Hank Aaron: Home Run Record Is Bonds'

Finally, someone is using some sense in this steroid discussion. This week, Bud Selig threatened to suspend Alex Rodriguez for failing a drug test six years ago in which it was specifically stated there would be no penalties, then mused that he might get out the eraser and remove Barry Bonds from the record books. Hank Aaron, however, told the Atlanta-Journal Constitution that he wants no part in that.

Baseball and Steroids

Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada is charged with lying to Congress over testimony he gave regarding steroids, a charge he is expected to plead guilty to.

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After a report surfaced that Alex Rodriguez failed a 2003 drug test, the star admitted he used steroids as a member of the Texas Rangers from 2001 to 2003.

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Roger Clemens is under fire for insisting in a hearing that he did not use performance-enhancing drugs, despite what his former personal trainer has claimed.

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Barry Bonds, baseball's home run king, faces charges of lying to a jury after testifying he did not use steroids, despite reports that he did fail drug tests.Click through for more players who have been accused of taking performance enhancing-drugs or tested positive.

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Jose Canseco admitted he used steroids in his book "Juiced," and also named several of his former teammates as performance-enhancing drug users.

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Giants minor league catcher Eliezer Alfonzo was suspended last June for 50 games after he failed a drug test.

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Braves top prospect Jordan Schafer was suspended 50 games last season by the commissioner's office for violating the minor league drug program. Schafer was reportedly caught in possession of human growth hormone.

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In 2007, outfielder Jose Guillen received a 15-day suspension following media reports linking him to performance-enhancing drugs. Guillen's suspension was eliminated as part of baseball's new agreement on drug testing.

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Outfielder Jay Gibbons was suspended in 2007 after being linked to HGH use. Following the suspension, Gibbons admitted receiving human growth hormone in 2005 and apologized, but was released by the Orioles before they opened the regular season. Gibbons signed a minor-league deal with the Marlins last month.

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In December 2007, Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts issued an apology and admitted to using steroids on a single occasion in 2003 shortly after he was named in the Mitchell Report.

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"If you did that, you'd have to go back and change all kinds of records, and the [home run] record was very important to me," Aaron said. "It's probably the most hallowed record out there, as far as I'm concerned, but it's now in the hands of somebody else. It belongs to Barry. No matter how we look at it, it's his record, and I held it for a long time. But my take on all of this has always been the same. I'm not going to say that Barry's got it because of this or because of that, because I don't know."

Look, we all know how stupid Selig's idea is. Bonds hit the home runs and he hit them in games that count, so the home runs have to count. No one is ever going to forget that Bonds was on steroids and whenever people mention his record, they'll mention that and they'll mention Aaron in the same breath.

Really, Aaron needs to be commended for the way he's handled this situation. More than one ex-player would scream and yell that they should have their record back, but Aaron has been pure class since it became clear that Bonds would break his record. He understands that nothing that Bonds can do will take away his own 755 home runs and that the public will always hold his 755 up as a pure number, no matter how many home runs Bonds or A-Rod hits. Now if only Bud Selig could see the same thing.