Anyone with any kind of affliction like that gets it played up no matter how good a player they are. For example, Jim Eisenrich has Tourette’s and Bill Gullickson (I think) is diabetic. Neither of them were big-time stars, but their illnesses made them at least human-interest stories.
This reminds me that in the bad old days, players were heard to yell “nigger” type insults at Babe Ruth, which were references to his kind of broad, flat nose. Lovely guys, eh?
Reference: http://www.baberuth.com/flash/about/photos/rutb053.html
Re: steroids. He is the only player to have over 60 Hrs in a year 3 times, & I recall less than 60 1st few years total-Texas & White Sox. Steroids are the most likely reason, IMO. Also check out Bonds’ head -physically it looks like several sizes bigger than his early years w/ Pirates.
http://images.google.com/images?q=barry+bonds+pirates&btnG=Google+Search&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
This has pictures of Bonds as a Pirate. I don’t know that he looks any different really, except that he’s put on more muscle and fat, both, I think. This also has affected his neck and face size.