stick as the second baseman for the Nationals! Vidro has only hit 20 HRs in a season once, and that was 8 years ago! He has never had more than 100 RBIs in a season and is only slugging .304 this year. Isn't the designated hitter supposed to be someone who drives in runs and provides some power? Vidro barely even gets on base (OBP .254) and when he does, he doesn't run (1 SB) and he doesn't score (12 Runs). Barry Bonds could step in with a tiki torch and provide more production than Jose Vidro. Not to mention Ichiro and Ibanez are the only two regulars who bat left-handed. Bonds would come relatively cheap and immediately and drastically improve that offense. Something fishy must be going on for Bonds not be in a Tigers or Mariners uniform by now.
What about Clemens? Well, last year looked like this for him: 18 appearances, 99 IP (5.5 innings per appearance), 6 W, 6 L and a 4.18 ERA. Not to mention he wore out the bullpen and had to skip a number of starts due to injuries, fatigue, etc. Is it just a coincidence that once they started more stringent testing for steroids, his performance severely diminished? While players with talent will always get second and third and fourth chances, there comes a time when the bad outweighs the good. Then again, if the double-standard continues and nobody cares about what (or who) Roger Clemens did, what is the risk? Roger Clemens would now, at best, be a marginal starting pitcher. At least U.S. Olympic Baseball GM Bob Watson realized what Clemens is: an average pitcher and a ticking time bomb.
You won't hear me say this often, but the treatment Barry Bonds received was racist and unjust. The idea has been out there for a while, but unlike many other instances, the race card is justified. For Roger Clemens to be allowed to just fade out of view, or even to possibly be signed to pitch again, while Barry Bonds was all but ridden out of baseball on a rail is discrimination. So play the race card loud and proud! I want Al Sharpton preaching at a press conference. I want Jesse Jackson leading a parade in Barry's name. Steroids or not, Barry Bonds is still one of the greatest players in the history of baseball. For him to be forced out while his Caucasian equivalent is ignored or embraced again is absolutely wrong!
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