Barry Bonds remains a highly controversial figure in the world of baseball. Therefore, when Major League Baseball decided to pay tribute to the home run champion on social media this past Sunday, it sparked a flurry of reactions online. Throughout the month of February, MLB is honoring Black History Month by highlighting the achievements of some of the game’s most accomplished Black players. On this particular Sunday, they chose to honor Bonds. However, they conveniently overlooked the glaring issue that surrounds him.
Bonds’ accomplishments on the field speak for themselves. He secured an impressive seven MVP awards on his path to hitting a record-breaking 762 home runs. His 2001 season, during which he hit 73 home runs, along with his 232 walks, 120 intentional passes, and a remarkable .609 on-base percentage in 2004, still stand as single-season records. However, it is important to note that these achievements come with an asterisk.
There has been widespread speculation that Bonds used performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), although the 59-year-old vehemently denies knowingly doing so, aside from the BALCO cream incident. Due to these steroid allegations and rumored character concerns, Bonds was overlooked by voters for the Baseball Hall of Fame during all ten years of his eligibility.
MLB’s social media post celebrating Bonds’ milestones failed to acknowledge any of the controversy surrounding his career. Unsurprisingly, fans were quick to point this out. It is worth mentioning that MLB does not have the authority to determine who gets inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is governed by private interests, and the exclusive voting privilege lies with the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA), who ultimately decide who is worthy of being enshrined in Cooperstown.
Despite this, it is hard to believe that MLB’s digital team was unaware of the stir they would cause by celebrating “one of the greatest offensive careers in history” without addressing Bonds’ status as the face of the steroid era. Perhaps they deliberately chose to provoke a reaction, as any form of social media engagement is considered beneficial.
According to the Source outkick.com