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[Chris]

Since Barry Bonds broke the home run record last night I felt it was a good time to ask this question. I'm curious to see what other people's reaction to this record is. In my opinion, since MLB did nothing for so long in the 90s it's somewhat poetic justice that Barry Bonds would break the all time HR record. Also in case you missed it...

[ian]

I don't really follow baseball, but I think this is an interesting topic.  My opinion is that this is a great accomplishment, however he did admit to using steroids, and that should disqualify him from even being considered in this category. 

I found a pretty good article to go along with this topic.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1640390,00.html

Should You Root for Barry Bonds?
1) It's simple--he cheated
2) He's the greatest hitter of all time
3) Come on, pitchers are juiced too
4) Aaron was pure, but baseball has issues every era
5) It won't matter--A-Rod will surpass him

I think I fall into the number 4 category.   

[Chris]

It should be noted that he never admitted to "knowingly taking steroids." That's what he told a grand jury during the Balco investigation. Add he said last night that the record is not tainted. I seems to think that he did use steroids because the circumstantial evidence is so obvious but he never admitted to it.

[ian]

Even though he never admitted to it, the physical evidence doesn't lie.  To me its just not as impressive when the person breaks a record with "added help." 

[Chris]

I agree that it is pretty obvious that he was/is using Steroids and/or HGH. At the same time there were probably pitchers that threw to Bonds that were also on steroids. I'm not saying he's the greatest home run hitter of all time, I'm just saying that he should still be admired for his accomplishments. The reason I personally find this all so amusing is because of the situation that it puts Bud Selig in. He was the one that turned a blind eye in the 90s so it's only fitting that something like this would come back and bite him in the ass.

[ian]

How about Matt Murphy (the 21 year old kid who caught the ball)?

According to experts, the ball became taxable income in the eyes of the Internal Revenue Service.

"It's an expensive catch," said John Barrie, a tax lawyer with Bryan Cave LLP in New York. "Once he took possession ... it was income to him based on its value."

That would have Murphy facing a tax rate of about 35 per cent, or about $210,000 (U.S.) on a $600,000 ball.

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/244521

[Chris]

Yea I heard that he might hold on to it instead because of the tax rate. If I were him I would just get rid of it asap though. Bonds already hit 757 and in a couple years A-Rod has a legitimate shot at breaking this record and then the ball will be worth a lot less.

[ian]

Well even if he does keep it, he will still be taxed on it.

Even if he does not sell the ball, Murphy would still owe the taxes based on a reasonable estimate of its value, according to John Barrie, a tax lawyer with Bryan Cave LLP in New York. Capital gains taxes also could be levied in the future as the ball gains value, he said.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-bonds-ball&prov=ap&type=lgns

I agree, he should sell it now.  Regardless if he is taxed or not, he is still walking away a few hundred thousand dollars richer.

[ian]

I just found this....  (sorry its so big)