Barry Bonds is a big headed scumbag that cheated and took steroids. I hate when people say "Barry Bonds broke the HR record" when he did, but under influence of drugs.

Well, Irish, I stopped following the game for the most part when the home run records starting falling (and Barry's head strated growing) at a rate that couldn't be explained by mere 'evolution'. This clown would have made the HOF without ANY cheating (and let's stop the hallucination that there is ANY question as to whether this scumbag cheated --- he DID!).
Whiner, crier, bad in the clubhouse, no show in big games, and class A CHEATER and LIAR! I hope this waste never makes the HOF. A MUCH bigger jerk who leaves a much larger stain on the game than Pete Rose, and you had to go some to sink to that level, and this clown did just that. His dad and his godfather (Willie Mays) must be very proud of him.

Tainted the game. He is arrogant also.

Regardless of the juice, regardless of the advanced personality disorder, regardless of the moods, the sullenness, the fact that he was throughout his career, the biggest prick in baseball, if not in all of sports, this guy was a hell of a player. And nothing can take that away, especially since he was brilliant before any evidence of steroids showed up.

And on a side note, I am thoroughly sick and tired of fans who cheer home runs or pitchers, then run to tear the same player down at the first hint of irregularity. What we, as fans of baseball, should have the courage to accept is that we are all complicit. The players who cheated, the teams who aided or ignored them, the league that turned a blind eye, the union who fought testing, the media who loved the stories of big hitters, and the fans who turned out to cheer even when the taint of scandal started to rise. No one is pure here. No one.

Simply awesome. He gave you a reason to go to the Giants game and they have been a bore ever since he left. It was electric every single time he stepped to the plate. I'll be telling my grandkids some day that I watched Bonds drop bombs into McCovey Cove the same way my parents generation talks about Ruth, Gehrig, Luzinski etc. (Ok, maybe not the Bull.)

satrrods

HATE HIM

cheater

Let's say that in the future, we learn that Barry Bonds is completely innocent--he never used steriods and he earned his success the hard way. (We won't, but let's use our imaginations!) Even if Barry was an honest, hard-working ballplayer, he still sucks as a human being...and that's a far worse than using steroids.

overrated and shouldn't have the record

Barry Bonds you da man

How do I lie? Is it wrong to despise somebody for taking the cheap route to achieve what he cannot based on his talent and balls? I think not and I don't think any of my criticism of this sham of an "athlete" can say anything bad about me. Sure, he probably would have hit 500+ homeruns and gone to the hall of fame, but no, Barry had to hit the juice. We are all allowed to dislike what he has done to the game and be as critical of his bad choices as we like.

Emotion what a wonderful thing. I am shocked at how many rate him a 1 when they know it is emotion and not fact. Bonds may have had some chemical help. Those of you who rated him a 1, 2, or 3 are hypocrits and openly lie! You know he is an amazing talent yet you fail to tell the truth shame shame. Personally I hate him as a person yet am amazed with his skill, one of the most dominant sports personalities of all time. Ruth is #1 in baseball.

HEY PEOPLE MU=IGHT NOT LIKE HIM BUT WITH THOSE #'S AND MVP HE IS ONE OF THE BEST

Can anyone say steroids??????? He should have an asterix next to his name. This guy is a jerk.

sammy sosa is way better. its not even close.

Barry Bonds is simply the greatest player to ever live. Bonds is the greatest hitter of all time, the reason for that is not his strength which people say was given to him by steriods, but because he has the greatest eye in the history of the game and the coordination to match. He only swings at strikes, and he is the only player in all the major leagues that never looks foolish at the plate. His credentials include the single season home run record, the only player in major league history to steal 500 bases and hit 500 homeruns, 8 gold gloves, and he will soon be the all time home run leader. You can't beat those stats, and for those of you who dispute the fact that he is greatest ever because of the steriod issue, why is he dominating everyone else in the majors who are also supposedly on steriods. The only player in history that can compare to his hitting stats is Babe Ruth, and the simple fact of the matter is that Babe Ruth played in a time when the pitching was inferior, half the talent in the world wasn't allowed to play due to segregation, and the glove that was used was no more then a padded work glove. Bonds is the greatest hitter of all time, and overall greatest player of all time.

If something is proven, I will think about adjusting this rating.

The topic is Barry Bonds, not "baseball player" and not "human being". He is both of those, and is a poor excuse for both. I agreed with all of the steroid accusations the minute he opened his mouth and virtually admitted using, without explicitly mentioning the word "steroid". He makes racist comments, isolates himself from teammates, is rude to fans and then kisses babies on camera like a good politician. First class a-hole all the way. Oh, and as a ballplayer: let's not get too mesmerized by the home run chase. Has anyone seen him play left field the last few years? He is an absolute embarrassment! Has anyone seen him "run" to first after he hits a ground ball? If so, save the footage: that would be more rare than any home run record he breaks. There is no passion in this man for anything but himself, and the day he sets the home run record, all juiced up on roids and arrogant, it will really be cool to sell a whole generation of kids on how baseball's home run king got there: drugs and politics are great substitutes for passion, work ethic, honor and grace.

In any other sport he would have been banned for life years ago.

It is totally , brutally , obvious , that he does steroids .That means he is CHEATING!Ruth , Aaron, Mays , Killebrew , Robinson ,Schmidt , Banks ,Ott ,McCovey ,Foxx ,etc - any of them use any substance that makes their muscles bigger and bigger , as they got older?Hell no!!Regardless of whatever skills he has , he still would not have the Home Runs that he has -probably wouldn't have 500 , either.He is a mean-spirited , selfish ,self-absorbed ,petulant , a-hole ,with less than zero class.And ,make no mistake , he is a racist - he claims that he's had a hard life filled with racism ,when in fact , he grew up rich and priviledged .But worst of all , he has stated that he wants to pass Ruth , because He's your (White)guy. That means he deliberately wants to do it , for racial reasons -to deliberately pass a player , because of their skin color - that....is....RACIST!!!!And if any White player said he wanted to pass Henry Aaron,or Bonds , because they're black , his MLB career would be terminated right on the spot ,and he would be crucified!!!!So his career should have been terminated long ago ALSO!!!!And his statistics should all be removed!!!!Not only should fans boo him off the field every time he comes to bat , they should chant RACIST at him.Here's pulling for him to suffer the same fate as Lyle Alzado ,from all of his abuse of steroids.Keep this hateful,megalomaniac OUT of the Hall of Fame FOREVER!!!!

Barry should retire for the good of the game. His reputation is tarnished forever. Should he be eligible for the Hall of Fame? Should his records stand? I guess in a perfect world, I would leave those questions to 2 men...Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.

Loved him as a Pirate. lost the love since seeing him become a selfish teammate and his brash comments towards the fans and media, It's simple tell the truth and run with it. Giambi has not faced the same scrutiny as Bonds because he didn't lie about his actions. As great as he is on the field. Off the field antics kill his overall persona.

Barry Bonds is a total A-Hole, the biggest the game has ever seen. I rate him zero stars as a person unfortunately, he is a solid baseball player. The real question is would he be as good without the use of steroids. Playing mostly in SF where the fences are closer, I dont see him be the superstar in another stadium and without the use of steroids. Again a totally Gigantic A-Hole.

I cringe as I give Barry 5 stars, but I have to. He sees the ball better than anyone in the league. I truly believe he'd dominate the game without the help of steroids. That said, he lost my respect as a person when he recently made the claim that he was unknowingly taking performance-enhancing drugs. He's basically calling everyone in the game and every fan of the game a moron.

Steroid Freak

As a person, a jackass. Although I have to admit he is extremely intelligent and I appreciate the way he respected his father and godfather (Willie Mays). As a player, he is off the charts incredible. His stats from 2001 to today are something out of a science fiction book. They look like numbers from the best player in a coed slo-pitch softball league. He has the all-time single season HR record, with 73. He gets on base so often that even if you took away all his hits from 2004, his on-base percentage was still better than the NL's hits leader, Juan Pierre. He has 7 MVPs, 4 more than anyone else. The downside: never won a world series (neither did Cobb or Williams); actually was mediocre in his first 4 seasons; and BALCO.

I suppose just about everyone rating on this topic considers themselves something of a baseball expert. Well I'm here to tell you that many of you have diminished your own credibility by wildly speculating on that you really don't know (rapest [sic]), or injecting personality in a consideration of the on-field impact of a player. Barry Bonds is unquestionably the greatest player of his generation and certainly ranks in the top five all-time. Don't believe me. Ask a contemporary ballplayer. Even those that consider Bonds a jerk, fully and readily appreciate his skills, freely admitting he's the best. A 650 on-base average! 200 walks, including more intentional passes than any other TEAM!... Get real, people.

While he was a prodigious talent in his early years, and still can hit with the best, I seriously doubt that a 35 year old player can suddenly double his homer output in a single season without trememdous help (take your pick of aids).

I really think he does deserve 5 stars skill wise.. but he makes it oh-so-hard to admire him. I don't know how to explain his late career hitting explosion, but I'm pretty sure he didn't just suddenly double his hitting ability at age 35.

Great player, although currently slightly overrated.

overrated peace of crap and rapest

Biggest jerk in baseball. An average triple A ballplayer without the roids.

Barry Bonds is the greatest thing that has happened to baseball over the past 25 years. No one has been better and more dominant than Barry Bonds. If you have not seen him in person then I highly recommend it that you go and watch this great legend on the field. He is going to be the future all time home run leader! Barry is the best player in baseball hands down. Those who gave him less than 5 stars are just haters. Don't hate the player, hate the game!

Scum... steriod junkie... uses a juiced bat - a juiced ball... and worst of all - the guy is rude.

The greatest player of all time. Don't believe it? Watch him play. Anyone who ranked him lower than a five did it because they don't like him. This is a survey designed to rank the best players of all time, not the nicest players of all time.

One of greatest ever - attitude not withstanding

How can you not give him 5 stars. Even if he is a major league asshole.

Bonds is an obvious force of nature in the game, juiced up or not. Wish he could get hold of some good Personality Enhancing Drugs.

Only Ruth is better. But it's early. Brett Favre 6'2'' 235. Barry Bonds 6'2'' 225. If Bonds is on roids then 85% of the NFL is too. If Favre uses protien shakes and dumbells then Bonds does too. One way or another nobody in baseball has had as many career HR's in almost 30 yrs and everyone agrees that players are bigger, faster, stronger and better than they were in the 1970's. In fact for it to take 30 years for someone to get 600 that shocks me. We were long overdue and give Barry some credit.

You Can't give him more than a 2 because he takes Performance Enhancing Drugs

barry bonds is without question an all-time great but there are people who believe that he is better than Ruth stats do not bare this out. Ruth was a successful pitcher(89 wins). Played alot fewer games than Bonds(approximately 200 games at present). Ruth made basesball. That being said there is no question Bonds is the best playerin the last 25 years

Who cares if you like his personality or not. What makes him a jerk and Joe DiMaggio classy? They're the same, so make up your mind. And it was because of that "personality flaw" that he was kept off of the All Century team, so that's not a good argument. And besides, that was in 99. In the last 4 years he's become even greater. He's about to win his 3rd MVP since then, which will give him 6. Twice as many as anyone else and he SHOULD have 8. He also holds the single-season record for most home runs and won a batting title at the age of 38 hitting .370. As Sparky Anderson once said, he may be the greatest defensinve leftfielder of all time. He hits for average and power and plays marvelous defense. Oh yeah, he can steal bases, too. One of 3 40/40 players, ONLY 500/500 player and a perenial 30/30 threat in his hey day. He's not only the greatest player you can see today, he's maybe the greatest of all time. He at least deserves consideration.

Like him or not, it's hard to say he is not the best ever. He will end up well over 600 HR's, may even break the all time record. He has over 500 steals. Like 4 mvps (or is it 5 now?) He has transformed himself over his career & has become the most dominating player of his generation. All he is missing is the championship ring.....

All Juiced Up!

There is no doubt that Barry Bonds can hit a baseball really, REALLY far, and really, REALLY often. However, there are three factors that keep me from listing him among the top hitters of all time; a lower pitcher's mound, body armor, and expansion. For those who have never pitched, the slight lowering of the mound in today's game has given hitters a considerable edge. Realize that the lowering the mound a mere two inches gives pitchers that much less room for their pitches to move and one inch between a ball and bat can mean the difference between a home run and a fly ball. Next, the use of body armor does protect the hitters. It also allows them to dig in and crowd the plate without fear. I have much more respect for players like Mike Schmidt who faced Nolan Ryan fastballs without an elbow guard. For those with any other doubts to this argument, find and ask anyone who faced Bob Gibson. Finally, it's neccessary to face the fact that with expansion the pitching is spread out so thin that Bonds is facing a lot of pitchers who wouldn't be in the majors if there weren't as many teams. Note that with the addition of the last four expansion teams (the Rockies, Marlins, Diamondbacks, and Devil Rays), twenty starting spots had to be created. And you don't just pluck quality starters out of thin air. Give me a time machine and Barry's elbow guard and then let's see how he does.

Hands down the most dominant baseball player ever to walk on the diamond I could go all day bout this guy. back to back greatest offensive number seasons in history all while getting walked 195 times. Best post season numbers EVER. 5 MVP's when theres nobody that has won more than 3 If more people would vote now he would be and should be #1. People that know baseball know there isn't any better out there

C'mon people we're witnessing the greatest player of all time in our time .... Barry Bonds ! This player has had the two greatest back-to-back seasons at the ages of 37 and 38 ! Say what you will to "dis" Barry but the facts and figures make it clear: Barry is superman !

Barry doesn't just rate as the best player in the game today, but even one of the best of all-time. Chances are he's going to end his career in third place on the all-time home run list. He is also very good in the field and has an amazing on-base percentage. Last year he set an all-time record for home runs, walks, home runs per at-bat, and another category that I don't recall. His 2001 campaign was possibly the best season in the history of the game. His career numbers definitely put him among the elites to be enshrined in Cooperstown. I added another chapter of my respect for this 73-home-run man with his gargantuan 588th home run hit on Saturday at Yankee Stadium.

An unbelievably productive player. Bonds has that rare ability to put his team on his shoulders for weeks on end, and is a true star both offensively and defensively. In terms of his personality - which has always been his biggest liability - if you get a chance, read the summer 2000 interview with Bonds and Dan Patrick that appeared in ESPN, The Magazine. In this interview, Bonds comes across of a private, insecure guy, who is terrified of being called stupid, and uses his bluster and attitude to disguise his insecurities...it was really interesting stuff. Regardless if this interview was a result of a PR spin for Bonds, the guy is a hell of a baseball player.