Baseball season is about one-third gone in 2007. Barry Bonds  is about 10 homers away from setting the all-time home run record . It's controversial—baseball is pretending Bonds isn't really nearing a milestone, and it's all because of the book "Game of Shadows."  Sorry, but I'm celebrating Bonds' 756.

This a tough issue for me because I'm still not convinced that performance-enhancing substances  improve the stats of hitters who are already productive. I was watching the Cubs and Braves one weekend, and I noticed how one Braves outfielder has changed over the years. He's still as tall as he was when he started and as joyful in his expressions. But he looks a little older and a little thicker with age. I remember an Orioles' outfielder in the '90s was known for his meticulous workouts and he was in perfect shape. But he wasn't a big star—he was just in killer shape.

When Babe Ruth moved into Yankee Stadium  in 1923—"The House That Ruth Built"—he continued his home run legend. The right field fence was 295 feet away; The Babe, however, had begun hitting homers by the dozen before Yankee Stadium. Hammerin' Hank Aaron  himself enjoyed an Atlanta ballpark known as "the launching pad" for its homer-friendly dimensions. In 2000, Bonds moved into PacBell Park (now SBC) after years in other, less friendly ballparks, but his numbers show he was a game-changer even in the cavernous parks.

Willie Mays , on the other hand, hit 660 career homers in a career that was spent in Candlestick Park  in San Francisco: windy, cold, deep and stingy. Put his right-handed bat in Fenway Park  and what do you have? We can only guess.

I watched Bonds play since he came to S.F. in 1993. Every game, seems like, he drives in the clutch run, scares the other pitcher and manager to death, makes the good play in left. After the controversial years began, that did not change. I notice his stats are pretty consistent  except for a couple of incredible home run years. He's the best hitter ever, from this fan's standpoint—he comes up and everything changes. Everything.

So I myself can only accept the moral dimension with substance abuse—drugs are addictive and bad for you. But I am not yet convinced that they enhance hitting. Before or after the controversy, Bonds has always been pretty good at that. Like, "best ever!" good.