In His Own Words: Barry Bonds

SI Staff | Jul 20, 2007

In His Own Words: Barry Bonds /

In His Own Words: Barry Bonds

"Doctors ought to quit worrying about what ballplayers are taking. What players take doesn't matter. It's nobody else's business. The doctors should spend their time looking for cures for cancer. It takes more than muscles to hit homers. If all those guys were using stuff, how come they're not all hitting homers?" -- May 21, 2002

"No. I don't have to [use steroids]. I mean, I'm a good enough ballplayer as it is. I don't need to be any better. I can't get any better at this age." -- June 2002, in an interview on On the Record with Bob Costas

"I never asked. When he said it was flaxseed oil, I just said, 'Whatever.' It was in the ballpark ... in front of everybody. I mean, all the reporters, my teammates, I mean they all saw it. I didn't hide it." -- Dec. 4, 2003, during grand jury testimony, according to the San Francisco Chronicle

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images, Tom Silknitter/SI

"I don't know Tim Montgomery. I've never met him. When accusations come from someone you don't even know, what can you do? They'll be talking to my lawyer." -- June 25, 2004, to USA Today in response to allegations from a former world-class sprinter that Bonds received steroids from BALCO

"All you guys lied! All of y'all and the story have lied. Should you have asterisks behind your name? All of you lied. All of you have said something wrong. All of you have dirt. When your closet's clean, then come clean somebody else's ..."

"What did I do? What did I do? What are you going to apologize for when you're wrong? This is old stuff. I mean, it's like watching Sanford and Son. It's just rerun after rerun after rerun. It's almost comical, basically. We've got alcohol that's the No. 1 killer in America, and we legalize that. You've got tobacco, No. 2 or 3 killer in America. We legalize that. There's other issues. It's become Hard Copy all day long. Are you guys jealous? Are you upset? Disappointed? What? ..."

"I don't know if steroids are going to help you in baseball. I just don't believe it. I don't believe steroids can help eye-hand coordination [and] technically hit a baseball." -- Feb. 22, 2005, his first public comments after his grand jury testimony was leaked

"You're talking about something that wasn't even illegal at the time. All this stuff about supplements, protein shakes, whatever. Man, it's not like this is the Olympics." -- March 4, 2005

"You wanted me to jump off the bridge, I finally have jumped. You wanted to bring me down, you've finally brought me and my family down. Finally done it. From everybody, all of you. So now go pick a different person. I'm done." -- March 23, 2005

"The fact that someone should write in the newspaper is, I've never failed a drug test." -- Sept. 18, 2005

"I think we have other issues in this country to worry about that are a lot more serious. Talk about the athletes that are helping [Hurricane] Katrina. Ask yourselves how much money y'all personally donated and have helped. You know what? There are still other issues that are more important [than steroid use in baseball]. Right now people are losing lives and don't have homes. I think that's a little more serious, a lot more serious. I've been tarnished in baseball for years and years, brother. There's nothing you guys can write or people can say that will ever fix that. It doesn't matter anymore. I go out there and enjoy the game." -- Sept. 21, 2005

"It's still Hank's record. And whether I break it or not, what's important is that whoever does it, you just hope it inspires some little kid down the road to say, 'He did it. I could do it.' I'll be on his side." -- Feb. 23, 2006

"He is both my teammate and my friend. He did not give me anything whatsoever and has nothing to do with this matter, contrary to recent reports. I want to express my deepest apologies, especially to Mark and his family, as well as my other teammates, the San Francisco Giants organization and the fans." -- Jan. 12, 2007, after a New York Daily News report that he blamed a positive amphetamines test on teammate Mark Sweeney

"Let them investigate. Let them, they've been doing it this long. It doesn't weigh on me at all -- at all. It's just you guys talking. It's just media conversation." -- Feb. 20, 2007, after his first spring workout with the Giants

"I'm not worried about the Hall. I take care of me." -- May 2007, on whether he will share anything from his home run chase with the Hall of Fame. Bonds later agreed to donate an artifact from his 756th home run to the Hall.

"To expect this man to just travel all over this continent for weeks [to see the record fall], it's not fair to him. Hank's a great ballplayer; he's the home run king. He'll always be the home run king in our hearts. We respect and love him, and Hank, if you want to stay home, stay home, brother." -- July 9, 2007

"This is my family. These are people, a lot of them I grew up with throughout my years. I cannot ever, ever thank them enough. I'll never forget it." -- July 10, 2007, on a rousing ovation given to him by fans at AT&T Park before the All-Star Game

Published Jul 20, 2007

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