Should You Root for Barry Bonds?

As the slugger nears Hank Aaron's record, fans are crying 'Foul Ball.' Here are five ways to make sense of his feat

Winslow Townson / AP

San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds watches a hit during their baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston on June 16, 2007.

It's just too easy to loathe Barry Bonds. As he approaches one of the most important achievements in American sport--Hank Aaron's all-time record of 755 home runs--everyone knows about Bonds the boor. He's fought with teammates, dissed the press and shunned the notion that athletes must strive to be adored. Then there's that whole steroids thing. In a recent TIME.com poll, 77% of respondents didn't want Bonds to break Aaron's record.

But Bonds deserves a little respect. Steroids or not, he may be the best pure hitter in baseball history. "Does Bonds carry the freight for all the sins...

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