Is The Hound the only one not astounded that Barry Bonds has been charged with federal perjury and obstruction of justice charges for allegedly knowing about performance-enhancing steroids?
The home run king and former San Francisco Giants slugger faces
a maximum of five years on each of his four perjury charges and 10
years for one obstruction charge for allegedly lying about his
steroid use during a 2003 grand jury appearance. Anybody surprised at this?
And, if he is found guilty, which is questionable, a perjury conviction usually results in little jail time, if any. And there's always the possibility of a plea and a negotiated sentence. But, according to legal eagles, perjury
charges are among the rarest of criminal cases prosecuted in federal court and among the toughest to win a conviction.
Yet that's down the road for Bonds is expected to surrender Dec. 7 and be bonded out. Also down the road is his legacy in getting in Baseball's Hall of Fame. If Bonds used enhancements to break Hank Aaron's record, should he be afforded a place in the hall? Pete Rose isn't there and he just gambled. And what about the others who were rumored to be steroid users to pump up their home run totals?
Letting him in the hall would be astounding, would it not? Or at least with that ubiquitous asterisk, like the one that followed Roger Maris around for decades.
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