Should Bonds Play on Hall of Fame Sunday?

The Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are this Sunday in New York, and all the way in California the Giants will be hosting the Marlins in San Francisco. Should Barry Bonds sit out on Sunday so as to not risk overshadowing what's happening in Cooperstown? After all, wouldn't it be a disservice to Cal Ripken or Tony Gwynn to steal their thunder by tying or breaking the home run record?

That's the question posed today by the Washington Post, who asked several former players their thoughts:

"I think [Bonds] should play," said Frank Robinson, a Hall of Fame outfielder, induction class of 1982. "You don't step aside for an induction ceremony. [Ripken and Gwynn] are Hall of Famers because they went out and played. You owe it to your ballclub and to baseball itself." ...

"It's basically good versus evil," said former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer, a 1990 Hall of Fame inductee. "Here you have two guys who played the game the right way, who were marvelous people on and off the field, and another -- nothing against Barry -- who wasn't."

Nice disclaimer there at the end: nothing against you, Barry, but you're evil. Way to be polite and speak with conviction.

Personally, I'm shocked someone would even think of this question. Of course Bonds should play on Sunday. I thought it was ridiculous that some people think Bonds should sit out all road games, now people want him to play in only specific home games, too? Besides which, is that any way to treat the thousands of faithful fans at AT&T Park, the ones who keep the stadium sold out despite a team that's 15 games under .500? I don't see it happening.

Unless Bonds wants to have his shining moment in history to be breaking the record on the road and then having the field showed with debris from angry fans, he's not going to waste any opportunity he has to get this thing over and done with at home.