Bonds Gives Back

No more boos for Barry Bonds. One of baseball's biggest villains has turned into a hero overnight. Prior to today, Bonds was the poster boy for the steroid era in baseball. Although he has continuously denied using performance enhancing drugs during his career, pictures don't lie. The evidence is clear. Take a look at his slim physique when he was stealing 40 bases for Pittsburgh in the 1990's to his hot air balloon-sized head while setting the single season (and eventually all-time) home run records with the San Francisco Giants in the early 2000's. In addition to the asterisks on his marks, Bonds was known as a prima donna with a vendetta against the media. Still, all of that needs to be put aside after Barry did one of the most unselfish things in his entire life on Wednesday.



Before we get to Bonds, we need to flashback to April. Arguably the biggest story in the MLB this season happened on opening day. Following a game between the LA Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants at Dodgers Stadium, Giants fan Bryan Stow was brutally beaten by a pair of unknown and extraordinarily cowardly Dodgers fans in the parking lot. The violent act was so bad that it sent Stow to the hospital where he was put into a medically induced coma. He still remains there today. Doctors have said that it's likely Stow will have significant brain damage when he does eventually recover.

Fans all over the country have shown their support for the Stows. The Dodgers, Giants, and MLB all put in money to find the assailants and this past weekend, a suspect was finally arrested. While these acts are helpful, they don't compare to what Barry Bonds did today. According to Stow's attourney, Bonds has offered to pay for the college education of the Stow children. Bonds didn't know Stow, but he didn't need to. By making this incredibly kind gesture, Barry has gone against everything we previously thought about him. He didn't even ask for the spotlight. Maybe we were wrong about Barry all along. He'll still have the dark marks haunting his past, but now Bonds will also be known as a man with a good heart.

by Andy Adamson