When Bonds arrived for the 1999 spring camp, everyone took notice of the dramatic changes in his appearance. His teammates had a number of nicknames for him related to this, the media noticed and questioned him about it. Players on the other teams noticed and commented to the media. The fans, myself being one, noticed and talked about it.
Are we to believe that everyone who saw him that spring noticed this, but Bonds did not? That Bonds believed that this huge alteration was the product of rubbing balms and oils? Are we to believe that this person whose personality is such that he insists on controlling his own world and everyone within that orbit, went way, way out of character and abdicated responsibility for his physical shape to his trainers who pumped him with steroids, causing this massive increase in size...all without him knowing or even asking? That Bonds' body underwent this incredible metamorphisis and Bonds did not think anything was unusual was taking place?
Bonds may be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, but baseball fandom is not a court of law. We may make up our own minds employing whatever standards of proof we feel are sufficient. We are dealing with a case where all of the circumstances scream "yes, he did steroids." We have the evidence of the unprecedented improvement of a 35 year old player who not only became better, but became the greatest hitter ever, five years after the end of his normal physical prime. We have the evidence of the physical changes in Bonds' body. His personal trainer has been convicted of steroid distribution. We have the testimony of Bonds' mistress. All of these things suggest that Bonds was doing steroids. Against all this we have the denial of the person who is suspected.
How can anyone look at the circumstances here and conclude anything other than ...Bonds did steroids?
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