by Digger

73 Single Season Home Runs (All Time Record)
762 Career Home Runs (All Time Record)
.444 Career On Base Pct
.607 Career Slugging Pct
2227 Career Runs Scored
1996 Career RBI

Hundreds of millions (US $) in gate receipts.

Name the games greatest Free Agent without a contract? Answer: Barry Bonds

Has Barry Bonds spectacular stat filled career involuntarily ended? No fan fare by Major League Baseball? No final lap by San Francisco's biggest side show? Used by baseball to help create record revenues, and now tossed away like a used car rotting of rust. Has Barry Bonds played his final professional game?

Bonds arrived on the baseball scene back in 1986 as a scrawny-base stealing-free swinging star to be playing his first game for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Son of superstar Bobby Bonds, Godson of legendary Willie Mays, Barry was hyped to the hilt and exceeded beyond expectations.

For most of his rising career, there were only a few knocks against him. First, his unfortunate playoff ineptness haunted him in local headlines for many years. Second, his relationship with major sports media outlets was less then complimentary. Third, he was accused of being a me first player placing himself above the game.

Perhaps his biggest round tripper up, and what could rank as one of the greatest selfish acts sports history outside of the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, will be if BB's proven to have knowingly taken performance enhancing drugs to break the games most sacred record. In the public's eye... it is more than obvious by his actions and first hand relationship to BALCO.

I was never a fan of Bonds the person based on his seemingly insatiable never ending thirst for individual greed. I was done rooting for Bonds when he severed ties with Major League Baseball Licensing because he felt more money was to be earned independently. This was a direct slap in the face to baseball fans everywhere. He placed himself above the game by becoming the first and only player opting out of the licensing plan. Many baseball affiliated game makers were no longer allowed to use the name "Barry Bonds" in their products unless they agreed to independent contracts. Suspicion surrounded his being linked to PED's became news of the day for years and countless denials. MLB allowed Bonds to shatter records. San Francisco created separate rules for Bonds and then for the rest of his Giants teammates. Now, he's under Federal investigation for Grand Jury perjury related offenses. Putting this aside for now.....

Baseball has turned their back on the games biggest player. He used them, they used him. Now, nobody wants this Free Agent superstar. An ironic twist of fate as spring training is in full bloom. Nearly every team in the league could use his productive bat. However, they have turned their back on Barry the person. During an era when GM's were openly talking of which player was using PED's or other related substances in preparation for trades or new contracts... Bonds finds himself standing alone once again. Many players have fallen by way of injury early on this spring... and still Bonds doesn't have a contract.

Thanks in large part to baseball's steroids issue finally being admitted to by league personnel... perhaps the game's biggest offender and symbol of how cheaters aren't supposed to prosper... finally rules the day. Think again!

Fans are still flocking to the gates in record numbers. It doesn't seem to matter if owners were knowing accomplices... or if MLB's Commissioner Selig conspired by silence to conceal the games greatest weaknesses... or how the Players Association stonewalled drug testing for years... or if Congressional hearings expose deeper problems in years to come. Baseball seems to live on no matter what happens. This has been true since it's invention. Baseball has survived World Wars, betting scandals, work stoppages from strikes to lock outs, collusion, hard drugs and I'm sure many other circumstances which were never vetted in public.

Most often than not, cheaters prosper in baseball. Baseball surviving is a must and it will no matter what happens with our great game. This is precisely what baseball owners count on... and feed upon daily. When will the owners be held accountable? At the very least, when will they be fined. As their cronie and hand selected Commissioner Selig proudly boasts of record revenues, these greedy owners should be fined tremendous amounts of money for collusion by ignorance. Make no mistake, these folks were all in the know for many years. Perhaps they've been given a clean slate by various investigative committee's due to heavy contribution campaign dollars thrown at corrupt politicians? When it comes to baseball, cheaters usually prosper. During the steroid era, player and owners prospered enormously while fans continue paying grossly outrageous ticket prices.

Now that baseball has used Barry Bonds to line their own pockets he's getting the royal kick to the curb. One problem is they waited too long, until after he set and perhaps falsified home run records. Now it's time for someone to step in and slap owners.

I will never defend Bonds or his selfish actions. However, his skills even before alleged juicing up were second to none. Barry had the best eye for balls and strikes, quickest swing, a great base runner/stealer, great fielder in his youth... perhaps the games greatest five tool player who ever stepped onto the baseball diamond. Bonds was also the games greatest distraction for better or worse.

Bonds' not being signed greatly illustrates our games hypocracy and irony. Plenty of teams could use his services. But, times have changed as our game tries to clean up its' act (for now). In some regards, many fans feel he's finally getting what he deserves... dissed by the game after he dissed fans and rules for years. Love him or love to hate him. He was far from the only player to circumvent rules... yet in the end... he's getting exactly what he wanted... to stand alone.

Bye-bye Barry... at least for now.

Visit ALL WORLD ALL SPORTS

Interested in the greatest sporting scandals of all time?
Check out The Sports Rage Page @ www.sportsragepage.com