ARTICLE: T.O.'s call got Barry back to 'Bad Boy' self

[WoodysGirl]

Column by Carl Steward (csteward@angnewspapers.com)

OAKLAND — In what serves as yet another affirmation of the twisted world we live in, we apparently all have Terrell Owens to thank today for Barry Bonds finally getting off the dime.

After 40 plate appearances, 29 at-bats and 10 games of increasingly pensive waiting to pull alongside Babe Ruth, Bonds finally hit career home run No.714 on Saturday at McAfee Coliseum.

And whether it was a made-for-reality show anecdote or not, the San Francisco Giants slugger maintained it was none other than T.O., everyone's favorite controversial wide receiver, who provided the magic words that lifted him out of his funk following a Friday phone call.

"He (Owens) kind of kicked me in the butt, because he said if I ever wanted my No.1 Bad Boy ranking back, I've got to start hitting home runs," Bonds said. "So I was like, 'I want it back.' So he kind of helped me."

Bonds is a tough man to figure on this self-image thing. Does he really enjoy being sports' Public Enemy No.1, even now that he's tied for No.2 on the all-time home run list with the Sultan of Swat? He constantly gives mixed signals and did so once again, even in the wake of his milestone blast in a 4-2 Giants win over Oakland.

When he actually hit the second-inning shot off A's left-hander Brad Halsey, Bonds ran the bases with something akin to a scowl. He hugged and kissed his son, Nikolai, who met him at home plate. But when he was greeted at the dugout by teammates,took a couple of curtain calls and then sat for a long period by himself afterward, he looked more like a guy who gave up the historic home run rather than hitting it.

Yet after the game, Bonds was as happy and humble and lovable as Bonds ever gets.

"I'm just glad it happened in the Bay — East Bay, West Bay — as long as it just happened here in the Bay, it was just great," he said. "The fans even here in Oakland were phenomenal. They gave me a standing ovation, they all cheered. I think it was exciting for them because it was in the Bay Area regardless."

Well, they didn't all cheer. While there were some A's fans standing and applauding a rare moment in baseball history, a good number of them booed, too. In fact, the young man who caught the ball in the right-field bleachers, 19-year-old Pleasanton resident Tyler Snyder, said he wasn't a Barry Bonds fan whatsoever and didn't really care to meet him.

"Hell no, I hate the guy," Snyder said emphatically.

Apprised of Snyder's comments afterward, Bonds was nonplused.

"If he doesn't like me, give me the ball," he mused. "I don't have any idea why anyone would express hatred toward any other person that you don't know."

The real question, again, is whether Bonds desires to be appreciated or loved for what he has done in baseball. Again, he sounded conflicted about it, talking about the mental and physical strain http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/std/clear.gifhttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/std/clear.gifthe daily attention has caused him, as if it were burden rather than a blessing.

"There's just a whole lot around," he said. "It was lot easier to come to the ballpark and just let everything go. But when you have a big stage all day every single day, it becomes exhausting. You get tired. There'll be somebody after me, and he'll feel the same way ... tired."

Bonds said he tried to fend off the pressure by not talking much to the media in recent weeks. But he maintained most of that pressure went away when he launched No.714, and he won't feel as much weight on himself for the next one, when he passes the legendary Ruth on the all-time list.

"It was the same thing with Willie (Mays)," he said. "Once you tie, everything after is just passing somebody. I think trying to get there is harder than what goes after it."

And Bonds is not even thinking about all-time leader Hank Aaron, still 41 home runs away. Not yet, anyway.

"I don't have to worry about that at all right now," he said. "It's far away, so I can just have fun."

Fun? Is Barry Bonds still really having fun after all the controversy and turmoil he's been through in recent years with the BALCO scandal and the general attitude of disdain at his quest to join the immortals of the game? He claims he is, even if it doesn't show on his face.

"This is a great accomplishment because of Babe Ruth and what he brought to the game of baseball," he said. "This and a World Series ring would be the ultimate for me. He changed the game of baseball, and we all have had our opportunity to add our two cents to it. It's just great to be in the same class."

Told that it's been 70 years since Ruth hit his 714th homer, Bonds was asked how he thinks he might be perceived 70 years from now. He said he didn't care, because he wouldn't be here to find out.

"I'm just glad it's over with," he said. "You guys can go watch Albert Pujols now."

It didn't sound like sports' No.1 Bad Boy talking. It just sounded like a guy who doesn't have a firm idea about his place in history. We can't help him on that count, either, because we don't really know the answer, either.

No question, something important occurred Saturday at the Coliseum. But in lieu of Terrell Owens being on hand to set us all straight, we'll have to leave it to time to judge just what.

Carl Steward can be reached at (510) 293-2451 or by e-mail at csteward@angnewspapers.com (csteward@angnewspapers.com)


LINK (http://www.insidebayarea.com/sports/ci_3849108)

-------------
WG Note: Couldn't decide which Zone to post it, so I figure why not start it here...

[SkinsandTerps]

So who had the #1 Bad Boy tag before TO called ? Yep, TO.

[Cowchips]

Barry Bonds deserves a title, but it's the modern day title.

In Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron's days, they only saw one pitcher per game. Today with all the specialist roles of short and long relief, they'd be lucky to have 500 home runs each.

People need to grow up and get over this.

[Cowchips]

So who had the #1 Bad Boy tag before TO called ? Yep, TO.

# one active bad boy is Ron Artest. TO isnt even close to that level.

# one retired bad boy is OJ Simpson, with Pete Rose a close second.

[Rack Bauer]

So who had the #1 Bad Boy tag before TO called ? Yep, TO.


I hate TO and I wouldn't even classify him as a "Bad boy". I wouldn't consider Bonds a "Bad boy" either.


They're both ***holes and complete jerks (and you can add cheater to bonds resume), but they aren't "Bad boys".

Ricky Manning is more of a bad boy then TO (he actually assaults people).

[superpunk]

People need to grow up and get over this.

Totally...I mean, what real advatage do you gain by pumping yourself up to gargantuan proportions artificially, and illegally - until your head is the size of a small planet?

People can be so shallow and narrow-minded about stuff like that.:)

[Chief]

Totally...I mean, what real advatage do you gain by pumping yourself up to gargantuan proportions artificially, and illegally - until your head is the size of a small planet?

People can be so shallow and narrow-minded about stuff like that.:)
Then why do they do it?

There was a former major league player who called in to the Jim Rome show two weeks ago and he said steroids had a dramatic effect on his ability. He said his power increased a great deal, he reacted quicker, he saw the ball better, etc.

[superpunk]

Pssst...Chief.....sarcasm....:)

[Chief]

Pssst...Chief.....sarcasm....:)

Sorry. It's Monday. I'm a little slow.

[Doomsday101]

Then why do they do it?

There was a former major league player who called in to the Jim Rome show two weeks ago and he said steroids had a dramatic effect on his ability. He said his power increased a great deal, he reacted quicker, he saw the ball better, etc.

I agree with that. If Steroids were no big deal then why take them. As far as I'm concerned there is no excuse for players coming in juiced up and if found cheating they should be banned from the league.

[JackMagist]

# one active bad boy is Ron Artest. TO isnt even close to that level.

# one retired bad boy is OJ Simpson, with Pete Rose a close second.Wait a minute; OJ Simpson is a whole other subject. He was one of the most respected people in America until he murdered his ex-wife. He was never considered a "Bad Boy" before that. He is not a "Bad Boy" he is a cold blooded murderer...a Criminal. (Note: insert your own "alleged" wherever you see fit since OJ was acquitted; I'm not going to bother.)

Owens, Rose, Artest, Bonds...these guys are all "Bad Boys"

[Xy_Oldone]

Barry Bonds deserves a title, but it's the modern day title.

In Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron's days, they only saw one pitcher per game. Today with all the specialist roles of short and long relief, they'd be lucky to have 500 home runs each.

People need to grow up and get over this.
More games per year. Shorter outfields. Right. In todays game Ruth and Aaron would be awesome.

[superpunk]

Sorry. It's Monday. I'm a little slow.

Heh, no problem. I can't stand Barry, and it doesn't even have anything to do with his dreadful personality. He's a cheater, plain and simple. Him, Gaylord Perry, Sosa, McGwire, all cheaters. Even if there's no concrete evidence that steroids helps any, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that more strength and beef=more distance. Fly balls become home runs...you can swing the bat faster, etc.

It's disgusting, and even more disgusting that it was just ignored because it was making the league so much money. I haven't watched SC in two weeks because I can't stand hearing about that cheater. IMO, every single time they cut to him, they should mention steroids - EVERY time.

[Doomsday101]

More games per year. Shorter outfields. Right. In todays game Ruth and Aaron would be awesome.

I agree and will add that Ruth set the record with 2,000 less at bats than Aaron had.

[JPM]

And if the Babe failed as a hitter, he could still pitch.

[JackMagist]

I hate TO and I wouldn't even classify him as a "Bad boy". I wouldn't consider Bonds a "Bad boy" either.


They're both ***holes and complete jerks (and you can add cheater to bonds resume), but they aren't "Bad boys".

Ricky Manning is more of a bad boy then TO (he actually assaults people).Assault isn't being a "bad boy" in my book, it is being a Criminal. Ok misdemeanor assault such as in a bar fight is different but beyond that it is criminal. I make a distinction between "bad boy" and "criminal" and the line is drawn somewhere between misdemeanor and violent felony. A "bad boy" a troublemaker and/or rule breaker but not a violent felon. Owens is a 'bad boy" because he is a troublemaker.

[burmafrd]

Love those that try and claim that Ruth would not be anywhere near as good today. He was an incredible athlete that loved to play. Can you imagine if he had modern training programs, etc. As regards pitching- they had relief pitchers back then- just did not use them that much. Also, for the first 4-5 years of his career he was a pitcher- and most of all the ball was DEAD. He would have added at least another 100+ HR's to his total if the ball had been anywhere near alive. He was leading the league even with the dead ball.
If he had 800+ Aaron would never have tried to hang around to break it; Bonds would not have tried either.

[Mash]

I liked Barry Bonds......IMHO....i think he is one of the greatest ball players to ever play the game.....steroids or no steroids

That being said.....I dont think he deserves to be up there with the great home run hitters.

Steroids make u stronger, faster....heal quicker.....but to Barry's credit....u still have to hit the ball.....it doesn't make u see the ball better....just quicker reflexes......u still have to hit it.

Plus...i could be wrong....but he never did anything illegal....at the time...if we assume Barry did take steroids....it wasn't a ban substance in baseball.....at the time he could be also facing pitchers...or other players who were on the juice that we have no idea about.

The media can make u a goat or a hero......i mean look at Ray Lewis......The NFL praised him and swept his little murder case under the rug.....you dont pay the victims family a undisclosed amount of cash if u are innocent.

[jay cee]

Heh, no problem. I can't stand Barry, and it doesn't even have anything to do with his dreadful personality. He's a cheater, plain and simple. Him, Gaylord Perry, Sosa, McGwire, all cheaters. Even if there's no concrete evidence that steroids helps any, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that more strength and beef=more distance. Fly balls become home runs...you can swing the bat faster, etc.

It's disgusting, and even more disgusting that it was just ignored because it was making the league so much money. I haven't watched SC in two weeks because I can't stand hearing about that cheater. IMO, every single time they cut to him, they should mention steroids - EVERY time.
I'm glad you added Gaylord Perry. I'm amazed at the talking heads that have slammed guys like Bonds, Sosa and McGwire and then turn around and say that it is not the same for the pitchers that cheated by throwing altered balls.

IMO cheating is cheating. I heard Keith Olbermann actually defend the idea of pitchers cheating, because it is supposed to be a part of the very fabric of the game. So it is not nearly as offensive as steroid abuse.

Any illegal act that allows you to gain an unfair advantage over your opponent should be dealt with harshly, period.

Olberman even compared doctoring the ball to when the defensive player does not actually have his foot on the bag when recording an out.

I found that argument to be totally preposterous. It's up to the umpire to call a player safe, or out. If the umpires repeatedly miss that (and they do), its because they are failing to do their job, not because the defensive player is cheating.

[JackMagist]

Love those that try and claim that Ruth would not be anywhere near as good today. He was an incredible athlete that loved to play. Can you imagine if he had modern training programs, etc. As regards pitching- they had relief pitchers back then- just did not use them that much. Also, for the first 4-5 years of his career he was a pitcher- and most of all the ball was DEAD. He would have added at least another 100+ HR's to his total if the ball had been anywhere near alive. He was leading the league even with the dead ball.
If he had 800+ Aaron would never have tried to hang around to break it; Bonds would not have tried either.Actually what they used to do back in those days was have a group of pitchers that rotated. IF the starter began to get tired they would bring in another pitcher in his place but the next week the two guys might be in the opposite roles of starter and reliever. They didn't have relief pitchers per se; they just had pitchers who performed wherever and whenever needed. But they did get relief if they started to get tired.

[burmafrd]

Doctoring the ball is as old as baseball. ANOTHER reason that Ruth was great was that doctoring the ball, spit balls, were pretty much the NORM back then.

[Hoov]

Barry Bonds deserves a title, but it's the modern day title.

In Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron's days, they only saw one pitcher per game. Today with all the specialist roles of short and long relief, they'd be lucky to have 500 home runs each.

People need to grow up and get over this.

yeah, tired of all the steroids talk.

todays pitchers are better than the pitchers in those days, so to me it kind of evens out.

[burmafrd]

There were some GREAT pitchers back then- and the talent was not diluted anywhere near as much as it is today. Less then half as many teams.

[JackMagist]

I liked Barry Bonds......IMHO....i think he is one of the greatest ball players to ever play the game.....steroids or no steroids

That being said.....I dont think he deserves to be up there with the great home run hitters.

Steroids make u stronger, faster....heal quicker.....but to Barry's credit....u still have to hit the ball.....it doesn't make u see the ball better....just quicker reflexes......u still have to hit it.

Plus...i could be wrong....but he never did anything illegal....at the time...if we assume Barry did take steroids....it wasn't a ban substance in baseball.....at the time he could be also facing pitchers...or other players who were on the juice that we have no idea about.

The media can make u a goat or a hero......i mean look at Ray Lewis......The NFL praised him and swept his little murder case under the rug.....you dont pay the victims family a undisclosed amount of cash if u are innocent.Steroids may not have been a substance banned by baseball but they WERE Illegal as in against the law.

[superpunk]

Steroids may not have been a substance banned by baseball but they WERE Illegal as in against the law.

That distinction drives me nuts. As though baseball law trumps national law?

[jay cee]

I agree and will add that Ruth set the record with 2,000 less at bats than Aaron had.
I will add that Aaron faced the best that baseball had to offer, while I would estimate that at least 10 percent of the players that Ruth faced would not even have been in the majors, if not for the ban on black players.

[burmafrd]

That old argument about not facing black players does not hold a lot of water with me. For one- back then white kids dreamed of playing in the majors and fought like crazy to get there. Many of those same kids today go to other sports. Add to the FACT that there were a lot fewer teams and the competition was fierce to make them. By the way, Aaron played quite a few years before there were a lot of black players in the game- so his comparison does not hold much water either. He started in the late 50's, there were not that many black players in the game.

[tyke1doe]

I liked Barry Bonds......IMHO....i think he is one of the greatest ball players to ever play the game.....steroids or no steroids

That being said.....I dont think he deserves to be up there with the great home run hitters.

Steroids make u stronger, faster....heal quicker.....but to Barry's credit....u still have to hit the ball.....it doesn't make u see the ball better....just quicker reflexes......u still have to hit it.

Plus...i could be wrong....but he never did anything illegal....at the time...if we assume Barry did take steroids....it wasn't a ban substance in baseball.....at the time he could be also facing pitchers...or other players who were on the juice that we have no idea about.

The media can make u a goat or a hero......i mean look at Ray Lewis......The NFL praised him and swept his little murder case under the rug.....you dont pay the victims family a undisclosed amount of cash if u are innocent.


I'm sorry, but your post doesn't appear to make good sense.

If he's one of the greatest baseball players ever, steriods or no steriods, then why would you he doesn't deserve to be among the great home-run hitters. :confused: :confused:

The reason why we're talking about him is BECAUSE of his home-run hitting prowess.

Please explain the apparent contradiction.

Second, steriods make you stronger, hence your ability to hit longer balls.

Barry Bonds is a baseball player. I would assume he would know how to hit a ball with or without steriods.

But he wouldn't be able to launch the ball in the outfield on a consistent bases if he hadn't used steriods because the steriods are what contributes to his strength.

And let's not kid ourselves about Bonds taking steriods. The man can't even lie about it with a straight face.

And please let's stop this "well others might have done it without our knowing it." If we don't know it, we can't introduce it into the equation.

He may pass Ruth, but there will always be questions surrounding his accomplishment.

[marchetta]

Barry Bonds deserves a title, but it's the modern day title.

In Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron's days, they only saw one pitcher per game. Today with all the specialist roles of short and long relief, they'd be lucky to have 500 home runs each.

People need to grow up and get over this.

Couldn't have said it better Cowchips! Not to mention the fact that BB played against the best-of-the-best (including some pitchers that used steriods), while Babe Ruth didn't even face the best of his era since they (black players) weren't allowed to play in the majors. JMHO.

[Doomsday101]

I will add that Aaron faced the best that baseball had to offer, while I would estimate that at least 10 percent of the players that Ruth faced would not even have been in the majors, if not for the ban on black players.

Vaild point.

[PAISAN247]

[QUOTE]"And whether it was a made-for-reality show anecdote or not, the San Francisco Giants slugger maintained it was none other than T.O., everyone's favorite controversial wide receiver, who provided the magic words that lifted him out of his funk following a Friday phone call. "[QUOTE]


Breaking news out of valley ranch .....parcells was not behind t.o.'s decision to call bonds .....more reason to believe hes gonna ruin the season
:p: :p: :p: :p: :p: :p: (SARCASM) :p: :p: :p: :p: :p: :p:

[superpunk]

Seriously...and I can't believe this thread has gone this long without someone pointing out that TO should really be at Valley Ranch working out - instead of calling jerk sluggers.

I'll be expecting a column, jenny.

[skinsscalper]

I don't like the fact that Barry Bonds is/was juiced during a stretch of his career. But, the fact tof the matter is, that a good portion of the league was also juiced. Yet none of those other players put up the numbers tha Bonds did. The race against history is tough to judge, given the difference in today's and yesterday's game.

The real loser in this whole charade is Major League Baseball. Their lack of interest in nipping this thing in the bud a long time ago is what led this whole thing to where it's at. Would Bonds have as many HRs as he does without the roids? Probably not, but many of the HRs I've seen this guy hit were WAY out of the park, not just dribblers over the fence. You could cut 100 feet off of a lot of those HRs and they still leave the park. It's unfortunate for Barry and the fans that he compromised the legitimacy of his skills by juicing up, because he would have been one of the greats of his era without it. Chasing history? Yes, I beleive he would be. Maybe the race woudn't be as close, but the man still would have been chasing history. It's too bad that a majority of his acomplishments will followed by an asterisk due to poor decisions on his part and a lack of giving a s**t by baseball.

SS

[Tobal]

Barry Bonds pre steroids was the greatest player in his time, Griffey started getting hurt and I put A-Rod a little later time period.

Barry Bonds was never considered a great home run hitter until the steroids.

[TheHustler]

I hate TO and I wouldn't even classify him as a "Bad boy". I wouldn't consider Bonds a "Bad boy" either.


They're both ***holes and complete jerks (and you can add cheater to bonds resume), but they aren't "Bad boys".

Ricky Manning is more of a bad boy then TO (he actually assaults people).

Latrell Spreewell assaulted his own head coach.

[Cowchips]

There were some GREAT pitchers back then- and the talent was not diluted anywhere near as much as it is today. Less then half as many teams.

Well, today you have double the teams but you also have 10 times the eligible players including much better athletes from the black, hispanic and even oriental populations. The Babe would not even get the bat around with a pitcher like Clemens or Martinez, it is so much faster and more accurate today.

[Nav22]

Artest isn't the most hated player in the NBA. Kobe Bryant is.

[Chief]

The Babe would not even get the bat around with a pitcher like Clemens or Martinez, it is so much faster and more accurate today.

Totally disagree.

Some players would have been great in any era, and he was one of them.

Bob Feller threw 100 mph in the 1950s. I realize this was long after Babe retired, but the point is, there were flame-throwers a long time ago.

[Doomsday101]

Well, today you have double the teams but you also have 10 times the eligible players including much better athletes from the black, hispanic and even oriental populations. The Babe would not even get the bat around with a pitcher like Clemens or Martinez, it is so much faster and more accurate today.

Athlete back then did not have the same training facilities either. There were also pitchers back then who could bring the heat.

[TonyTone]

Did everyone forget about Dennis the Menace Rodman?

[Doomsday101]

Totally disagree.

Some players would have been great in any era, and he was one of them.

Bob Feller threw 100 mph in the 1950s. I realize this was long after Babe retired, but the point is, there were flame-throwers a long time ago.

Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson and Early Wynn. I would also say hitting the fast ball is not hard it only becomes hard when a pitcher has an off speed pitch to go along with it to keep a batter from timing the pitch.

[Doomsday101]

Did everyone forget about Dennis the Menace Rodman?

I did up until you brought his sorry name up. :lmao2:

[jazzcat22]

# one active bad boy is Ron Artest. TO isnt even close to that level.

# one retired bad boy is OJ Simpson, with Pete Rose a close second.

Way off base with the Pete Rose thing there. He didn't go into the stands and beat anyone up. He certainly didn't slice anyone up. Many more people go on that list before Charlie Hustle, one of the greatest MLB ever seen.

He gambled as a MANAGER...not a PLAYER...

[Seven]

Athlete back then did not have the same training facilities either. There were also pitchers back then who could bring the heat.

Sure they did Dooms. The local Pub. I'm sure many were of the legendary 10,000 gallon club.:)

[Doomsday101]

Sure they did Dooms. The local Pub. I'm sure many were of the legendary 10,000 gallon club.:)

Walter Johnson fast ball was at 99 mph.

[hipfake08]

Barry Bonds deserves a title, but it's the modern day title.

In Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron's days, they only saw one pitcher per game. Today with all the specialist roles of short and long relief, they'd be lucky to have 500 home runs each.

People need to grow up and get over this.

Well Barry was on the Juice. Needle drug.

In the NFL - Lifetime ban.
In MLB - look the other way.

[BrAinPaiNt]

I loathe baseball so part of me would love to see more scandals that brings the sport down. :mad:

[Doomsday]

If all you had to do was take steroids to hit alot of home runs you would think there would be a ton of people hitting 50 bombs a year. I seriously doubt that McGwire, Bonds, Giombia and Sosa where the only ones taking steroids. Hitting is about alot more then strength. Like him or not Bonds is one of best baseball players to ever live, he has 8 gold gloves and had Hall of Fame credentials long before his homerun explosion began.

[Doomsday101]

If all you had to do was take steroids to hit alot of home runs you would think there would be a ton of people hitting 50 bombs a year. I seriously doubt that McGwire, Bonds, Giombia and Sosa where the only ones taking steroids. Hitting is about alot more then strength. Like him or not Bonds is one of best baseball players to ever live, he has 8 gold gloves and had Hall of Fame credentials long before his homerun explosion began.

Well then why use them if they are no help? Bonds and the other you mentioned are plain and simple Cheaters of the game and do not belong in the sport.

[Doomsday101]

I loathe baseball so part of me would love to see more scandals that brings the sport down. :mad:

I love the game myself but think the season is just too long.

[cowheel]

I really need to start watching baseball - and become a SF Giants fan.

That way - I can have the 3 most hated people in all of sports on my teams!

Kobe, T.O., & Barry.:ohboy:

[Doomsday]

I really need to start watching baseball - and become a SF Giants fan.

That way - I can have the 3 most hated people in all of sports on my teams!

Kobe, T.O., & Barry.:ohboy:

A Laker and Cowboy fan, youre not a front runner r u? :lmao:

[txlonghorn14]

barry bonds will never compare to babe ruth. everyone knows bonds cheated and was juiced when he hit all those home runs. he's a bum, i can't wait for him to retire, and he can take his self righteous attitude and blow it out his rear. Forget this guy. :shoot2:

[CrazyCowboy]

Good ....we don't need TO to be #1 in that catagory!

[burmafrd]

Its amazing at the arrogance of some that claim Babe Ruth would not be great today. Every expert, coach, etc when asked have all said that Babe would be just as great today. But for some logic and common sense just don't compute.

[Etonicas]

On the topic of Babe Ruth, not only was he excellent at the plate, but he was also pretty damn good on the mound.

In the 1916 world series Ruth pitched a complete 14 inning game, winning by a score of 2 - 1.

In his world series appearances he pitched a total of 29 2/3rds scoreless innings. Alot of his hitting records are falling (or have fallen already) but many of his pitching records still stand.

[koolaid]

i dont like the fact that to is using a phone
he should be locked in a weight room with no means with only himslef and bledsoe until the season starts

i knew this would happen if we signed him....

:rolleyes:

[cowheel]

A Laker and Cowboy fan, youre not a front runner r u? :lmao:
Front Runner?
Please son... I've been a Cowboys and Lakers fan for 30 years.

I've been with both thru the good AND bad times.

[ThreeSportStar80]

Barry Bonds is the greatest jerk in baseball history but I still love the way he swings the bat and crushes the ball.

[Cowchips]

Well Barry was on the Juice. Needle drug.

In the NFL - Lifetime ban.
In MLB - look the other way.

Yes, just ask Lyle Alzado..football always had a policy about steroids!!

[Cowchips]

i dont like the fact that to is using a phone
he should be locked in a weight room with no means with only himslef and bledsoe until the season starts

i knew this would happen if we signed him....

:rolleyes:

Not too worry..I suspect when the best receiver and most accurate long passer in football connect, we are all going to be very pleased with the results.

[genghiskhan]

I will add that Aaron faced the best that baseball had to offer, while I would estimate that at least 10 percent of the players that Ruth faced would not even have been in the majors, if not for the ban on black players.


1. There were less teams back then, so the talent was far less diluted.

2. If your argument had merit, if Ruth hit a lot of homers simply because 10% of the league shouldn't have been there, then you would have seen a lot of hitters hitting that many home runs. But you didn't. Ruth was hitting 50 and 60 home runs at a time when WHOLE TEAMS COMBINED hit that amount.

[genghiskhan]

The Babe would not even get the bat around with a pitcher like Clemens or Martinez, it is so much faster and more accurate today.

That's nonsense. If Ruth could hit Walter Johnson (which he did), he could hit ANYBODY today.

[genghiskhan]

I love the game myself but think the season is just too long.

I hate this argument.

MLB season starts in April and ends in October - 7 months.

NHL season starts in October and ends in June - 9 months.

NBA season starts in November and ends in June - 8 months.

I know they squeeze in almost twice as many games in a baseball season, but time wise the season is the second shortest of the major team sports, shorter than the NBA and NHL.

[SkinsandTerps]

I hate this argument.

MLB season starts in April and ends in October - 7 months.

NHL season starts in October and ends in June - 9 months.

NBA season starts in November and ends in June - 8 months.

I know they squeeze in almost twice as many games in a baseball season, but time wise the season is the second shortest of the major team sports, shorter than the NBA and NHL.

Yep. I think that the NBA and NHL have too many games too. We wont count Soccer for this post.

I like baseball enough and played several years as a kid. But there are entirely too many games.

I think Hockey might be the toughest game to play in all of major sports, but there are too many games for a sport that many americans still havent embraced. And I stopped watching after the strike.

An NBA player might need to be the best conditioned and most athletic of all major sports. Yet with so many games the chance of injury is that much greater.

I know I forgot something, so forgive me.

[silverbear]

Barry Bonds deserves a title, but it's the modern day title.

No, he doesn't... he cheated to get that "title", so it's utterly WORTHLESS...

People need to grow up and get over this.

Including you... but you also need to go find yourself a sense of right and wrong...

Bonds should be given the Rose treatment, suspended from baseball permanently, and denied entry in the Hall of Fame forever... what he's done to baseball is every bit as bad as what Rose did... worse, actually...

The opinion of a billion Bonds groupies like you won't change that simple fact-- he CHEATED, period... without all the chemical enhancement, he probably doesn't get a sniff of 500 homers either... in fact, he probably would have been out of the game altogether 3-5 years back...

If MLB allows records to stand that were only achieved by cheating, then none of their records is worth a crap... Bonds cheapens the game, and the game cheapens itself if it stands still for his cheating...

[silverbear]

yeah, tired of all the steroids talk.

It doesn't bother you that players all across MLB are cheating to achieve success??

todays pitchers are better than the pitchers in those days,

And yet, the bulk of the game's 300 game winners come from the earlier era... been a while since anybody has approached that milestone in baseball, and it's highly unlikely that anybody will again in my lifetime...

[silverbear]

Way off base with the Pete Rose thing there. He didn't go into the stands and beat anyone up. He certainly didn't slice anyone up. Many more people go on that list before Charlie Hustle, one of the greatest MLB ever seen.

He gambled as a MANAGER...not a PLAYER...

And in doing so, he crapped all over the game he professes to love...

Exactly the way ol' juice-head Bonds crapped all over the game with HIS cheating...

[silverbear]

barry bonds will never compare to babe ruth. everyone knows bonds cheated and was juiced when he hit all those home runs. he's a bum, i can't wait for him to retire, and he can take his self righteous attitude and blow it out his rear. Forget this guy. :shoot2:

There is good news, pal, and it doesn't involve the juicer placing a call to Geico...

Regardless of what happens from here on, Bonds' name will be like Rose's, and will never be mentioned by true sports fans without a sneer of contempt... he has made himself illegitimate, and will remain illegitimate forever... when the record books mention him, knowledgeable baseball fans will ALL think of one thing, and one thing only:

Steroids...

This may be a fitting punishment for a guy who seems obsessed with his place in history, his place in the game... his place is assured-- as a villain...

To me, it's simple-- if Bonds could have done what he's done without the juice, he would have done so... he resorted to chemical enhancement precisely because he knew he couldn't get where he wanted to go without him...

As hard as this sounds, if I one day read that Bonds has terminal cancer a la Lyle Alzado, I'll consider it karmic justice... he chose to take the crap that could cause that kind of thing...

[genghiskhan]

And yet, the bulk of the game's 300 game winners come from the earlier era... been a while since anybody has approached that milestone in baseball, and it's highly unlikely that anybody will again in my lifetime...

I agree with your overall point, but Greg Maddux has about 320 wins. I think he passed 300 in 2004. Glavine is something like 18 away from 300 and the way he's been pitching he'll probably get it pretty soon (I certainly hope the next year or so will still be in your lifetime ;) ). Clemens has won almost 350...he'll likely pass 350 if he pitches this year.

But your overall point I agree with. Guys like Mathewson, Walter Johnson, Alexander, and lot of other guys were just as good as anyone pitching today.

[cowheel]

And in doing so, he crapped all over the game he professes to love...

Exactly the way ol' juice-head Bonds crapped all over the game with HIS cheating...
Level playiong field I say.

If they had been testing for steroids for the last 20 years - 90% of the league would have been busted.

Damn near everybody in baseball uses performance enhancers.

Where was all of this talk whin McGwire was knocking them 4 miles?
The world rejoiced with his every at bat even!

IMO, Barry is without a doubt the G.O.A.T.
Whether you hate him or not...

[Bob Sacamano]

When he actually hit the second-inning shot off A's left-hander Brad Halsey, Bonds ran the bases with something akin to a scowl. He hugged and kissed his son, Nikolai, who met him at home plate. But when he was greeted at the dugout by teammates,took a couple of curtain calls and then sat for a long period by himself afterward, he looked more like a guy who gave up the historic home run rather than hitting it.

that's Bonds in nutshell, he's an arsehole

[Bob Sacamano]

Totally...I mean, what real advatage do you gain by pumping yourself up to gargantuan proportions artificially, and illegally - until your head is the size of a small planet?

roids did that to Bond's head, not his ego ;)

[silverbear]

I agree with your overall point, but Greg Maddux has about 320 wins. I think he passed 300 in 2004. Glavine is something like 18 away from 300 and the way he's been pitching he'll probably get it pretty soon (I certainly hope the next year or so will still be in your lifetime ;) ). Clemens has won almost 350...he'll likely pass 350 if he pitches this year.

Looks like I lipped off without knowing what I was talking about... thanks for settin' me straight on this one...

Obviously, I don't follow baseball as closely as I do football... however, I have a legitimate excuse-- I'm an Orioles fan... my favorite baseball team hasn't played entertaining baseball in a long, long time...

[silverbear]

Level playiong field I say.

If they had been testing for steroids for the last 20 years - 90% of the league would have been busted.

Damn near everybody in baseball uses performance enhancers.

And if anybody setting a MLB record is proven to have used "perfomance enhancers", then his records should be taken out of the books...

IMO, Barry is without a doubt the G.O.A.T.
Whether you hate him or not...

The "Greatest of All Time" wouldn't have to CHEAT to achieve that status... in fact, Bonds should be denied entry in the the Baseball Hall of Fame for his actions...

[SkinsandTerps]

As far as I know Bonds has never failed a drug/steroid test. Case closed.

He deserves no asterisk, he deserves his place in the hall, he deserves all of the accolades.

[Doomsday101]

I hate this argument.

MLB season starts in April and ends in October - 7 months.

NHL season starts in October and ends in June - 9 months.

NBA season starts in November and ends in June - 8 months.

I know they squeeze in almost twice as many games in a baseball season, but time wise the season is the second shortest of the major team sports, shorter than the NBA and NHL.

162 games? Too many games. Don't get me wrong I do enjoy baseball but they play way too many meaningless games

[cowheel]

As far as I know Bonds has never failed a drug/steroid test. Case closed.

He deserves no asterisk, he deserves his place in the hall, he deserves all of the accolades.

I don't recall him failing a drug test either.

Everybody in the baseball record book - including the Babe - could have been on the juice. Who knows? Did they test them?

Bottom line - he's never tested positive, and most everybody else on the list was never tested at all.

Babe would walk out on the field drunk as hell and still knock 'em out. LOL

[silverbear]

As far as I know Bonds has never failed a drug/steroid test. Case closed.

All that proves is that the boys at Balco were ahead of the whole drug testing thing...

He deserves no asterisk, he deserves his place in the hall, he deserves all of the accolades.

Do you REALLY think that he's done nothing against MLB rules?? You might want to reread what I wrote, about how if a player is PROVEN to have taken steroids, he ought to have any records he might set removed from the books...

So, unless you do think that he's totally innocent of the charges, what you seem to be saying is so long as he's able to get away with cheating, he should still be admitted to the HOF...

'Scuse me if I think that's an absurd position to take... I'm a lifelong Orioles fan, and was once upon a time a Rafael Palmeiro fan... that ended the day it became clear that he used the juice...

[SkinsandTerps]

All that proves is that the boys at Balco were ahead of the whole drug testing thing...

Or that baseball didnt care whether their players were users. When you think about it baseball pre McGuire/Sosa run was losing steam fast. People tuned in by the truckloads just to see a bit of history. People who had forgotten about the game started watching again. Both Mc and Sammy have been acused of using.



Do you REALLY think that he's done nothing against MLB rules?? You might want to reread what I wrote, about how if a player is PROVEN to have taken steroids, he ought to have any records he might set removed from the books...

So, unless you do think that he's totally innocent of the charges, what you seem to be saying is so long as he's able to get away with cheating, he should still be admitted to the HOF...

'Scuse me if I think that's an absurd position to take... I'm a lifelong Orioles fan, and was once upon a time a Rafael Palmeiro fan... that ended the day it became clear that he used the juice...

To take a line from A Few Good Men, 'It doesnt matter what I know, only what I can prove'.

Maybe he did maybe he didnt. Honestly I could assume that he has, but truly there is no evidence to prove that he has. Nothing but hearsay and conjecture.

So from that aspect, the man is considered clean in my book. Thus he deserves his place in history as one of the greats.

And I am not a Bonds fan either.

[superpunk]

Barry Bonds with the Pirates....
http://www.fsu.edu/~crimdo/images/pirates/bonds.jpg

Barry starting out with the Giants...
http://members.tripod.com/~protherj/bblimages/bonds.jpg

Barry today....
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2006/writers/elizabeth_newman/05/18/queens.court/p1_bonds.jpg


I know most people start growing once they hit 32....