They can do whatever they want, as long as the penalties handed out are consistent and do not pick on any individual and/or group.
Further, the issue at hand is not about what MLB will do with Bonds. The issue at hand is what the Feds are going to do with him.
Bonds is due some fines/penalties and hand slapping from MLB. Big whoop.
The legal system punishes violations of law. Baseball punishes violations of baseball rules. Why would you think that they intersect?
I don’t. Bonds has been charged with perjury about steroid use. If he is convicted then he is guilty of (although not criminally charged with) having used steroids. That is cheating and baseball needs to punish him for it.
Or maybe I don’t understand what you’re saying.
I’m not sure it was cheating when the use in question happened. But yes, if he breaks a baseball rule, he needs to be punished.
The poster I responded to said that since steroids are illegal, baseball does not need to draft rules covering steroid use. My point is that the interests of baseball and the interests of society do not necessarily intersect. Gambling is legal in many venues; should baseball let the legislature draft the baseball rules on gambling? Why should the punishment given by society necessarily be sufficient to the needs of baseball?