Mr. Bonds must be one miserable human being. I guess it's true that no one likes a spoiled brat. This most recent episode concerning Mr. Bonds is nothing more than a case of what goes around comes around.

In case you haven't heard, Barry Bonds broke a long-standing baseball home run record. The gentleman who caught the record-breaking ball sold it, and the eventual buyer is looking to donate the ball to the Baseball Hall of Fame. But, he has imprinted an asterisk on the ball itself reflecting the general opinion of Bonds and this hallowed piece of memorabilia, irrespective of the known facts of Mr. Bonds and his unproven use of steroids. Mr. Bonds has replied by stating that he would refuse to enter the Hall of Fame if the Hall accepted and displayed this ball.

Sounds like a win-win situation to me. What's the problem? Fans get to have their opinion of Barry Bonds perfectly symbolized forever in the Baseball Hall of Fame, AND we'll never have to hear anymore self-serving nonsense from that whiny brat Barry Bonds again? That just seems too good to be true.

I have to say that I still don't hate Mr. Bonds. I still feel sorry for him above everything else. I feel sorry for him because this should be the happiest moment in his life. He has eclipsed a great record, yet it will always have at least a figurative asterisk. He is set to retire and ride off into the sunset, yet he may have to answer federal charges soon. He really has no reason to smile. When it is all said and done, Barry Bonds is not likely to have many fond memories to look back on either. He'll have no championships, a tainted record, and hatred from the vast majority of baseball fans. Nothing could better symbolize this hatred than the home run ball with the asterisk.

There is a bigger issue though. Does the Hall of Fame belong to the players, or does it belong to the fans? Should Bonds get his way in this argument, I wouldn't really be surprised. However, if that were the case, then it would appear that the Hall of Fame does not belong to fans. Obviously, I would be greatly disappointed by this choice. Like most fans though, I would probably make plans to come to Cooperstown to see the asterisk ball. Whereas, I am not likely to set foot in the place if Barry Bonds is there. Call it a boycott if you want. Simple economics dictates that the Hall belongs to the fan. As a consumer, I must demand that this ball be made part of the Hall of Fame. I'm sure most fans agree. The asterisk ball will generate business for the Hall. Barry Bonds won't generate anything other than animosity.

As a player, if you disagree and feel the Hall is yours, then you are no better than Barry Bonds. That attitude, not steroids, is why fans have a problem with Bonds. Barry Bonds owes us. We made him great. Without us fans, Barry Bonds would be just another flabby office worker who hits cleanup for his church league softball team. His desire to remove himself from the Hall of Fame is a good first step in paying back baseball fans. There was something unnerving about the whole home run record to me as a baseball fan. It felt like Karma messed up somewhere in a big way. Barry Bonds being in the Hall of Fame is meaningless to me, and the reason is because my devotion as a fan seems meaningless to him. Barry Bonds will never be more than a footnote, an asterisk if you will, in baseball history. This asterisk, in my opinion, has nothing to do with steroids. It's there because the admiration I may have once felt was never reciprocated with simple gratitude. But, Barry's decision to boycott the Hall would be the best thing he could ever do for me as a fan. It would be the final good-bye, and a positive thing I could use to remember him. With luck, I'll never have to hear from him again.

And if Barry Bonds should change his mind and enter the Hall along side the asterisk ball, would anyone really be surprised?

Kevin Francis is an author and sports fan. He has published the novel "Autograph", and his books on sports can be found by visiting http://www.ithinkimgoingbald.com

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