Barry Bonds, Your Excuse Does Not Work

The list is long; Ryan Braun, Carlos Ruiz, Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, Melky Cabrera, and many more have been accused of taking performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). It's sort of funny to say, because when you look at these players statistics, you wonder how, after all these years, they can just hit for unbelievable power, contact, and play the field just as good as anyone else. When Barry Bonds was accused of taking PEDs, he simply said, "If the pitchers are taking them, how could I not?" That's really funny Barry. Think about it, if the pitchers were truly also taking the PEDs, how could Bonds explode onto the scene, a full head and shoulders above everyone else? If the pitchers were taking the drug, Bonds would've had an average year, and nobody would worry. Bonds, Braun, Ruiz, and Cabrera all did something wrong, and they can't do anything about it.

What is showed below is each of the player's monster year, the year before it, and the year after. This should show how much PEDs put you ahead of the game. All the players have shown that PEDs have been making them better, and that their records and achievements should be forgotten and given to a more worthy player who did play by the rules.  

Braun

2011: .332 BA, 33 HR, 111 RBI 

2012: .319 BA, 41 HR, 112 RBI 

2013: .298, 9 HR, 38 RBI

Ruiz

2011: .283 BA, 6 HR, 40 RBI

2012: .325 BA, 16 HR, 68 RBI 

2013: .257 BA, 0 HR, 7 RBI 

Bonds

2000: .306 BA, 49 HR, 106 RBI 

2001: .328 BA, 73 HR, 137 RBI

2002: .370 BA, 46 HR, 110 RBI

Cabrera

2011: .305 BA, 18 HR, 87 RBI

2012: .346 BA, 11 HR, 60 RBI

2013 (Injured): .281 BA, 3 HR, 30 RBI

As you can see, each player has been "synthetically" boosted to become a player they are not supposed to be. You don't know if Bonds ever stopped taking the drug, because his average was up at .370, even following the positive tests. For Ruiz, Braun, and Cabrera they just aren't as good as they were while taking the PEDs. 

Sadly, this makes you question every good ballplayer who plays by the rules. Miguel Cabrera and Chris Davis are two candidates who everyone hopes that they do not cheat, but we can only wonder how they became the faces of baseball. Every good player will be questioned at one point, and even if they are clean, will be continued to be doubted because of these players. 

I hate to say it, but this is where baseball is faulty. America's greatest pastime is an intriguing sport, but people who take the PEDs are making it worse for the actual superstars, the players who put in the work, time, and energy to be the best players of their time. I hope baseball can figure out a way to do away with PED usage forever, but sadly players will do whatever it takes to be the best that they can be, even if it means ruining their careers.