[KurtBevacqua]

OK, it's time for the mac daddy of controversial ballplayers himself. Should I even bother listing the credentials? Oh well, I'll list some of them.

7-time NL MVP
14-time all star
all-time home run leader
8 gold gloves
2 batting titles
6th all-time slugging
4th all-time OPS
3rd all-time in runs scored
4th all-time in total bases
4th all-time in RBIs
1st all-time in walks
1st all-time in runs created
single season home run record
Pretty much destroys all the HoF numerical measures

Why he belongs in the Hall
- His onfield measurables probably place him in the top three batters of all-time along with Ruth and Williams. There is absolutely no question of his Hall worthiness as a player

- The old "He was a Hall of Fame Player before he took steroids" argument

- Also the old "steroids weren't banned by baseball when he took them" argument

- The old "But Barry didn't know he was taking steroids" argument

Why Barry shouldn't be in the Hall
- There is a mountain of circumstantial evidence suggesting that Barry Bonds indeed did use performance enhancing drugs

- Bonds admitted in testimony that he indeed did take performance enhancing drugs, although he also maintains he did so unkowingly

- He was indicted for perjury in relation to his testimony on whether or not he took illegal performance enhancing drugs

Shall I outline the details of the allegations and circumstantial evidence against Bonds? Maybe in another post.