...This is not a defense of Bonds the man. The truth is, we don't know Bonds the man, we just know the Bonds that isn't good or doesn't like dealing with writers. That's his right, as annoying as it may be to the writers. This is a defense of Bonds the ballplayer, who has been lost amidst the hostile hackery.
Ted Williams was not a good guy. Ty Cobb was a violent racist. Tris Speaker was in the Klan and split the Boston clubhouse with anti-Catholicism. Joe Jackson threw games. Pete Alexander was a raging alcoholic. So was Mickey Mantle. Maybe you wouldn't want to sit down to lunch with any of them. Maybe you're such a perfect human being that you treat everyone perfectly and you could only be stained by being in their presence. More power to you. But if you wouldn't give your right eye to see them play again, or for the first time, to see baseball played as well as it can be played, well, then you're too far above the players to love the game.
A great and controversial career is coming to a close. That's a captivating story. Who cares whether a writer doesn't like Barry Bonds? Since when is the writer the story? Give it a rest, colleagues, please.
