When Major League Baseball resumes after the All-Star break on Friday, you can expect more attention to turn to Barry Bonds' impending assault on Hank Aaron's home run record. Barring injury, a slump, or an unprecedented number of intentional walks, Bonds will likely pass Aaron before the end of the month.
While this would normally be a time for baseball to celebrate, this record-breaker will be decidedly low key. Speculation over Bonds' use of performance-enhancing drugs has cast a shadow over his accomplishment. Bonds himself has denied intentionally taking anything and no formal allegation to the contrary has ever been made, let alone proven. Still, his late-career power surge and the surprising growth of certain parts of his body have many skeptical that his performance is all-natural.
Conflicting reports emerged Tuesday on whether baseball commissioner Bud Selig will attempt to be in attendance for the record-breaking home run. The commissioner at the time of Aaron's record was not on hand for that feat, but Selig's presence would serve as somewhat of an endorsement that many in baseball say Bonds does not deserve. Aaron himself has shown little interesting in witnessing his record fall.
The fans have also apparently made up their minds, as well. A new Zogby interactive poll says only 8% want to see Bonds break the record. 52% would like to see records broken by athletes on performance-enhancing drugs wiped off the books. Eight out of ten people surveyed put some of the blame on Major League Baseball, for ignoring the issue for so long.There are, however, some fans who are firmly on Bonds' side. Surveys show he remains popular with African American fans.There are some who claim the attacks on Bonds smack of racism, despite the fact that he would be breaking a record held by another African American slugger.
So what do you think? Should baseball do all it can to recognize Bonds' achievements? Do you want to see the record fall? How should the record books treat questionable performances? And who deserves the biggest blame in this whole mess?
Give us your thoughts in the drug-free comments section below.