Major League Baseball put on a beautiful show last week at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The game between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants served as a celebration of the Negro Leagues and as a memorial for Hall of Famer Willie Mays , who died two days before the game.
Barry Bonds, perhaps the early 21st-century face of performance-enhancing drugs, was prominent in the weekend festivities and during a pregame ceremony honoring Mays in San Francisco on Monday. MLB's home run king and the longtime Giants star is Mays' godson, making his presence almost essential at both events. Yet many are still surprised to see Bonds around the game.
The stain of steroids will do that. Over the weekend in Birmingham, Bonds captained the celebrity softball game with Derek Jeter. Then, he appeared on Fox's pregame show with fellow stars Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz and Ken Griffey Jr.
Bonds handled the attention well, juggling interviews while dealing with his godfather's death. Despite his steroid use, Bonds has received a welcome from MLB to return to its stage. In 2016, he served as Miami Marlins hitting coach.
Two years later, the Giants retired his No. 25 and in August, the Pittsburgh Pirates will induct him into their Hall of Fame. Bonds, nearly 60, has been retired for 17 years, but the steroids issue will dog him forever, fair or not.
In 2021, Bonds earned a high of 66 percent of votes in his 10th and final year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame (players .
