So, Game of Shadows was recently re-released in paperback to mark its one-year anniversary. You know, it's that book that basically calls out Barry Bonds on the whole steroid issue. Well, the authors, Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, have crafted a new afterword to the book, mostly documenting the 2006 season that was Barry Bonds. And from it, comes this interesting nugget:For his part, Murphy could document Bonds' physical changes via the changes in his uniform size. Since joining the Giants, Bonds had gone from a size 42 to a size 52 jersey; from size 10 ½ to size 13 cleats; and from a size 7 1/8 to size 7 ¼ cap, even though he had taken to shaving his head. The changes in his foot and head size were of special interest: medical experts said overuse of Human Growth Hormone could cause an adult's extremities to begin growing, aping the symptoms of the glandular disorder acromegly.The measurements were taken in 2003. So, that would mean the dude's shoe size grew two and a half sizes between the ages of 28 and 38. That's just not human, folks. I don't think my shoe size has increased since the eighth grade.
But hey, he's innocent until proven guilty! So what if some silly book says different! Right? Riiiiiight.....
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1. Grew alot? Bonds continues to lie because of the money if he breaks the home run record. He, McGuire and the rest of the cheating, lying, gotta watch my language fools are a disgrace to the game. All their records should be expunged. Bonds brings a disgrace to Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobbs and those who were SKILLFUL! Not low life cheats. The San Francisco Giants for signing and conyining with this charade have lowered themselves even lower than Bonds. But of course with a city that condones alternative life styles who would expect anything different?
Posted at 2:39PM on Feb 27th 2007 by Kenneth Cook
2. And we were worried about his ego out growing everything?!Looks like home-boy is outgrowing alot of thing these days.One day...maybe he will grow-up and realize,just because he plays a childs game he doesn't have to act like one with the tantrums,lying,cheating.I wish they would take all his records and stick them where he sticks his steroids!Oh wait,he's innocent till proven guilty......yeah right,whatever!
Posted at 4:38PM on Feb 27th 2007 by Loni DeLaHunt
3. Just saw an auction where shoes given to Bonds by the Giants but not worn were size 11 1/2....in 1999, this guy is a user, everybody knows it....
Posted at 4:53PM on Feb 27th 2007 by WRK1000
4. I get your point, Kenneth. But to be fair, Ty Cobb brought plenty of disgrace onto himself long before Barry Bonds was around.
Posted at 5:15PM on Feb 27th 2007 by insomniac
5. It's not worthy of response, and yet I'm drawn in anyway:
(from Kenneth again) "But of course with a city that condones alternative life styles who would expect anything different?"
How does that explain:
Chicago, Baltimore, and Arlington with Sosa?
St. Louis with McGwire and Pujols?
New York with Giambi?
New York and Detroit with Sheffield?
Houston and Roger Clemens?
If fans are going to buy tickets to see them, then the owners will sign them regardless.
Posted at 5:50PM on Feb 27th 2007 by insomniac
6. Bonds can lie all he wants just as our current President. A note to both, repeating a lie over and over doesn't make it any more true than the original lie. I say we set up a new hall of shame for all of our steriod boys and their bogus records.
Posted at 5:54PM on Feb 27th 2007 by SKIP
7. I don't believe growing during your 30's and 40'sis one bit of proof of a persons doing steroids. i am in my late 40's now and was surprised to watch my shoe size increase from 11 1/2 to a 13ee. My hat size was always 7 3/8 but has grown to 7 5/8 or even 3/4. Thought it normal?
The chance of having any steroids in my body is nil. I did play linebacker in college in the 70's where there was steroids being used but i differed not to partake.
Posted at 6:34PM on Feb 27th 2007 by joey
8. Leave the guy alone already!!!! Let the man do what he does and give it all a rest. I guarantee there are several others in the game right now that are using... and I don't hear anything about them. ie: Sosa, Clemens ( who can still pitch like that in their 40's),pitchers especially. Anyway, if the guy is guilty then it will come out eventually, until then enjoy what he has contributed to the game!
Posted at 7:36PM on Feb 27th 2007 by chad
9. To bill o ,do you think hank A Needed roids , babe need roids? sounds like you are roid guy!
Posted at 9:53PM on Feb 27th 2007 by R .BULL
10. DON'T SLAM PUJOLS--THE MAN IS JUST THAT DAMN GOOD!!!
Posted at 10:43PM on Feb 27th 2007 by Bobby
11. im rooting for bonds. you are kidding yourselves if you dont believe the players in the past didnt do illegal stuff. black beauties greenies etc. they get a past because it wasnt banned and the media wasnt out to ruin people. if bonds did take steroids and im not saying he didnt they werent banned. same scenario just a different time. babe ruth drank during prohibition not that enhanced his productivity but was illegal. nobody says kick him out of the hall. nobody talks about all the pitchers on the juice. gaylord perry is glorified for cheating. so just because bonds is rotten son of a bitch you better appreciate his talent because it incredible. i hope he hits 900 home runs. p.s people still cheer shawn merriman dont they...................
Posted at 11:07PM on Feb 27th 2007 by rich
12. Barry has one head growing, one head shrinking. The man is no longer a man. He is idiot ruining a great game.
Posted at 11:15PM on Feb 27th 2007 by Charlie
13. To this guy who knows that one of 'Barry the great' heads is getting smaller must be a jock sniffer
Posted at 11:36PM on Feb 27th 2007 by sam
14. Thats what steroids will do for you
Posted at 11:42PM on Feb 27th 2007 by Steve
15. Hey Karf, that was an interesting story. Could you tell us how much your brain shrunk during that time period?
Posted at 11:45PM on Feb 27th 2007 by Rayf
16. I was 144 pounds and 6 feet tall when I left high school and size 10 1/2 shoe and 39 coat size. I started working out very serious with weights in my late 20's and early 30's. I am now 204-206 pounds shoe size is now 12 and coat size 42-44 long, never usd anything. Now 57 and in very good share some times size 12 shoe feels tight. If you work out with weights for a long time your body will get bigger and so will your shoe and coat sizes, without taking anything.
Posted at 11:57PM on Feb 27th 2007 by FRANK FRANKLIN
17. "aping the symptoms of the glandular disorder acromegly" Apeing is just what the ape is doing. Good boy Bonds!
Posted at 1:03AM on Feb 28th 2007 by misty
18. Is Bonds guilty? Nobody knows for sure until a positive test comes out, thus making all this conjecture virtually meaningless. If Bonds' career has been shortened by steroids, then the injuries that may have been brought on by that use have taken the toll on his body that time would have without the roids. If Bonds started using around 1999, with 494 homers, then a steroid-free Bonds would have, barring injury and averaging 35 homers a year, been poised to pass Aaron sometime late in the 2007 season, which is what is happening anyway, steroids or not. And as for the resident leftist SKIP and his throwing in a "Bush lied" reference, I submit this: "If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program."
--President Bill Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998
"He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983."
--Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998
"[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs."
Letter to President Clinton, signed by:
-- Democratic Senators Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others, Oct. 9, 1998
"Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process."
-Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998
That scoundrel Bush is sure one master manipulator to have tricked all of these people into his lies while still Governor of Texas.
Posted at 1:15AM on Feb 28th 2007 by Doug
19. MR bonds i am 41 and not any one of my friends that thought it was great cause they look big and strong and i am talking years ago R ALL DEAD or away wishing they were . YOUR heart is the one organ that can NOT change and it is only used to the body you produce with nature's help not science go to a doctor and get check out real good . You will not be around to enjoy your sucess no one who does that junk lives past 45 just like a stupid bullet hit em right in the heart get help before its to late MR BONDS
P.S. you should watch the footage of lyle alzado in his last years or listen to the football player who also played for the raiders he's losing his memory
Posted at 1:56AM on Feb 28th 2007 by jim
20. Hey, if you haven't experienced that kind of growth, thank God! I played college football, and a couple of years of semi-prodfessional football. I played linebacker and tight end in my first year of semi pro. I broke a leg, and the next year I played center on the team. I wish the 'growth' had stopped there, but after getting about 100 additional pounds on my body some health issues have begun to force a loss. In that time my shoe sizes, as with most everything else, also grew. My point is that to jump to a conclusion without definitive proof about Bonds is about as un American as one can get, particularly as we view what it means to be an American. We can note that much of this gets press with Bonds because the media types don't like him. Perhaps with understandable reasons, but it really bugs me that people who for the most part strike a deal with owners about access and if the player does not go along ( And I do understand that this is contractual for the players, but fine them and stop the vicious retribution that extends even into retirement and hall of fame voting, ie, Jim Rice.) with it the way the writer or reporter wants, then this is a bad person, to never be given the benefit of the doubt. If took just the way the athlete looked, or their size as guilt, then most of them who stay in a sport for some time will appear guilty. Do some comparisons, or rookie seasons and a person's 15th or 20th season. The other salient point is that it is my understanding that what some suspect Bonds of using was not banned at the time. Also, it is reported that he has never tested positive for steroids. So, without empirical evidence, is it fair to 'assume his guilt?' If you don't like him because of his arrogance, then that's fine...this is America, and you have that right. But if you are a writer and reporter, you should likewise have an ethical standard by which players should be judged, and it cannot be that they didn't give you a good interview.
Posted at 1:57AM on Feb 28th 2007 by Gene