Should Barry Bonds's MLB records count?

NEWS FACT: Barry Bonds, the mighty San Francisco Giants hitter, is closing in on the record for all-time career home runs. Hank Aaron has held the current record (755) since 1976. Bonds has been accused of taking steroids-drugs that increase muscle mass. Many people say that steroids give athletes an unfair advantage. This spring, Major League Baseball (MLB) launched a full investigation into steroid use in the sport, its findings may affect Bonds's place in baseball history.

Bonds is not the only baseball star suspected of steroid use. Mark McGwire, record holder for most homers in a single season, is among a number of suspects. Former Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent has said, "Recent indications are [that] up to 50 percent of the players in the '90s were using steroids." Major League Baseball didn't officially test for steroid use until 2003.

What do you think? If Barry Bonds took steroids, should his MLB records count?

Yes

"I think all of Barry Bonds's records should count, because before 2003 there was no rule banning steroids from MLB," says John Stellini, 14. "Therefore, he did not cheat on any records set before then." Adds John, an eighth-grader at St. Brendan School in San Francisco, California, "He hit most of his home runs legally and earned his place in the record books."

John's classmate, Scan Christopher, 14, agrees. "Baseball has developed from a game into a business, and you have to stay on top." Besides, it is unfair to treat Bonds differently. "You have to [consider] all players who have used steroids, including many who haven't been discovered yet, or who have retired but took steroids [as players]," says Sean.

No]

"Any records that Bonds has so-called broken should be erased," says Tom Bloomer, a seventh-grader at Broad Meadows Middle School in Quincy, Massachusetts. "Men like Roger Marls and Hank Aaron, who broke records without enhancers, made the game great. [Steroid users are] ... a disgrace to the game of baseball."

Steroid use would give Bonds an unfair edge in qualifying for the Hall of Fame, says Madison Buckhy, 12, of Georgetown Middle School in Georgetown, Kentucky. "He broke a rule if he took steroids," she says. "I know people are supposed to be given a second chance, but this will be his punishment. Actions have consequences. These are his."