In today’s day and age, a lot of athletes are getting bigger and stronger, especially in football, basketball, and baseball.In baseball, there has been a lot of talk about BALCO, a Bay Area based clinic that supplies muscle-enhancing drugs, like steroids to be used by certain players. Baseball players such as Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, and Barry Bonds have been one of the big names that have been called out and accused of using them.That brings to mind Barry Bonds’ homeruns. When Bonds first came into Major League Baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986, he was a skinny player. Then he began to look bigger after he came to San Francisco in 1993. “He wasn’t in the minor leagues very long,” Skyline infielder Brandon Ramsey said. “He was a typical college player. He was able to mature and workout everyday. Now he has money and better trainers. He is going to get bigger as the years progress.” In 2001, Bonds shattered Mark McGwire’s single season homerun record by hitting 73 homeruns. In early April, Bonds passed his godfather Willie Mays to place third in the all-time homerun record list, which some people consider to be the most valuable record in sports. On April 29, Bonds hit his 668th career homerun against the Florida Marlins. Combined with his father’s 332 homeruns, the grand Bonds total became 1,000.Are these homeruns that Bonds is hitting tarnished? I believe they are because of what Bonds has done these past few years. I think there should be an asterisk next to Bonds’ 73 homeruns in 2001 because of the steroid accusation against him. It is believed there shouldn’t be any way someone can get ahead of the game by using strength-enhancing drugs in any sport. But there are some who feel that Bonds’ homeruns are due to athletic ability and are not tarnished.”I say no, because this year he is having just as good of a year as he did a few years before,” Ramsey said. “He is one of the best hitters, one of the best swings we have seen in pro baseball, and the guy leads the league in walks and homeruns, and he is doing it again this year without being on steroids.” Skyline varsity baseball head coach Dino Nomicos believes that Bonds’ homeruns aren’t tarnished because of his use of steroids. “I think he is one of the best hitters to ever play the game,” Nomicos said. “He is not using steroids now and who knows if he was. That’s his business. He is hitting just as many homeruns now as he did before. I don’t think it tarnishes his record.” In professional sports, players are using strength-enhancing drugs to get ahead, so is it OK for players in universities and community colleges to use them? Both Ramsey and Nomicos think it’s unlikely for baseball players at the community college level to use steroids.”I don’t think so,” Ramsey said. “I think it might spread down to the college level-if anything, just the division one sports, but not really junior college baseball. It sucks but no one really cares because it’s not as big.””I don’t think so,” Nomicos concurred. ” For one, [college players] can’t afford it, but I think there is use of it in other sports. Baseball hasn’t been a big steroid sport as much as football and wrestling and other sports like that.”Even with these accusations of Bonds’ use of steroids being tied to his homeruns, it is understood that Bonds has had a hall of fame career to this point. I think he should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame because of his numbers alone. As a person, others feel he should not because it is said that he is an arrogant person and is not really friendly with the media. To his peers, he is the most feared hitter in baseball, and they would like to have him on their team in terms of playing on the field. Bonds just isn’t as great in the locker room.