What does Bonds have to do, to be viewed as HR King?

[Otis]

This was on the radio this morning.

If Bonds dusts Hank's record by 50 HRs or so will people forget about the steroids thing and embrace him as the true HR king?

Let's face it, if he hits 755 and quits he will be the steroid guy who stole the record, but what if he continues on his pace this year and plays a couple more years and becomes baseball's first 800 club member? I think the guy can swing the bat and make contact and that is something that all the chemicals in the world cannot help. If Papi believes the guy is a stud then so do I.

What do you guys think?

[Klomp]

Honestly, I don't think he can do anything to make people forget.

However, I think its stupid the way he is treated by the media and general public. Show some respect!

[kg2005]

1 over Hank or 100 over, he's still got the home run record.

[TheFranchise21]

Big Papi's comments definitely made me reevaluate my opinion on Bonds. However, its very rare, IMO, for someone that old to get so much bigger than they were not only in their prime, but ever in their life.

I don't like him because he is a jerk and he's arrogant. If he was a humble guy I would root for him to break the record.

Ultimately, I hope he's just keeping the record books warm for A-Rod.

[Otis]

Big Papi's comments echoed the thoughts of the man widely known as the greatest hitter ever, Ted Williams. Ted (before his death and cyro-genic beheading) said that the eye hand coordination involved in striking a baseball and the swing mechanics are the bast way to hit a baseball properly for a home run. He also said you need to be able to recognize a pitch capable of producing a home run. He went on about steroids enabling you to carry a few more home runs a year possibly because of strength but that the ball still needed to be struck correctly and that increases in muscle mass would do more damage to a player's swing than added strength will add.

So, looking at Barry with Ted and Papi's thoughts and you see a guy who has aperfect home run stroke, an uncanny eye for determining his pitch and way above average eye-hand coordination. I think Barry is a freak who can determine in a split second if it's a hittable pitch and he has mastered the connection between bat and ball.

More man and less chemicals.

[Klomp]

What'd Papi say?

[Otis]

He said that Bond's accomplishments have more to do with how he swings the bat than his physical prowess. He also said that he may have unknowingly taken steroids back in the day when he used to drink "protein Drinks" back in the Dominican without asking or caring what was actually in them. I believ he said, "Guy can swing!"

[kg2005]

No question that even if Bonds had never taken Steroids he would still be a hall of famer. He might only be a top 10 player ever, instead of the top 2 though.