Wednesday, August 8, 2007

New Home Run King

In light of Barry Bonds breaking the Home Run Record last night I thought I would make a post about my opinion on the whole ordeal. To everyone who has been living in a cave for the past two months, San Fransisco Giants Barry Bonds broke Hank Aarons lifetime record of 755 career homeruns. Great accomplishment, but what makes this situation bad is that Bonds has had allegations of steroid use over the past couple years. As a baseball player of 16 years and a true love for the game, I feel like steroids has single handedly destroyed America's pastime. As a player of college baseball I can easily say that over 25% of the players were taking somekind of illegal supplements. Not all were Anabolic Steroids but they were definitely in the mix. (Yes even athletes at Harding University!) It is really strange to see guys go home at Christmas weighing 200 and playing okay, and to come back a month later with an extra 40 pounds of muscle and absolutely smoking the ball, it raises some flags. Let me make myself clear in saying that I never took steroids but I can see how players can justify trying to get to the next level. When it seems like everyone else ahead of you is getting help from chemicals the only way to not get left behind is to take them as well.

The number one problem for pitchers is not how fast they throw but how fast there muscle tissue heals after pitching a game. A normal pitcher throws about 150 pitches in one game. (20-30 warm up pitches, 100 actual game pitches, and about 5 warm up pitches before each inning, so if he throws 7 innings it should be around 150-160 pitches.) The "over the top" arm motion is not normal for the human body, and it can destroy the shoulder and elbow over time. I would pitch one day and for the next two days I would not be able to raise my arm over my head, because it was so sore. The number one thing steroids does is promote faster recovery time for muscle tissue, therefore allowing pitchers to throw more often leading to a stronger arm. For a college baseball player who is average the thought of taking steroids and getting just a little better and becoming more noticed could possibly mean a major league contract equaling "Set for Life!" Yeah the "What if" question has crossed my mind a couple times but I would never have been able to live with myself realizing that illegal chemicals got me to where I was. So now as I am realizing how hard Chiropractor school really is the easy way out is sure looking better everyday (Just kidding). It will only make success in the end that much better!

I got to watch the game last night and I saw the homerun. I was happy that he finally broke it because quite frankly I was sick and tired of hearing about it! I think that Barry Bonds had a fine moment as a person last night, as well as, as a baseball player. And there's no taking away from his skill, I just feel bad for Hank Aaron because he hit 755 homeruns through hard work and sweat. Let me know what you think...This is a really interesting topic and I would like to hear some different opinions. Hope all is well
(20 yrs. ago 180 lbs. Hat size 7-3/4; 2007 240 lbs. Hat size 9-1/4)

4 comments:

Staci said...

First of all...I think innocent until proven guilty.

If he really did take the steroids I feel bad for Hank Aaron beacuse that means Bonds cheated his way to the top!

The one thing I don't like is when people compare how he looks now to how he looked 20 years ago (they do this every day on the news)! Look at pictures of my dad now compared with 20 years ago! 20 years ago he wasn't lifting weights all the time and was really skinny! He doesn't look like a stick anymore...and has more muscle than he had at the age of 30...but he doesn't take steroids! It think it's unfair to say Bonds used steroids just because he's bigger now than he was 20 years ago.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for being so candid. I know how difficult it has been for you to watch other players around you win the praise of coaches and fans for their hard work during the off season when you knew what was really up. The "Bonds" issue should have been discussed years ago before he was near the record. But after the player's strike no one wanted to talk about it. Integrity is a lost virtue these days. Thank you for always being a good example to other players and letting your light shine. It was always a joy to watch you play the game you loved so much.

Steve and Joan said...

Hey, I just came up with a new workout that is supposed to get me up to 240 in just 20 years! I'll call it the Taco Bueno work-out.

Steve

Anonymous said...

Barry Bonds took steroids!!! No question about it. He wont admit it and I dont think he ever will. Until 2004 it wasnt illegal to use steroids in baseball...so he didnt break any rules. That's why no one in baseball is trying to dig up more dirt...the game of baseball has already been ruined because of steroids, the players association just wants to move on and forget about it. If you want proof go back and look at his stats, in his first four years in baseball (supposed to be a players prime) he hit 16,25,24,19 homeruns...in the four years when they say he allegedly took steroids(2000-2003) he hit 49,73,46,45 homeruns. Just doesnt make sense. I sure hope this doesnt turn out like the Pete Rose scandal where 20 years later he comes out and admits it because he cant live with himself anymore.