FanNation - The Republic of Sport

On Aug. 23 1998, Barry Bonds accomplished something spectacular in only his 13th season. It was a feat that had never been done before in baseball history. With a home run to right field in the second inning, Bonds became the first player in Major League Baseball history to record 400 home runs and steal 400 bases.

It was a true testament to the all-around talent of Bonds and an early step on his way to becoming one of the greatest players in baseball history. At this point in his career, Bonds had already won three MVP awards and seven Gold Gloves. He had led the league in almost every statistical category. Bonds was truly a multitalented player. But in the following day's New York Times, Bonds' achievement had only made it to page C6 in the sports section.

On that same August day, Mark McGwire hit his 53rd home run of the season, only eight shy of what was then the single season home run record set by Roger Maris. That feat, like all of McGwire's home runs that year, landed itself the front page of sport sections around the country. McGwire was a fan favorite and a newspaper icon as he brought back a love for the long ball - and baseball.

Bonds sat back in 1998 and watched a handful of players grab headlines with the juiced homeruns. Many of these players did not even deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as Bonds when it came to talent, yet they became baseball's biggest heroes. It was obvious that players like Brady Anderson, who went from being a diminutive leadoff hitter to hitting 50 home runs in a season, were doing something to their bodies.

IF (and that's a big if) Bonds ever took steroids, it is easy to see his motivation.

Fast-forward nine years to 2007 and Bonds' chase for the all-time home run record - the coveted 755. This home-run chase has produced radically different headlines. Instead of the glorified headlines that McGwire received, Bonds was being labeled as a disgrace and painted as the man who ruined baseball.

But the problem is that steroids didn't start, and probably won't end, with Barry Bonds.

Following the strike that ended the 1994 season, baseball needed a way to bring fans back to the game, and they found it in the home run. Before the strike, there had only been 18 times a player hit 50 home runs in a season. In the 12 seasons since, it has occurred 21 times. Lower-profile players - like Anderson and Greg Vaughn - accomplished a home run feat that the home run king Hank Aaron had never accomplished. While some were beginning to suspect something wasn't right about that magical 1998 home-run chase, MLB still turned a stubbornly blind eye to any steroid talks and watched as one of baseball's most glorified records was wiped out of the history books.

Commissioner Bud Selig and the rest of MLB's executives sat back and watched the attendance numbers hit record highs. So, while many are quick to point a finger at Bonds, he might not have started doing something that was illegal in baseball - something that baseball didn't test for because Selig didn't think it was important - had the rest of baseball payed attention.

It was a shame that Selig was not present to see Bonds break the all-time home run record. He may have had a prior commitment to the Hall of Fame, but maybe it was a bit of internal guilt. Selig knew he had sat back and done nothing about steroids in the past. He knew he was just as damaging to the sport as any of the players who took steroids, even Bonds.

So, while you weren't there to see it happen, Bud, congratulations on helping break the all-time home run record.

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