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Gary B.Barry Bonds is the greatest ballplayer of the last 30 years IMHO. Personally, it annoys the hell out of me that people can't appreciate his amazing accomplishments without mentioning steroids and how they don't like his personality in the same breath. It detracts from what he does on the ballfield.
Is there anyone here who doesn't hold the accomplishments of Ty Cobb in the highest regard with extreme reverence? He was arguably the greatest ballplayer of all time, and he makes Bonds look like a choir boy. Regarding the great steroid debacle, more importantly to me than the fact that he's a fantastic ballplayer regardless (does being on steroids assist one in not swinging at bad pitches?), I am a very strong believer based on intense personal experience that one is INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY. I can accuse any one of you of anything I want to, and that would color the way other people looked at you forever regardless of whether you did it or not. Is that fair? I don't think so.
Bonds is the only person who I currently idolize in professional baseball (although many others, Clemens especially, impress me greatly). The numbers he's put up over the last 4 years especially are right up there with the greatest numbers ever produced by anyone. Some of his more amazing achievements:
Single season home runs: Beats McGwire, Sosa, Maris, Greenberg, Foxx, Mantle, Mays...hmmmm, oh yeah, some guy named Babe Ruth.
Career home runs: 3rd place, Beats Mays, Mantle, Williams, and everyone else except Aaron and Ruth, but not for long...
Single season on base percentage: 1st place, Beats Ted Williams, John McGraw, Babe Ruth...
Career on base percentage: 6th place, beats Hornsby, Cobb, Foxx, Speaker - only Williams, Ruth, McGraw, Billy Hamilton and Gehrig beat him
Single season slugging percentage: 1st place, Beats Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Rogers Hornsby, McGwire, Foxx, Sosa...
Career slugging percentage: 5th place, only Ruth, Williams, Gehrig & Foxx beat him
Single season walks: 1st place, Beats Ruth, McGwire, Williams - will demolish his own record this season
Single season intentional walks: 1st place, Beats everyone by a mile - will obliterate his own record this season
Need I say more? I would think those who admire the amazing players of yesteryear, like those on this board, would appreciate the only man playing today who is worthy to be mentioned in the same breath with some of the very best of the best.