From the interviews and comments I've seen, read and heard over the last several years, including a few this past week, some recalled comments have come from people I'd consider to have more credibility than the likes of Fay Vincent or Bud Selig:
1. During the McGwire-Sosa HR race, Ted Williams was asked his reaction to rumors of "substance" abuse, particularly as it was alleged of McGwire.
Williams responded that, in order to condemn McGwire's use of supplements, from the athlete's perspective, it made good, common sense if:
a. the player's physician, trainer or other trusted advisor, like a nutritionist, approved its use, or at least raised no substantial question of side effects;
b. MLB, despite verbal posturing, had implemented no written directives forbidding such supplements and had not posted written, official guidelines defining use of forbidden substances along with penalties, fines and other punishments for offenses;
Williams framed his statements in the context of young men facing constant performance standards, others vying for their jobs and a limited relative career horizon. Observing McGwire, he focused on bat speed, hip and leg drive and bat speed, enhanced by powerful forearms.
2. Mike Schmidt was totally open and guileless in his interview regarding the mushrooming HR production and the natural temptation of young players to capitalize on any mechanism to enhance or extend brief careers. He flatly stated that he had not used such products; and, from his present knowledge of possible side-effects of some products, he doubted that he would have used them [steroids] had they been available during his playing days.
Schmidt went out of his way NOT to moralize, making it a point to emphasize that the temptation would have been considerable and that he hoped he would not have knowingly cheated ... but not morlizing guarantees.
3. Frank Robinson, with a touch of class, got himself above the fray by concentrating on Bonds' obvious and rare five-tool gifts as a player; his Spartan work ethic and training routines and his dedication to staying in shape, the more positive aspects of pro athlete discipline.
4. Al Downing also concentrated on Bonds' natural gifts, the eye, the patience, the discipline, the production.
All of the above mentioned at some point the eternal "search for an edge" but all put the morality of the thing in a larger perspective; and all of them had the essential element of class to reserve judging Bonds in the absence of tangible proof that he cheated.
That's enough for me.
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