He's always used a bat shorter and lighter than the normal ones used by sluggers, and still chokes up on it. Amazingly fast bat speed + unbelivable pitch recognition = best hitter of our era. if steroids didn't help him, then why did he take them? from some of you guys' analysis, you make it seem they're totally irrelevant to his success. he must have felt they were doing some good. I'm not sure this is the best argument to make. Some players cork bats because they think it helps, despite the fact that it really doesn't help. I'm not saying steroids don't help. Just pointing out that a player might do something because they think it will give them an advantage, whether it actually does or not. I do agree that steroids have probably been most beneficial to Bonds by allowing him to stay in peak physical condition at a point in his career where his body most likely wouldn't be able to handle the physical strain of a 162-game season. However, I have heard that he does work his butt off in the offseason to stay in shape. Of course, the steroids just add to that. yeah, but he must have felt that they were helping him if he continued to take them. i don't doubt bonds' great eye or lightning quick bat...he's always had those. but i'm not about to just discount his steroid use because he has a good eye at the plate. steroids helped him, he realized that they helped him, and he continued to use them. he probably would be a great hitter w/o steroids, but there's no doubt in my mind that he was made better by steroids. his size jumped, his #'s jumped, and he used them for multiple years...that's all the proof i need to know that he was aided by steroids.