Bonds Cheats (not just with steroids and mistresses)

Everybody's sick of hearing about Barry Bonds and steroids. However, Michael Witte at Editor & Publisher (ht Drudge) writes of a different way Bonds has cheated to catch Hank Aaron's home run total: his elbow "armor." I always thought the elbow pad was unnecessarily huge, but Witte has analyzed his swing and makes a surprisingly convincing argument that the elbow pad is actually a mechanical apparatus that gives Bonds a significant advantage. For example, he claims that it keeps Bonds' swing remarkably consistent and efficient, harnessing his power more effectively. It also allows Bonds to hit the ball with more mass, but with better mass distribution than using a heavier bat. A rule change years ago forbids players from wearing an elbow pad, but Bonds was grandfathered in and his pad has grown more than his hats since he started wearing one in 1992. I was hoping he would be indicted, suspended, or suffer some Tonya Harding related tragedy before he tied Aaron (can you picture Bonds down, sobbing as he clutches the knee, "Why? Why? Why?"). It's too late for that, I guess I'll have to keep rooting for Alex Rodriguez to break the record 7 or 8 years from now.