Bonds vs. Howard; and the crown goes to...
by Trent Trammel, staff writer
We all know that steroids have been the biggest issue in
Major League Baseball in the past five years, with Barry
Bonds at the center of attention.
But should we count Bonds, an all-star
outfielder for the San Francisco Giants, as the
single-season home run champion or not, given the
allegations that he took steroids during 2001? With
up-and-coming youngster Ryan Howard nearing the old
single-season mark set by Roger Maris at 61, a debate has
started between fans of the game.
If Howard, an all-star first baseman
and reigning Home Run Derby king for the Philadelphia
Phillies, reaches 62 homeruns this season, should he be
considered the single-season king? I think he should not,
only because Bonds has never been proven guilty of having
taken any banned substances. Without taking any credit away
from Howard, who is having himself an MVP season, or from
Maris, who is one of the greatest homerun hitters of
all-time, Bonds did hit 73 homers in 2001, not just
surpassing the record set by Maris but smashing it by double
digits.
Bonds is not the only player to pass
Maris at 61, however. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa each have
more than 66 home runs in a season, but it was during the
steroid era when both players were accused of taking
performance-enhancing drugs. So the only three players in
MLB history to pass Maris were all accused of taking
steroids. With Howard on the verge of breaking 61 and no
allegations of steroids surrounding him, should he be the
new king?
The public has voiced its opinion for
years about whether Bonds should be the home run king or
not. There have even been talks about putting an asterisk
beside his name in the record book. I say go ahead and put
the asterisk in the book. It will still show that he is the
home run king. Unless Bonds is found guilty of having taken
illegal substances, he will hold the record for home runs in
a single season, and maybe one day he will hold the record
for all-time home runs in a career.
For Howard, it’s a different story. He
is a 26-year-old, first baseman who can hit the long ball.
If he hits 62 home runs or even 67, he is still deserving of
a spot in the record book, not only for the amount of home
runs, but also for knowing he is doing this steroid-free.
There have been no rumors surrounding Howard involving him
taking steroids, and that makes the game much more enjoyable
than it has been in the past five years.
I believe that Howard will eventually
break Bonds’ record of 71. But until he does, we should
credit Bonds as the single-season homerun champion.
