Sure - but let's say it wasn't Barry or Springer. Let's say some crappy player had hit a HR off of Oswalt, and showed him up. And Oswalt very blatantly plunked him down the road. Would it really be a big deal?
You know what????? Who cares?????? The Astros are sucking hind tit right now, we need to unite and get them to start winning....... Who gives a rats butt about the other team.....let's beat the crap out of them today...and start a winning streak. DD
If Oswalt kept doing it, I would have a problem with it. I don't know the Springer/Bonds story, but MadMax (or someone) made it out to be that Bonds hit a HR and showed Springer up. Springer than hit him the next time. At that point, the case should be closed. That's acceptable baseball. Bonds did nothing last night to warrant a beaning. Who he is, what he's done, or how he acts to the media shouldn't be a consideration. Baseball would really start to suck if players were plunked simply because they're arrogant as people and not because of something they did in-game to warrant it.
I got no problem with pitching inside, moving people off the plate. but I do have a problem with someone retaliating for something that happened year(s) ago.
How do you know he did nothing to deserve the beaning? If you say that the media persona is not important, neither is how he acts to your in-laws. Maybe Springer has a history with Bonds that we are unaware of, why would you, an Astros fan, side with the enemy? It is perplexing at best. DD
Of course, this is all speculation. Viz speculated that it was because Wright came in head-high & tight to Ensberg the AB after his HR. We'll never know.
When you have had no interaction with someone, yet choose to call him an "arrogant *******", yet I have actual personal anectdotal evidence to contradict what you think you know by seeing someone on your television, then yeah, it does matter. I know Barry can be an arrogant *******. We all can. I'm just sick and tired of everyone talking about Barry like they know the guy. You don't. I don't. The idiots calling into 610 acting like this guy is the anti-Christ and blaming his attitude on his Godfather who "was a jerk to me when I got his autograph when I was 13 years-old" don't either. My brother in-law's experiences with him trump your judgment based on what you hear from the media...the same media who he acts like a jerk too (of course they're not going to like him). I'm just calling it as I see it. But based on this comment, you believe we should give every Astro the benefit of the doubt on everything. I'll be happy to not see anymore posts from you criticizing the Astros. And the Rockets for that matter.
No, I think you are free to critcize as you like, and your small anecdotal evidence from your in laws is hardly enough of a sample size to determine if Bonds is an Arrogant a$$ or not, in fact, the media representation of Bonds is a lot more credible then your brothers cousin's dog walking next to Bond's cat. Clearly you think beaning someone on purpose is not part of the game, whereas, I do. DD
I have a problem with the media being all over bonds for being a "jerk" but with guys like randy johnson its just the way they are and accepted.
Whatever you want to believe. I'll listen to people who have actually met the man instead of having someone who Bonds obviously doesn't like telling me that he's an *******. Of course beaning someone on purpose with legitimate reason is a part of the game. Beaning someone because you believe he's arrogant, even though he did nothing in that game or the game prior (or the game prior) to warrant it is not a part of the game, IMO.
Well, I did not bean the guy, Springer did, and since I don't know his reasoning, it is ok with me. Bonds being an arrogant A$$hole just makes it more enjoyable.
Roger Clemens is the same way. Here's a guy who threw a shattered bat at a runner, told the media he thought it was the ball, and the media shrugged as if that made a lick of sense. Did anyone hear the caller who said he went to the game early because his kids are big Bonds fans? They were waiting whereever the players drive their cars in and said that not one Houston player waved to those standing there (both Astros and Giants fans), but Barry waved to them. I just love how everyone criticizes the media for a vast array of reasons, yet they're willing to believe every word that is said about Bonds.
You mean like his MLB teammates who have criticized him? Or the college teammates who voted to kick him off the team, perhaps? If someone said that Edwardo Najara was once nice to them, would that change your opinion of him?
I heard that call, and I heard another caller that said Bonds didn't acknowledge his son when he asked for a autograph. Since no players or sports writers are coming out and defending Bonds character I'll go with what's being reported. That he's a jerk.
Bonds' chase gets a jolt from Springer By Jayson Stark ESPN.com Archive HOUSTON -- Some day, once Barry Bonds' 714th and 715th homers are out of the way (assuming they ever are), no one will remember Russ Springer's role in this saga. But on a crazy, history-free Tuesday evening in Houston, Springer vs. Bonds was your official DVR moment of the night. Not because Russ Springer gave up any Barry Bonds home runs, you understand. Once again, for the ninth straight game, nobody gave up any Barry Bonds home runs. So that's 36 trot-free trips to the plate for Barry since homer No. 713 if you're still keeping track. And he isn't even expected to play Wednesday. Barry Bonds had two hits and flied out to the warning track in right field prior to getting hit by Russ Springer in the fifth inning.So without any homers to chronicle, the story of this night was that Russ Springer came in to pitch -- and pretty soon you had to check your scorecard to make sure that wasn't Jerry Springer. It was the fifth inning of what would turn into a 14-3 Giants' wipeout of the Astros. It was already an 11-3 game by then. So about all the drama this game had going for it was that No. 25 kept showing up at home plate. As Bonds dug in against Springer, he was 2 for his first 3 -- with two hard-hit singles and a towering, hold-your-breath-aw-never-mind fly-ball out to the front of the right-field warning track. For some reason, as at-bat No. 4 loomed, the boos in Houston seemed to get a little louder and a little angrier. Maybe these people knew something the rest of the world didn't know. Springer's first pitch was a slider that skipped two feet behind Bonds. Bonds tiptoed out of the way, then turned and politely scooped up the ball as it caromed back at him. But as he tried to hand it to home-plate ump Joe West, he found West was kind of occupied, because he was busy issuing warnings -- to Springer, to manager Phil Garner, to everyone but the BALCO grand jury. So naturally, Garner and Springer descended on West to debate those warnings. Bonds just leaned on his bat, taking it all in, an amused look on his face. When the debate ended, Springer kept firing. Ball two was a slider that nearly drilled Bonds in the knees. Next came a fastball that Bonds had to squirm out of the way of, only to have it nick the knob of his bat for a foul ball. The fourth pitch was a 93-mph fastball, also way inside. Then came the grand finale -- a 92-mph smokeball that nailed Bonds in the upper back. Joe West lurched into his ejection dance. And off marched Springer, to a major standing ovation. It was pretty clear how this looked. And it started looking even clearer once the Elias Sports Bureau had finished digging up the last three times these guys had faced each other: • May 22, 2001: Bonds homers off Springer. • Sept. 21, 2004: Springer faces Bonds for the first time since the home run -- and hits him. • Tuesday: Springer meets Bonds for the first time since that 2004 HBP -- and makes it two in a row. Obviously, accidents happen. But this looked about as accidental as a sunrise. Springer, however, wasn't available afterward -- because, according to the Astros, he was driving back to Louisiana to be with his wife for a medical procedure. Bonds, you'll be stunned to learn, wasn't available, either. Bonds hit an RBI single in a five-run first inning for the Giants. "What's that mean?" wondered one Astro. "We'll have to wait till 'Bonds on Bonds?' " You got it, man. Consult your local listings. So it was left to the nonparticipants to sum up this fascinating slice of non-history. "You saw the same thing I did," said Astros manager Phil Garner. "Do I really need to ... ?" Well, yeah, as a matter of fact. He did really need to. So when asked what conclusions the planet should draw from those five pitches, Garner replied: "Draw this conclusion: His first couple of at-bats, everything was away, and he raked the ball pretty good. So where do you want to go next time? Why not try the inside part of the plate? Doesn't that make sense? That's the conclusion you should draw." OK, maybe. But clearly, it was not the conclusion the manager of Bonds' team drew. "There are a lot of people watching this game -- especially the at-bats with Barry," said Felipe Alou. "Let all the people watching with honest hearts and with honesty say what they want to say." Great idea. Unfortunately, all those people with honest hearts don't have their own reality show. So we were pretty much left to dissect the normal clubhouse spin. Except for this noteworthy quote from Springer's bullpen amigo, Mike Gallo: "If you go back years in baseball," Gallo said, "there have always been purpose pitches like that. If there was a reason for them, I'm sure that reason will come out." Gallo said he didn't personally know that reason, however. And he didn't personally know of any history between Bonds and Springer, either. But he does know, particularly personally, that Springer is a leader on a pitching staff that has given up 25 runs in the last two games. And this might have been a time when leaders take action. "Everyone looks up to him," Gallo said. "He's got the longest time in the big leagues in our bullpen. He's been around a long time. He's seen a lot of things. So if he did do it on purpose, I'm sure he had a reason for it. And it won't be a bad reason." But will those of us with honest hearts ever learn that reason? Well, maybe some day -- if we can just find the time and date of the next episode of "Springer on Springer." http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/colum...jayson&id=2447860&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab3pos1
Well, if that makes him a jerk, all players are jerks. I guarantee you every single player has turned down an autograph request at some point in their careers. "But when we played together in the All-Star Game [in 2004], I talked to him and he was a nice guy." -Carlos Zambrano I know it's fun for everyone to express some displaced vitriol towards Barry like he's the only guy that's ever abused steriods. The fact of the matter is there have been a lot of steriod abusers and no one has even come close to receiving the hatred that Barry has. A cheater is a cheater whether he's a nice guy or not. If you're really that pissed off about it (and honestly, I think I only have one friend who even gives a crap about this...even members of the media acknowledge that many fans simply don't care and want the story to go away), you need to focus your energy on MLB who allowed this culture to exist.
