In a new interview with MLB.com, the former Giants slugger says he deserves baseball's greatest honor, despite the informal asterisk that comes with his status as the best-known player of the steroid era. When asked if he felt he belongs in the Hall, Bonds responded "without a doubt."
"You have to vote on baseball the way baseball needs to be voted on," Bonds said, arguing that he deserves fair consideration from Hall of Fame voters. "If you vote on your assumptions or what you believe or what you think might have been going on there, that's your problem."
After an eight-year investigation, Bonds was convicted last December of obstruction of justice connected to his 2003 grand jury testimony on alleged steroid use. Bonds was sentenced to 30 days of home confinement and two years probation, plus 250 hours of community service and a $4,000 fine. The jury acquitted him of perjury charges, which carried a more severe penalty. His sentence was suspended pending appeal.
The Hall was one of several topics covered in the MLB.com discussion, which might be one of Bonds' longest and most in-depth interviews in years. Famously prickly with the media, Bonds discussed his feelings for San Francisco the Roger Clemens trial, and his possible future as a Giants coach. (Thanks to NPR's The Two-Way blog for letting us know about the interview.)
From the interview, here's Barry Bonds on...