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AnonymousAl: your last sentence, I think, summarizes the problem with Barry ... but for the alleged (yeah, right) steroid use, he would not be considered one of the top 3 or 4. Most people have serious problems with that.
Think about it ... absent artificial means, does he hit 70+ homers a year, and stay healthy long enough to approach Ruth and Aaron? And if he were not approaching Ruth and Aaron, would people consider him as the top 3 among Ruth, Aaron, Mays, DiMaggio, Cobb, Williams, Gehrig, Mantle, Wagner, etc. etc.? Doubtful.
Did Hank Aaron cheat? Did the Babe? How about Williams? The Mick? Cobb was ferocious, but did he cheat? More than that, did they do anything illegal to enhance their performance? Compare Bonds all you want to the current crop (many of whom may have also cheated), but to mention Bonds in the same breath with Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle, etc., only diminishes their achievements. Most are not around to give their opinion, but I think Hank and Willie would agree with that.
History will not be favorable to Bonds (or McGwire or Palmiero), in fact, it will only get worse for them. Much worse.