Barry Bonds own a record seven MVP Awards, is the career home run record holder with 761, is the career leader in walks and intentional walks, stole over 500 bases and is under indictment for lying to a grand jury.
Pete Rose broke Ty Cobb's career record for hits and finished with over 4200 hits, set career records for most at bats and games played, and was banned from baseball for lying about gambling on the game. He was later sent to jail for lying on his taxes.
These guys were the best. Bonds and Clemens dominated the game both before and after performance enhancing drugs. Rose was the ultimate competitor. As an outsider looking in, it seems that they all thought they were above the game. The rules didn't apply to them. Granted, no one thought the rules applied to them when it came to performance enhancing drugs, but Bonds and Clemens haven't admitted to anything and maintain that they are clean.
Do they think we are dumb? No. They probably have convinced themselves that they didn't do anything wrong. To be that good, you have to convince yourself that you are better than anyone else maybe even before you are. Clemens came in to the league and knew he could get out any hitter at any time. Similarly, Bonds knew he could hit anyone. Would they have been as good if they weren't as confident? No way!
So now they are both under indictment. Their Hall of Fame credentials, once beyond reproach, are under question. As an aside, both would have been first ballot Hall of Famers had they never used performance enhancing drugs based on the first parts of their respective careers. However, Bonds saw Sosa and McGwire getting all of the attention and knew he was better than they were. Clemens was getting run out of Boston and knew he had more in the tank.
Here's where Pete Rose comes in. He has the credibility to get these guys on the phone and offer some advice. If anyone knows the importance of coming clean and asking for forgiveness, it's Rose. He should have called them both and told them to learn from his mistake. However, we are now facing the possibility of the career hits leader, the career home run leader, and one of the best pitchers of our time NOT being in the Hall of Fame. I'm not saying if they came clean that they would be in, but they should be based on the body of work prior to the drugs. If it's not Pete Rose, maybe it should be Mark McGwire. He's back in the game (Cardinals hitting coach), and maybe, just maybe, that will make a difference in the way the writers vote.
I am rooting for Albert Pujols or Ryan Howard to hit 800 clean home runs. I hope Derek Jeter bounces back, finds a clean and legal fountain of youth and finishes with 4300 hits. I hope someone comes along to make us forget about Rocket and his seven Cy Youngs. However, with two small words, they could start the healing process that may allow them eventually to enter the Hall of Fame. "I'm sorry". Bonds doesn't seem to care...but Clemens sure done. Hopefully these guys figure it.
"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive" BS
JN
