“Thousands” is inaccurate in terms of steroids and HGH and major leaguers. And steroids are the magic elixir. Without them, Maris and Aaron still hold the HR titles.

If we could design and implement a fair, comprehensive, and effective program to keep the game free of these things it would be a viable option, but it is not possible to do this. Baseball and the govenment should get out of this nasty business.

They already have a fair, comprehensive (as much as is possible), effective program in place that has dramatically cut down on steroids use. So, yes, of course it is possible. And without the government putting pressure on MLB, we wouldn’t have this program in place. So, no, we should welcome the government’s oversight of the issue.

And, no, ultimately it is NOT up to the players to decide. The integrity of the game is too important to place it in their hands. It’s up to MLB to protect, and if they can’t do it, as was the case a few years ago, then it’s up to Congress to step in.

But they don’t test for HGH and Bonds could be doing that heavily. I’d say the chances are good he’s been doing HGH right up to now.

Fine, lets move along. But that doesn’t mean big steroids abusers like Bonds who failed to acknowledge their cheating or apologize for it should be signed and given jobs with major league clubs.

At Shea, I would bet Bonds would be booed heavily. And he’s always hit poorly at Shea even before it was revealed he was a heavy juicer. Maybe he’s one of those players who just can’t cut it in NY. Now there’s age and health to add to the equation.

So simply looking at how well he’d perform at Shea, I’d say the chances are good not very well.

Regardless, if its true that the Wilpons would be the only ones to nix it, good for them. If this is the case, Omar does not deserve “full autonomy” and I’m glad the Wilpons put reigns on him.

“Steroids” and “PEDs”–neither of which are every quantified or qualified by hardly anyone here–come in many forms and their effects (THEIR EFFECTS!) continue to be, let’s say, debated.

Pure BS. While the usage of HGH alone is debated, there is essentially no debate on the considerable performance enhancing effects of steroid. Unless you want to count the debates started by apologists like you for cheaters such as Clemens and Bonds.

What’s more the Mets have been right in the, oh, the thick of this “steroids” scandal.

More hooey. The Mets have actually come through rather relatively unscathed by the Mitchell report and the other steroids scandals. Not one single high profile player has been alleged to have done steroids or HGH while a Met in any of these investigations. Unless you want to count Hundley, but then that’s a stretch.

What’s more, if you subscribe to the “steroids” scandal put forth by many, then don’t you think for just a second that many other Mets were in the middle of it as well?

We just don’t know who the others are. Perhaps it’s no worse than the number of Mets already revealed to have been PEDs users. You don’t condemn those for who exists no evidence of usage. They deserve the benefit of the doubt. The public already knows that players like Clemens and Bonds DID cheat … big time.

We don’t know if he did so willingly or closed his eyes to what he “knew” was going in his body.

Well yes we do. Because his positive tests will show that as well as testimony by Bell and others. The idea that he didn’t know is a mountain load of pure crap. No one with half an ounce of sense believes that.

he had some of the best talent of all time that didn’t get thrown off-kilter by bulk

More crapola. His body only blew up twice its size during the years he was alleged to have done PEDs heavily.

You can continue to wear your blinders regarding the impact of steroids and HGH on Bonds. That’s your choice. But the amount of BS you need to throw out there to try to justify your position is enormous.

Wait…you’re New Yorkers, tough talking, tough living, expect success, right? Well, you gotta get on your high horse for something or someone, right?

Here’s the answer: Bonds can play baseball and he can help the Mets win and the whole “circus” talk is utter lunacy. Bonds may very well be a jerk, but he minds his own business in the clubhouse and at his home. The “circus” is the media creating a circus around him, it’s not his doing. He hates the media and virtually ignores them. Want a guy who can handle NYC’s scrutiny? Bonds would do that in spades.

Oh wait, many of you’d “boo him.” Of course you would, ’cause many of you boo Beltran when he doesn’t do what you want and you boo Reyes when he tires and has a bad September 2007. Hell, I’ll bet many of you will boo Wright when he goes bad for a few weeks and you’ll certainly boo Santana after a few bad outings. Booing? Jeez, that’s the best you got? No wait, it’s gets better. Les Paul’s suggesting some tough New Yorker is going to go on the field and “beat the hell out of him.” Why, seriously, why would someone want to do that? What’s Bonds done to them? Yeah, just great. So Les, you really “hate” a baseball player that you don’t even know–wait, you know about him from ESPN’s reports and anecdotes from the news–THAT much? If Barry Bonds is “worse than Satan,” some of you need to get a grip on life. He’s one of the best baseball players of all time.

What a bunch of moralistic crap the majority of you are spewing. “Steroids” and “PEDs”–neither of which are every quantified or qualified by hardly anyone here–come in many forms and their effects (THEIR EFFECTS!) continue to be, let’s say, debated. What’s more the Mets have been right in the, oh, the thick of this “steroids” scandal. (As you can probably imagine, I think that whole scandal thing is ridiculous.) What’s more, if you subscribe to the “steroids” scandal put forth by many, then don’t you think for just a second that many other Mets were in the middle of it as well?

It’s like reading a bunch of junior high kids who’s knowledge of anything is from some baseball video game and what their dad told them. “Must hate Barry Bonds.” “He’s a cancer.” “He ruined baseball.” Whatever.

Of course Bonds took PEDs, stuff that I can’t even pronounce. We don’t know if he did so willingly or closed his eyes to what he “knew” was going in his body. Whatever is the truth, he isn’t now. Whatever is the truth, he still worked out harder than 90% of other baseball players; he had some of the best talent of all time that didn’t get thrown off-kilter by bulk…bulk that was obviously legitimate, accentuated by whatever he was taking; he minds his own business and, yes, respects the game.

Yeah, yeah, bring on all the criticism. I’m nuts ’cause I think–no wait, I know–that Bonds could help this team win, right? Yeah, right. Bonds is not Ray Lewis or Rae Carruth. His “cheating” is “cheating” that all professional sports try to protect themselves from and never really define: getting that edge. Drugs are defined, but there’s new stuff all the time; LASIK is okay; Andro was fine until it wasn’t; greenies were fine for Hank Aaron and Willie Mays and until recently, but not now; The Yankees payroll isn’t cheating or getting an edge vs. say the the Royals, it’s just the NYC advantage; Shillings cortizone shot to let him pitch was fine, ’cause someone determined that it was fine. You all don’t care, but people like me don’t have a problem with condemning “cheating,” people like me have a problem with the simplification of the issue. Bonds as the sole cheater, while guys like Selig and LaRussa get passed off as insignificant and guys like Ryan Franklin and Gary Matthews Jr. get rewarded with big contracts , is just wrong AND unfair. But, I guess the only scrutiny is for the guys who were good who “cheated.”

And, aside from the preconceived notions of so many about the “truth” with respect to Bonds, the fact is that the “truth” isn’t really known AND the “truth” that we’ve been fed is not exactly on the mark (e.g. his perjury case).

The “truth” is the Bonds can still play baseball and can help the Mets win. My “truth” is that Minaya is too much of a coward to sign him; the ownership group is too worried about their image. He’d rather jettison depth for big names and/or long contracts. It’s his way from Grady Sizemore to Lastings Milledge. (As an aside, my .02$ has Minaya “success” in New York do to the Mets’ money, not his abilities)

It is definitely NOT going to happen. NO WAY the Wilpons, Minaya, or Randolph would go for it.

So you might as well stop talking about your pipe dream.