First and foremost, Home Run Derby thinks Bugs & Cranks is one outstanding blog, written by excellent writers and passionate fans.
So it is with the utmost respect that I say I must summarily disagree with their call to boycott the Baseball Hall of Fame and anything related to Marc Ecko (the fashion mogul who bought Barry Bonds’ record 756th Home Run ball that he will brand with an asterisk and send to the Hall of Fame).
David Chalk begins the uprising with a call to boycott the Hall of Fame. I am not sure I really understand this one. The Hall of Fame isn’t complicit in the branding of the ball. They are merely the recipient of a piece of history - baseball history. And like it or not, the controversy over Bonds and his steroid use (please note the word “alleged” is purposely missing) is a part - no make that a huge part - of the history of the game, this era, and the career Home Run record that Bonds holds (please note that I am not one of the Bonds haters that refuses to acknowledge his record).
The Hall of Fame, or more appropriately called the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, is in the business of recording the history of the game of Baseball. Not just the statistics - but the history. Barry Bonds will forever be known as the man who broke baseball’s most hallowed record with the help of steroids. That is his history.
And here is the part that of David’s case that I really disagree with:
“This is The United States Of America. Baseball is the National Pastime of The United States Of America. If a man declares his innocence, he is considered innocent until he is proven guilty. We cannot give that precious right away because someone paid money at an auction, or because other people voted on the Internet.”
People in this country have to stop associating the right of presumed innocence afforded to our citizens in a court of law with the nonexistent “right” that extends to arena of public opinion. Just because Barry Bonds professes his innocence and he has not been convicted of anything doesn’t mean that I have to suspend common sense and buy into his legitimacy.
The circumstantial evidence is pretty damning.
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Add the US Government to the list of people who think that Barry Bonds has lied about his involvement in steroids. 
Now, there is nothing wrong with this on the surface. It’s fine that Joe has a standing play date every time he’s in San Francisco and that Barry has found a member of the media he doesn’t wish would die a fiery death.
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