Be Wary of Barry

Apparently, Alex Rodriguez isn't the only baseball player who needs a lesson in common sense. A week after A-Rod stole the stage from the World Series, Barry Bonds is complaining that he has been unfairly targeted in baseball's crackdown on steroids. (Or, as an ESPN.com headline puts it, "unfairly targed"...whatever that means.)

A-Rod has already been criticized, on this blog and just about everywhere else, for his lapse in judgement. Bonds' latest episode of pissing and moaning, however, has gone under the radar. Ironically, this is because Barry has overshadowed himself. His vow to boycott the Hall of Fame if it accepts his asterisk-marred 756th home run ball may be the biggest Bonds story of the weekend, but it's not the only one.

In an interview with MSNBC on Friday, Bonds said he "defintely" believes he has been singled out for baseball's problems with performance-enhancing drugs. Rather than spinning this off as a negative, Bonds might want to explain how this makes sense. It's a testament to his success. By smashing his way to the top of baseball's record books, Bonds has put himself in the spotlight. And when athletes accomplish great things, people pay attention to them. They target them, if you will. That's life, and that's fair.

Bonds' decision to take a negative outlook makes it tough to trust another point the free agent slugger tried to make in the same interview:

"I don't bring baggage to a team," he said. "I've never brought any baggage to a team. I've brought my baseball bag, but I don't bring any baggage. I go on the field and I play."

This is where the past overwhelmingly contradicts Bonds' attempt at putting a positive spin on himself. Barry sits on the bench when he feels like it. He also speaks his mind whenever he feels like it. Consider this along with the steroid controversy, and that's baggage alright.

As he has demonstrated a nauseating number of times, Bonds can say whatever he wants. While he belongs in the Hall of Fame for his accomplishments--even those before the steriods controversy--he's making it tough on PR personnel of teams seeking to sign him. Maybe that's unfair.