Attacks on Barry Bonds

The attacks on Barry Bonds continue. Mike Lupica wrote:

Barry Bonds is Bud Selig's Pete Rose. Selig has to go after Bonds, officially make him a suspect in the eyes of his sport, before another season begins, the way the late A.Bartlett Giamatti went after Rose, who denied and denied and denied his gambling the way Bonds has denied his use of steroids.

Now Selig has made Bonds an official suspect, and the media circus continues. Lupica continues:

Here is Bonds on May 21, 2001, ... On the same day, the same newspaper asked him about the possibility of breaking Henry Aaron's record of 755 career home runs someday.

"Hell, no," Bonds said in the Chronicle. "I promise you from the bottom of my heart I won't be in the game that long."

You believe nothing he says now.

Why is it hard to believe that 5 years ago, Bonds didn't think that he would be in the game long enough to break Aaron's record? In that 5 years, Bonds has played far better than anyone expected, and yet it is still doubtful that he will break the record. Some people think that he will retire at the end of the year, and he is unlikely to break the record this year.

The comparison to Pete Rose is also instructive. Rose and Bonds are two of the greatest players in baseball history. Both were savagely attacked by sportswriters for unproven allegations. I think that both players should be celebrated.