Radical opinion on Barry Bonds,the new HR King

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 12:29 pm

This is becoming unpleasant.
I'm going to see Cheap Trick host SGT. Peppers 40th tonight at the H'wood Bowl.

Crass commercialism. Dang me.

Haven't watched/listened to baseball since Kofax and Drysdale were on my local team.

Lost interest in baseball and sports in general when the athletes started growing their hair and mustaches looking like extras in a Burt Reynolds movie.

kcole4001 · Post by **kcole4001** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 12:36 pm

I lose interest in a sport every time they have a player's strike, so currently I follow NO sports.

Now there's some crass commercialism!

johnallg · Post by **johnallg** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 2:23 pm

Baseball changed when lawyers, er, agents got involved. It was just a small step from there to entertainment, not a game. We need more Cal Ripkens...

brammy · Post by **brammy** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 3:43 pm

Speaking of free agency, I once met Curt Flood. Nice guy.

brammy · Post by **brammy** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 3:58 pm

A-Rod will do it IF he stays healthy.
Could break 800.

marc61 · Post by **marc61** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 6:27 pm

A couple of thoughts - one - baseball changed from defense and pitching to slugging and specialized bullpen because of expansion and the lack of pitching talent spread over the teams. Still seems like though, when it comes to the short series in the playoffs, the team with the better pitching, and defense up the middle usually wins. IE - White Sox and Marlins in recent years.

Two - I understand a tax lawyer was the one who said the guy who caught the ball would owe tax money on it whether or not he sold it, but I'm not clear what he's basing that on. He got the ball for free, and hasn't derived any income off of it.

brammy · Post by **brammy** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 8:05 am

Good point Marc, I didn't understand that one either. It seems pretty amazing to me that a person could catch a ball and then suddenly owe taxes. By that logic, every person who gets a ball at a game would owe a few cents to Uncle Sam. Now... when he SELLS it, thats another story and he would likely owe income taxes.

But the guy is from Australia (I think) so that will probably further complicate matters.

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 8:13 am

Nope, he's a Mets fan from Queens. He was on his way to Oz.

marc61 · Post by **marc61** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 8:58 am

Yes, a Mets fan wearing a Jose Reyes jersey. Legend has it when they went to the ballgame, that they tried to get out of paying a $55 cab fare by offering the driver a few thousand if they were lucky enough to catch the ball.

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 12:00 pm

Kent...my fondest hope for you remains unchanged, even after your last post.

I am, however, growing a little less fond of it...

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 12:31 pm

Oh yeah, one more thing...

"Sorry Dane, I'm going to call you on your ******* when it falls from your lips."

Okay, Sherlock, but leave my lips out of this...I'm using a keyboard here...

wints · Post by **wints** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 2:56 pm

The root problem here is the baseball "drug testing" protocol which has been nothing but a joke.

Compared to the stringent OIC, or the NFL/NHL the system has allowed baseball drug cheats to flourish.

Bonds has maintained a strong body through steroid use and therefore been able to break the record. Without them he would not have.

Anyone who thinks he has not been on the juice needs a serious reality check. The same people believe Armstrong won the 7 tours on mom's apple pie...

This generation of hitters, going back at least 10 years have probably nearly all been juiced. And, with the farce called MLB they still are.

loendmaestro · Post by **loendmaestro** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 3:20 pm

Don't want to anger anyone too much, but here's what I got:
Bonds is a fraud - indicative of all that is wrong with professional sports
I live in Atlanta where we're dealing with the fallout of the lowest of the low - Michael Vick & his animal cruelty.

Plus, baseball (IMHO) is a weak sport to watch....c'mon hockey season!

lyle_from_minneapolis · Sun Aug 12, 2007 3:26 pm

Women's Beach Volleyball for me. Woot!

dr_bob · Post by **dr_bob** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 5:31 pm

I don't want to anger anyone either . . .

Yep, Bonds probably is or was on steroids. Yep, the base stealers of the 80s and early 90s were on speed, lots of it. Yep, many Hall of Fame pitchers doctored the baseball (and still do). Yep, hitters cork their bats. Yep, a number of pitching records were set when the mound was higher than it is today. Yep, many "clean" players today get cortisone shots to make them feel good enough to play every day. My point is that if we start the slippery slope of saying that this record or that record should have a asterisk, every record ever held would have to be questioned.

I don't much care for Barry Bonds the person that I see in the media and don't like many of the decisions he has made in his life. But in regard to his record, here's what I think. Bonds was a four-time MVP before he got big. He might be a jerk to the media, to his wife, and he might have been on steroids, but he is one of the greatest players -- talent-wise -- in the history of the game. If all it takes is some "juice" to set records in baseball then I suggest that everyone who denies Bonds his moment should start taking steroids, grab a bat, and see what they could do.