1 Nice work, Annie! I'm not even a baseball fan, and still I like it!

2 It's amazing what a little Steroids can do for you when it comes to baseball.

3 Tom, It is entirely possible for a superior athlete like Bonds to decide, later in his career, to put on 40-60 lbs. and become a "power" hitter--without steroids. Granted, there is circumstantial BALCO evidence against him..but remember BALCO also sold legal nutritional supplements ranging from protein powder to exotic herbs. I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.

4 I think it sucks that no matter what the truth is, this steroids rumor will hang over all of Bonds' accomplishments this year like an untyped asterisk.

5 Way to go Barry! GO GIANTS!

6 Bonds always had tremondous talent, it is too bad he was corrupted during his years at that shitty university ASU. That corruption directly lead to his decision to play for SF, where upon arriving he was further corrupted into the beast we know today. I mean who in the hell wants to play for a team dressed like pumpkins that's never won a world series? And he will never win because Bonds is an egotistical jerk. Bonds thinks of Bonds first, anyone else on the team be damned. So what? Well so what, that's the way he is, staring at his homers as if he's god's gift to the game. Live and let the punk live I guess. What can you do if he refuses to sign autographs so as to keep their value high? Money and prestige are all that matter to him. Bottom line is people do not gain thirty-five pounds of muscle in their late thirties without a little bit of help. The fact that he can use that muscle very well is a testament to his skillz, but the guy is an anathema to everything good the game is about. He makes it too easy not to root for him, he's a punk yet he is the toughest out in baseball. When all is said and done he'll be remembered with the same reverence that Ty Cobb garners today. He's the Dan Marino of baseball. Give me Ichiro anyday, hands down. ... ...sorry for the grandstanding, but that was just a knee-jerk rant, it had to come out. 'Tis a nice piece of work you wrote annika, i think it aptly expresses the mix of good talent and crappy character that is Bonds. "Never swings early, nor ever swings late,...He cares not for me, and cares not for you" good stuff

7 We'd make ye trashtalkin' scalawag walk the plank up here matey!

8 Bonds's personality doesn't matter: but he should respect the game. There's a segment of baseball (& the media) that still holds a grudge against MLB for segregation & the negro leagues. I believe Bonds holds the Babe's record in utter disdain because sluggers like Josh Gibson were not allowed in MLB. Which is fine: That's his opinion. Perspective: When the Babe hit 60 in '27 that was something like 14% of all home runs in the american league that year...Bonds would have to hit 400+ to equal that. Furthermore, Bonds (and every other black player in MLB) sees the giant check every 2 weeks because the Babe made the game of baseball popular like no other athlete has even come close to doing in any sport with just maybe the exception of Pele. The Babe wasn't even the best Yankee ever: That's Lou Gehrig who, without his disease, would have put up the scariest numbers in MLB history. Ruth was the most important person ever in baseball, however, and Bonds's disdain shows his naivete.

9 This asshole doesn't deserve this much attention. He is a thug.

10 One thing about it, whether you grow big and strong by using steroids or not, you still have to be able to hit the ball ... period. Nothing assists in that task.

11 "I mean who in the hell wants to play for a team dressed like pumpkins that's never won a world series?" Get a clue, and go check some baseball history. The Giants have worn black and orange for nearly a century, and they've won a respectable number of World Series.

12 Ted you could use the clue: http://www.home.earthlink.net/~scofield99/images/giants_trophy.jpg The SF Giants have never won a world series and I don't see how they ever will.

13 Impressive talent with words there, but no mention about Bonds' steroid use? His HEAD is two sizes bigger. Regarding Bonds being a "jerk," I disagree. He's not a social animal, more like a loner. Doesn't talk to media much, doesn't mingle with fans. Prefers his own company. This does not make one a "jerk," does it?

14 Everyone gets bigger in their 30's and 40's. I weighed 195 when I played competitively and 230 now. Age and beer are the cause -- never took a steroid in my life. As to Bonds, he was the greatest BEFORE he got bigger. Why isn't anyone questioning Annika? I have a pic of her in 2001 with skinny arms. Now her biceps would make Bonds proud. Don't tell me she put on all that beef "working out"