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TEARS, STEROIDS MARK PREMIERE OF ‘BONDS ON BONDS’: Plus, Jesse Jackson says MLB needs to protect the slugger from unruly fans.
*Although a deal was in place to film a reality show about Barry Bonds’ quest to break the career home run record this season, the subject matter may very well play the background to a much larger issue facing the San Francisco Giants slugger, as evidenced by Tuesday’s premiere episode.
The debut of ESPN2’s "Bonds on Bonds" opened with footage from opening day in San Diego Monday night, showing fans booing the player, commentators speaking about his alleged steroid use and the syringe thrown at his feet as he came off the field following the eighth inning.
The latter incident has prompted Rev. Jesse Jackson to speak out against Major League Baseball and the San Diego Police Department for failing to protect him from such behavior.
"That fan should have been arrested," Jackson said. "That object could have had a needle in it. It could have hit him. The commissioner of baseball must be outspoken in protecting any players whose lives are in jeopardy, whose security is at risk."
Richard Andersen, the Padres' official in charge of Petco Park, said he was told by security officials that the tossed object was a toy syringe that did not have a needle attached. He also said approximately a dozen other toy syringes were confiscated from fans entering the ballpark on Monday. One fan had several in his pocket and others had syringes taped to their shirts.
"If it makes them happy to go out of their way to destroy me or whatever they want to try to do, go right ahead. It doesn't bother me," Bonds said on his reality show. "You can't hurt me anymore than you've already hurt me. You can't hurt my family anymore than you've already hurt them."
Tears began to well as Bonds continued: "They can take me down. I don't really care," he said. "I never cared. Baseball, if they want to take me down, go right ahead take it. Anyone who ever knows me knows ... I don't care. But there's so many other people who depend on me to stay strong."
Also on the episode, Bonds joked about killing somebody because of all he's been through and expressed shock at the amount of reporters hounding him following allegations of steroid use outlined in the book "Game of Shadows." He also compared the racist hate mail he currently receives to what Hank Aaron endured when he broke Babe Ruth's career home run record in 1974.
“Bonds on Bonds,” from Tollin/Roberts Productions and ESPN Original Entertainment, also showed footage of the player’s love/hate relationship with the media, archival video of his college days at Arizona State and an interview with his former manager, Dusty Baker. Bonds also talked about the rocky relationship with his father, three-time All-Star Bobby Bonds, and how his father’s drinking affected him as a child.
Although the show will continue to follow Bonds’ pursuit of the home run record, (He entered the season with 708 home runs, seven shy of passing Ruth for second place all-time and 48 away from breaking Aaron's career record.), he says his focus is not on the record at all. He spoke of his wish to leave the game, but said he decided not to because it would let down his parents, his teammates and the fans who root for him.
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