Wow, I knew the media didn't like Barry Bonds much, but check this article out. To be honest, I didn't know much about him, but if this is true, what an ass. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/magazine/life_of_reilly/news/2001/08/21/life_of_reilly/ <I>There are 24 teammates, and there's Barry Bonds. There are 24 teammates who show up to pose for the team picture, and there's Bonds, who has blown it off for the last two years. There are 24 teammates who go out on the field before the game to stretch together, and there's Bonds, who usually stretches indoors with his own flex guy. There are 24 teammates who get on the players' bus at the hotel to go to the park, and there's Bonds, who gets on the bus with the broadcasters, the trainers and the manager who coddles him. There are 24 teammates who eat the clubhouse spread, and there's Bonds, whose nutritionist brings in special meals for him. There are 24 teammates who deal with the Giants' publicity man, and there's Bonds, who has his own clubhouse-roving p.r. guy, a freelance artist named Steve Hoskins, who turned down George Will's request for an interview with Bonds because Hoskins had never heard of him. There are 24 teammates who hang out with one another, play cards and bond, and there's Bonds, sequestered in the far corner of the clubhouse with his p.r. man, masseur, flex guy, weight trainer, three lockers, a reclining massage chair and a big-screen television that only he can see. Last week, after Bonds hit his 51st home run in a 13-7 win over the Florida Marlins, most of the players stayed to celebrate the victory, and at least one was gone before the press arrived in the clubhouse: Bonds. "That's Barry," says San Francisco second baseman Jeff Kent. "He doesn't answer questions. He palms everybody off on us, so we have to do his talking for him. But you get used to it. Barry does a lot of questionable things. But you get used to it. Sometimes it rubs the younger guys the wrong way, and sometimes it rubs the veterans the wrong way. You just hope he shows up for the game and performs. I've learned not to worry about it or think about it or analyze it. I was raised to be a team guy, and I am, but Barry's Barry. It took me two years to learn to live with it, but I learned." If you get the feeling that Kent, who's in his fifth season with San Francisco, wouldn't spit on Bonds if Bonds were on fire, you might be right. Maybe it has something to do with last year, when Kent and Bonds were running neck and neck for the National League MVP award. The week before the award was to be announced, Bonds had a member of his entourage call the commissioner's office to try to find out who had won. We've got to know, said the stooge, because if he's not going to win, he can get out of town. Perfect! No staying around to congratulate Kent. Or going to the press conference to shake his hand. Just, "If it ain't me, I'm outta here." The commissioner's office didn't know the results of the voting. Kent won. Someday they'll be able to hold Bonds's funeral in a fitting room. When Bonds hit his 500th home run, in April, only one person came out of the dugout to greet him at the plate: the Giants' batgirl. Sitting in the stands, you could've caught a cold from the freeze he got. Teammates 24, Bonds 1. Bonds isn't beloved by his teammates. He's not even beliked. He often doesn't run out grounders, doesn't run out flies. If a Giants pitcher gives up a monster home run over Bonds in leftfield, Bonds keeps his hands on his knees and merely swivels his head to watch the ball sail over the fence. He's an MTV diva, only with bigger earrings. "On the field, we're fine," says Kent, "but off the field, I don't care about Barry and Barry doesn't care about me. [Pause.] Or anybody else." Bonds will be a free agent after this season, and if he decides to sign elsewhere, will the Giants be devastated? Kent grimaces. "See: Seattle Mariners," he says, walking away. Bonds is brilliant. He was the best player of the 1990s, and at 37 he's having his most magnificent season, on pace at week's end to break the single-season home run record of 70 and nearly lapping the league in slugging percentage, on-base percentage and walks. He should be the MVP. But that doesn't mean you have to root for him. Issue date: August 27, 2001 </I>
I dont like Barry Bonds. The guy is an ******* from the start. The way he talks about himself makes me sick.
The truth is always somewhere in the middle. I've learned that much in my limited law practice. I think Barry is not NEAR as bad a guy as the media would have you believe. I've been pretty impressed with him in the interviews I have seen. He seems very devoted to family...you don't hear about him having trouble with the law. You hear only that he's a jerk...you hear this from the media...the media whom he doesn't care for.
I like Barry because I like his game. The fact that he isn't the nicest guy in the world doesn't change my opinion of him. In order to take away from what he does on the field (in my eyes) he would have to do something really terrible.
<B>You hear only that he's a jerk...you hear this from the media...the media whom he doesn't care for.</B> Absolutely, and that's why I never put much credibility into it. However, what I found most interesting in the article were Jeff Kent's comments, because that gives you some insight into the players' thoughts (or, at least, one player's thoughts).
Absolutely brutal, vicious, and nasty article. I'm not saying the article was wrong, but MAN! I find it interesting people hate the guy so much for talking about himself and not talking to the media considering he NEVER gets into trouble off of the field.
Did any of y'all hear Reiley on Rome today? I caught the end of the interview, but it was very interesting. He talked about how Bonds was a great father, and how he may have animosity and distrust of others from when he was a child, and his father was going from team to team as an alcoholic.
There are 24 players who, 20 years from now no one will remember. And then there's Bonds, who will go down as one of the greatest players in the history of baseball. (And you know, maybe he's been so good (especially this year) because he has his own nutritionist/flex guy/wieght trainer/masseur)
Rockets Fan -- agreed...he is the least appreciated of the greatest players to play any sport in any generation. Do we hear about him beating his wife?? no...do we hear about him doing drugs?? no....do we hear about him hanging with prostitutes??? no. We hear he's a good family guy. A guy who usually wants to keep to himself. A guy with an ego, no doubt. But how many pro athletes don't have huge egos?? What the media has missed is perhaps the greatest player to ever play the game of baseball. And unfortunately, they've let the fans miss that too by refusing to give him the credit he is due. You can make the argument he's the greatest ever. I might dispute it...but you can make the argument when you look at his total game. The media focuses on the fact he doesn't enjoy talking to them...
<B>And unfortunately, they've let the fans miss that too by refusing to give him the credit he is due.</b> People get treated the same way they treat others -- that's life. If he treats his teammates like crap, he'll be treated like crap. I have no sympathy for someone who thinks he's somehow above the rest of his teammates. As for the media, I disagree there too. Earlier this year, Bonds & Gonzo were virtually tied in HRs, with Gonzo having a much higher average, more RBIs, Total Bases, Runs, etc, yet Bonds was always the headline story. He gets more than enough media attention, at least this year (maybe not in the past -- I never paid much attention). Anyway, the media can't make him a story if he refuses to interact with them.
shanna -- I agree totally with you. You get what you give. Barry Bonds is not usually the kind of guy I root for AT ALL!!! I just don't think he's the monster they try to portray him as...that's all. I think he gets treated that way simply because he's fearful of the media after growing up with a dad who was a big leaguer. Having said that...I don't see analysts give him the kind of credit I think he deserves.
It seems obvious that Barry's a jerk to his teammates and the media. Maybe even to the fans. He even does things on the field that are troublesome: he doesn't try to get to fly balls that appear to be headed out of the park, and he doesn't always run out ground balls when he's at the plate. But Bonds is simply an awesome player. Much better than a guy like McGwire for his career because he's been able to do it all: hit for average, hit for power, draw walks, field well, steal bases, a good outfield arm. And his brilliance has been sustained throughout his career, even though this season is his greatest from a homer standpoint. Guys like Bonds (and Griffey from what I hear) may be a-holes. But I'd want them on my team any day of the week. Flat out what they do can win you plenty of ball games, and that's the bottom line. Add to that the fact that they don't do anything to embarrass the community like an Albert Belle or a Ruben Patterson, and I could care less what their personality is or whether they are "likeable."
Barry may be one of the best regular season players ever in baseball, but in the playoffs he will always be the #1 choke artist around.
I hate to defend Bonds, but except for Alou the best Astros players haven't exactly tore it up in the postseason. Let's hope Dirker is a bit more aggresive and players are a little more relaxed this time around.
Assuming the article is credible, I can not help but to dislike Bonds even more as a person. The way he carries himself on the field seems to be reflective of the way he carries himslef off the field. Not very surprising. I feel sorry for his teammates who have to look elsewhere for a quality leader despite the great numbers that Bonds puts up.
I am definitely in the minority on this one because I don't see anything wrong with what Bonds is doing. He chooses to bring in his own food, have his own trainers and doesn't run to the wall to watch a home run sail over the fence. Big friggin deal! The media has torn this guy to shreds for years, so I can't blame the guy for not wanting to talk with the media any more than he has to. Let's compare him to 2 popular, former Rockets Hakeem once refused to play right before tipoff until he had his contract renegotiated and openly complained to the media last year about not getting the ball enough. Vernon Maxwell ran into the stands after a fan and basically quit on his teammates shortly thereafter. If the worst Bonds is going to do is not pose for the team photo and allegedly have someone call the commissioner to see if he won the MVP award, I don't see that being all that bad. Oh, as for Kent's comments, it's been public knowledge for years that those two don't like each other so I put little credibility in what he says...especially through the media.
Here's what Barry Bonds had to say tonight after hitting a pinch-hit HR to break a 5-5 tie in the ninth. From MLB.com "I'm no good at it," Bonds said of coming off the bench. "I stink at it. I've never been successful in that role. I never a chance to do it much. Am I supposed to run up and down the halls to get loose? Tonight it worked out and we got the win. That's the most important thing." In front of what could only be described as a horde of media folk, Bonds proclaimed he was more satisfied with the victory than with his own late-inning heroics. "It's good because it took everybody to do it," Bonds added. "Dusty used the whole bench and everybody had a role to play and everyone played their role successfully. You can't say enough about that." That sure doesn't sound like an a$$hole. I hope he breaks McGwire's record and eventually breaks Aaron's all-time record.
55 homers. The cat can do whatever he wants. He doesn't like the media, and the media has never liked him so they make him out to be a "jerk." I've heard interviews of other ball players who testify that Bonds is a class guy and gets a bad rap because he doesn't give them an act like Sosa and McGwire did. He's real, he's not fake. He's not a song and a dance. And I will root for him.
No No No, the media isn't the one to blame this time. I live in the Bay Area and have been to Giants games. The article is right on the money. Bonds is an absolute locker room cancer. He has this idea that its 24 team members on the team and Barry Bonds. He is a first ballot Hall of Famer but he is also a first class JERK. Whenever I go to Giants games, I never see Bonds stretching or joking with his teammates. It's absolutely true that Bonds doesn't ride the player bus and rides the coaches and broadcasters' bus. I've seen it on the news. Not one of his teammates like the person Barry Bonds is. Because of how incredibly good Barry is, his teammates put up with him. If you watch the tape of Barry's 500th homer, you can see that none of his teammates came out to congratulate him. That's right, NONE after his 500th homer. Only the bat boy or girl and I think, his son. If you ever watch Barry's interviews, he almost always looks like he's in a pissy mood and that he has better things to do. He almost never signs autographs for the fans either. I would never want Barry Bonds on my team.
