Count David Ortiz among those who isn't convinced Barry Bonds used illegal performance-enhancing drugs -- or if they really helped the San Francisco Giants outfielder make his run at Hank Aaron's home run record.
"To hit the ball, the guy makes it look easy, but it ain't. I don't know how you can have that swing, consistently. I don't know how steroids can do that," Ortiz told the Boston Herald. "There are supposed to be guys using steroids in the game, and there's nobody close to Barry Bonds. What's that mean? He was using the best [stuff]? Know what I'm saying?"
The Boston Red Sox designated hitter told the Herald that no one has proven that Bonds knowingly used steroids or other performance-enhancing substances -- and that even if it were proven, he's not sure it has made a difference.
"I don't look at it like that. I look at it hitting-wise, because I don't know what steroids can do to you as a baseball player. You've still got to swing the bat, man," Ortiz said. "If I ever use steroids, and then I know what the difference can be and I'm using them, I'll tell you, 'Yeah, whatever,' but I don't know what the feelings are when you use the steroids. But I can tell you how it feels to pull yourself together to swing the bat."
In fact, Ortiz isn't 100 percent certain he hasn't taken steroids himself. He told the Herald that when he was a young player in the Dominican Republic, he used to drink protein shakes for sale there. He explained he no longer does so because he can't be sure they don't include banned substances.
"I tell you, I don't know too much about steroids, but I started listening about steroids when they started to bring that [stuff] up, and I started realizing and getting to know a little bit about it," Ortiz told the Herald. "You've got to be careful. ... I used to buy a protein shake in my country. I don't do that any more because they don't have the approval for that here, so I know that, so I'm off of buying things at the GNC back in the Dominican. But it can happen anytime, it can happen. I don't know. I don't know if I drank something in my youth, not knowing it."
Bonds and the Giants are scheduled to visit Fenway Park for a June 15-17 interleague series, and Ortiz told the newspaper that Bonds deserves a warmer welcome than he will probably get from Red Sox Nation.
"He deserves respect," Ortiz told the Herald. "People are not going to give it to him because of all the bad things running around, this and that, but people need to realize. I've heard a lot of different things about Barry Bonds, but people should just admit it -- this guy's a bad [expletive]."
And Ortiz thinks commissioner Bud Selig should commit to being on hand when Bonds breaks Aaron's major league record of 755 home runs.
"He's just making things worse," Ortiz told the Herald. "He's the commissioner, there's nothing you can do about it. You can't be saying that. What are people going to think about the game? They'll be like, 'This game is a joke.' He should come, even if he doesn't want to."
not overnight... but if he did steroids they weren't Illegal when he took them...
To me, it's really not a matter of legitimate versus illegitimate. It's a question of natural ability. Do you honestly believe Bonds got to where he is today by playing naturally?
That is cheating.
Would Bonds still have hit homeruns with or without steroid use? Without question. Would Bonds ultimately break homerun records nonetheless, probably not, but we'll never know.
i see what ya sayin take the 73 homers off the board and he a long shot away from the record...but 73 is his only high # of homers why didn't his homerun numbers stay consistently high?? he "took" them in 1998 his numbers weren't that much greater till 03.. why 03 why not 98, 99 , 2000 and so on... plus why would he cheat he could steal bases and get hits and would go to the Hall anyway...
He is as guilty as Roger Clemens is. He's gained just as much size and weight as Bonds has. He still pitching the same way he was at 25 now that he's 45. Yeah that's normal.
Word it's like where was all this when BIg Mac was knocking them out the park.
People were hardcore accusing Big Mac of being on the juice even before he retired. Don't act like Big Mac had a free pass. That sumbeech used more juice than Bonds and he'll forever pay the price.
Don't be fooled people, the truth about Bonds will come out, and it should. That's only right. I don't blame a natural hard hitting legend like Hank Aaron for not supporting Bonds' road to being the new homerun king.
Oh, and ONE50, stop making everything into a race issue. Talking about race makes me a ssssssaaaaaaad panda.
Bonds will get the Hall b/c of reasonable doubt within the voters unless they kno somethin we don't...which i doubt
and they'll have to respect him and after he's dead the truth will come... i don't think he did do steroids...its just me...
Ken Griffey Jr would be close to the record but he had alot of injuries throughout his career....
If any breaks the HR record i'm thinkin A-Rod, Pujols, Howard or Big Papi... i wish Sammy would but thats not gonna happen... Bonds will finish out wit around 770-800 by the end of the year... anyone think he gonna stay another year...i hope he does....
Big Papi Standing Up For Bonds..
Re: Big Papi Standing Up For Bonds..
