My $0.02 on Bonds

I don't know if you checked, but look at skin color.

HOPEFULLY, that's not the case.

I think it's cause the dude was an *******. McGwire wasn't much of a redass.

 

I actually think it's a combination of three things: steroids, attitude, and race. Steroids is probably the biggest thing because of so much negative reaction that has come from this. His attitude toward the fans, media, teammates, etc. is probably another big reason. I think race places a small role but it does play somewhat of a role.

 

Have to say that your wrong this time mcgwire was to a big *sshole he wouldn't sign without getting paid sometimes.

 

OK, he was a part-time a-hole but Bonds is full-time.

 

Yea, it pisses me off too that Bonds is reviled even though there is no proof of purposeful misdoings by him.

Here is the real screwed up part also. Bonds has always had a cordial relationship with the fans. He would always sign autographs and attend charity events in Pittsburgh and San Francisco. He was just a jackass to the media.

Then in a classic fashion, the media decidedly began to run negative stories on Bonds. This in turn caused the fans to think he was a real jackass. He is just hard with the media.

This is pure manipulation by the media. There is much greater probability of Mcgwire, Sosa, or even Bagwell taking steroids, but all those guys have great relationships with the media. Of course no one is going to take them down. Those are your portrayed heroes, and Bonds is your portrayed villian.

 

when was i right about things?

 

The fact that his career cycle has defied that of every other player in the history of baseball is plenty of proof. During his career his top four OPS seasons were from age 36 to 39 and that those four seasons rank 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 8th on the all-time list of the highest single season OPS stats ever.

 

The anecdotal evidence that Bonds has used steroids is pretty believable. There were no steroids allegations (backed by reasonable evidence) against McGwire during his run at the single season HR record.

For anyone pointing to race, Sosa (albeit - not African American, but ccertainly not white), was receiving loud ovations as well.

Bonds got HUGE receptions during his 73 HR season. If I remember correctly, he was black then as well and he also broke a white man's record.

 

You're right that Bonds never developed a good relationship with the media, but its not just that. He had terrible relationships with teammates and coaches. There was a story out about his relationship with teammates at Arizona State and how he nearly got kicked off the team. Ask former teammates in San Francisco. As time passed, he became more detatched and less of a true teammate. He burned bridges left and right with teammates, coaches and the media. And yes that might play a role in the media vilifying him, but I think any player in Bonds's position today (on the brink of breaking one of the most storied records in sports) wouldn't get vilified and skewered by fans and media alike.

As for the actual use of steroids, don't kid yourself. Baseball never had steroid testing so there's no absolute proof, but there's so much out there that indicates otherwise.

Guess what, there are only two ways a person's head can actually grow in size after the body fully develops. One way is if the person has gigantism in which case the body produces excessive amounts of natural growth hormone. The other way is to inject oneself with artificial human growth hormone. Also, the various books and testimonies that have come out seem to at least cast significant doubt as to Bonds's innocence. Also, he admitted that he "unknowingly" used the clear and the cream, whatever that means. But it just seems non-sensical that an athlete would just use stuff without figuring out what is in it. Either Bonds is a cheater, or a really really dumb person. Either way, nothing to be proud of.

And don't say there are greater odds that others used steroids. That's just revisionist history. I believe Sosa, McGwire and Bonds all did them. Bagwell even might have. Who knows? I think everyone can be a suspect because if you look at the numbers of so many players, they just spiked during that period. Hell guys like Luis Gonzalez were hitting around 50 homers during this period. But flat out, Bonds had the motive, the character, and the attitude to use steroids knowingly. Bonds is a dumbass who really messed up, but don't pretend he's any better than the rest of the clowns that cheated. They all screwed up, it's just that most of the others retired and the few remaining aren't chasing after the greatest record in baseball. That's just a fact that we have to deal with.

 

the whole steroids thing wasn't big when mcgwire was playing

 

i've always thought that even if he is on roids, it's still mindblowing what he does.

the year he hit 73....if the entire league took the same stuff that he did, if you think he still doesnt win the HR title by 15+, you're kidding yourself.

also, roids don't give you a great eye at the plate.

 

nobody was booing bonds when he hit 73 and passed mcgwire. people were pumped up to see him, hell i know i was. people boo now because of the stuff that has come out since...you know his ADMISSION to taking the clear or the cream or whatever it was. i find it extremely hard to believe that a professional athlete with any kind of intelligence puts something into his body that he NO IDEA of it's effects. bond's is a liar.

bonds playing the race card is ridiculous. this has nothing to do with him being black.

 

Bingo, Barry is guilty as sin and your right about him being black having nothing to do with the media pressure on him. Hell I know this is not gonna be popular but with our nation's obsession with fallen hero's and our ultra-sensative attitude twords race I bet Big Mac would be getting it much worse than Barry if they reversed roles.

IMO, Yes the home run record is important but hell baseball records are just historical records of the events that took place. I think players should be compared to others from their era and not from all 150 years.

Black ballplayers who would of been all stars could not play till the late 40's, the mound favored the pitchers greatly untill the late 60's and hell the ball was dead prior to the 1920's

 

Bob Costas was interviewing Willy Mays (who happens to be Barry's godfather) and Mays said he has not asked Bonds if he was juicing. Why do you think that is? If you don't think Bonds was using some sort of performance enhancer ('roids, HGH, something we have never heard of) then you are in a tiny monority. The reason people loved Big Mac and hate Bonds is because people didn't think of steroids when they thought of McGwire. I hated the home run chase because I figured Big Mac was on the juice, and then some reporter spotted Andro-whatever in his locker which proved it (I don't care if you could get it at GNC, it wasn't really a steroid, or whatever). Sosa was probably juicing too, plus he was corking his bat. I like what Frank Robinson said, if you find out a guy was juicing, strike him from the books. It is sad because Bonds was a great player before showing obvious signs of getting 'roided up (not being better than guys like Ruth and Mays, but still great) and now he has thrown all of that away. I don't know how you can get mad at people for not liking a cheater who has besmirched the game.

 

yeah but he is african-american so we have to say its racism. don't use common sense.

 

For a guy who was taking 'massive quantities' of steroids and growth hormones he hasn't lost any bulk/ muscle since they started testing.

 

I watched that Costas Now episode last night. I found it interesting that Bob Gibson said he would probably take steriods as well if given the chance.

He also talked about how after his MVP season, they lowered the mound 5 inches giving batters the advantage and because of that, all stats should end with his MVP season.

 

Kinda helps when the tests can't detect it.

 

None of the things he supposedly took (HGH, clear, cream, etc) can be tested for by major league baseball.