[cincinnati65]

Prior to his 61 home run season, Roger Maris's best home run season was 39 dingers. So that huge jump in performance was a tell-tale sign that something was up. Maybe we should retrotest HIS DNA.

"Prior to steroids Bonds was a very good player but he was never going to set the all time HR record." Yeah right. Three MVP awards equal very good ball player. He had 292 homers for the first ten years of his career and had the prime 30-35 year old years ahead of him at that point, when he could challenge 40-50 home runs per year. He always had a shot at that home run record, so don't even go there.

[steelyourfaith]

In 1961 Maris was in his natural physical prime at 26 years of age. He was a left handed power hitter in his second season with the Yankees. The right field foul pole was 296 feet and developed a swing that enabled him to pop the ball into the first few rows. He had Mickey Mantle batting behind him. Recent MLB expansion had decreased the general quality of pitching. Maris did not take steroids. His physique had not dramatically been altered at an unnatural age.

The press didn't like Maris either at the time, because he was reticent to the pressures imposed by the press.

And, yes, Bonds' HR record is tainted, but not his status as a first class jerk.

[steelyourfaith]

Another important point about Bonds testimony to the BALCO federal grand jury on December 4, 2003: Bonds was granted IMMUNITY from prosecution in order to aid the Feds in gathering evidence against BALCO. So the federal prosecutors have plenty of dirt on Bonds, but decided to go after the distributors of the controlled substance instead of the users. And it's a simple act -- if Bonds hadn't sold out his distributors, he'd be facing a stretch of jail time.