Off Topic Barry Bonds

[Bruno]

You guys can help decide the fate of the ball

I think this is pretty cool

http://www.vote756.com

 

[jayL]

I heard about this on Stern yesterday morning. Like most things I hear during my morning commute, I totally forgot about it by 10 AM. Thanks for reminding me, Bruno. As cool as the "banish" option sounds, I think "brand it" might be the best option.

 

[Bruno]

I voted for the brand option myself. Then put it into the hall of fame.

 

[pete41]

throw it in the trash along with ``what's his names'' bike,
all fishing contest trophies,and a lot of other meaningless nonsense.
Womens soccer-thats my game.I am in love with the Svedish team.9 blue eyed blondes and a couple of cute brunettes.

 

[tomgamber]

I don't care what he he was smoking, slathering drinking or eating...you still have to hit the ball 756 times...If its true and he did do 'steroids, he only might have hit them to the lower deck instead of into the bay. Its a good record...Belichek, guilty and punished n a matter of days..Pete Rose, guilty and punished in a matter of weeks, Michael Vick, guilty and banned in a matter of months...Bonds is still out there. What does that tell you. If they had anything they'd certainly have crucified him by now.

They say look at him he's "bloated and fat"...we'll, He and are about the same age and compared to me at 24 so am I.

 

[pete41]

If he used the same drug that Armstrong did it enables the athlete to train longer and harder than those not using it while leaving no trace in the athletes .
I was really into biking in the late 80s and early nineties.Remember reading about Armstrong and others training in Colorado.They talked about a drug which was legal at the time that enable the blood to carry more O2.
If any athlete can use this plus steroids to make them ``Super Mensch'' than all should have equal access.
Otherwise it makes it a mockery to call it competition.
Its not.

 

[Maurice]

I'm with Tom...in addition, he has had more intentional walks than any other player EVER... Some other things to consider...
[edit]
Batting records: career (1876-present)
Highest batting average: Ty Cobb, .366
Most home runs: Barry Bonds, 762
Most RBI: Hank Aaron, 2,297
Most hits: Pete Rose, 4,256
Most runs scored: Rickey Henderson, 2,295
Highest on-base percentage: Ted Williams, .482
Most stolen bases: Rickey Henderson, 1,406
Highest slugging percentage: Babe Ruth, .690
Highest OPS: Babe Ruth, 1.164
Most walks: Barry Bonds, 2,553
Most intentional walks: Barry Bonds, 686
Most strikeouts: Reggie Jackson, 2,597
Most at-bats: Pete Rose, 14,053
Most total bases: Hank Aaron, 6,856
Most runs created: Babe Ruth, 2,757
Most games played: Pete Rose, 3,562
Most MVP Awards Won: Barry Bonds, 7

[edit] Batting records: single season (1876-present)
Highest batting average: Hugh Duffy, .440, 1894
Most home runs: Barry Bonds, 73, 2001
Most runs batted in: Hack Wilson, 191, 1930
Most hits: Ichiro Suzuki, 262, 2004
Most runs scored: Billy Hamilton, 192, 1894
Highest on-base percentage: Barry Bonds, .609, 2004
Most stolen bases: Hugh Nicol, 138, 1887*
Highest slugging percentage: Barry Bonds, .863, 2001
Highest OPS: Barry Bonds, 1.422, 2004
Most walks: Barry Bonds, 232, 2004
Most intentional walks: Barry Bonds, 120, 2004
Most strikeouts: Adam Dunn, 195, 2004
Most total bases: Babe Ruth, 457, 1921
Consecutive Game Hitting Streak: Joe DiMaggio, 56, 1941
Most At-Bats: Willie Wilson, 705, 1980

By far the best slugger the game has ever seen. Best Player...the great one, Roberto Clemente.

 

[tomgamber]

Maurice wrote:

By far the best slugger the game has ever seen. Best Player...the great one, Roberto Clemente.

Well, at least we agree on one thing...however in the all time greatest player argument, while I understand you are from Pittsburgh and Roberto was taken tragically early, I still have to go with Willie Mays.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/mayswi01.shtml

Just to be fair

http://www.baseball-reference.com/c/clemero01.shtml

and clear

http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/bondsba01.shtml

 

[flyfishermanj]

Barry Bonds may be the biggest southern end of a northbound horse, but one heck of a ball player. Roids or no roids. as for the best ball player, flip a coin between Mays and Clemente!

How long will Bonds record last? A-Rod will break it in the next 5 years if you ask me.
JH

 

[Chaz]

For my money the guy has always tested clean, I think the ball should go to the Hall of Fame, they can then decide what to do if and when Bonds tests positive, if he never tests positive then it should remain, that is of course unless at some point he fesses up to doing the performance enhancing drugs.
As for whether or not he looks like he did them here is some food for thought. All men get bigger during their late 20's and early 30's it's just the way things are. If you have good nutrition you will get even bigger and if you add to that a solid weight training program you get bigger still. There are legal ways to get the performance enhancing stuff; it is sold over the counter in places like GNC and health food stores as well as health clubs. These products do things like lessen recovery time, add more beneficial proteins to the diet, and provide mega doses of vitamins. You don't get big over night by using things products, but over time you will, and performance improves. For instance, if you used to lift 200 pounds maybe you can lift 220 or even 235 after several years.
Whatever they do they can't make you hit a baseball, and it may not allow for you to hit a baseball any further. I know a little about hitting baseballs having been a player for years. It is all hand eye coordination and bat speed. I won't sit a and tell you that weight lifting won't allow you to hit the ball further, no doubt it does, but you still have to hit the ball.
I wonder how many Bucs fans still are pissed at Barry for leaving and voted accordingly.

 

[flyfishermanj]

How many World Series titles does he have??? No hard feelings here. :lol: That's what we call karma. Though we do have the great Bonds curse going on here, 15 straight losing seasons! I guess karma works out for both!
JH

 

[Maurice]

Chaz wrote:
For my money the guy has always tested clean, I think the ball should go to the Hall of Fame, they can then decide what to do if and when Bonds tests positive, if he never tests positive then it should remain, that is of course unless at some point he fesses up to doing the performance enhancing drugs.
As for whether or not he looks like he did them here is some food for thought. All men get bigger during their late 20's and early 30's it's just the way things are. If you have good nutrition you will get even bigger and if you add to that a solid weight training program you get bigger still. There are legal ways to get the performance enhancing stuff; it is sold over the counter in places like GNC and health food stores as well as health clubs. These products do things like lessen recovery time, add more beneficial proteins to the diet, and provide mega doses of vitamins. You don't get big over night by using things products, but over time you will, and performance improves. For instance, if you used to lift 200 pounds maybe you can lift 220 or even 235 after several years.
Whatever they do they can't make you hit a baseball, and it may not allow for you to hit a baseball any further. I know a little about hitting baseballs having been a player for years. It is all hand eye coordination and bat speed. I won't sit a and tell you that weight lifting won't allow you to hit the ball further, no doubt it does, but you still have to hit the ball.
I wonder how many Bucs fans still are pissed at Barry for leaving and voted accordingly.

Well said Chaz....I especially raise my glass to this...Whatever they do they can't make you hit a baseball, and it may not allow for you to hit a baseball any further. I know a little about hitting baseballs having been a player for years. It is all hand eye coordination and bat speed. I won't sit a and tell you that weight lifting won't allow you to hit the ball further, no doubt it does, but you still have to hit the ball.

Round ball, round bat, 80-90 mph and moving. Its the most difficult sporting skill to master. Bar none!

 

[JackM]

The problem with Roberto is he had no style:

 

[Maurice]

JackM wrote:
The problem with Roberto is he had no style:

That was precisely his beauty. He played the game like a kid. Unabashed enthusiasm.

 

[Chaz]

Had he finished his career Clemente may have been the best player ever, he could run, hit for average, hit with power, boy could he throw, and he could go get them in the outfield. He was a 5 tool guy, but his life was cut short, and we could be saying he had the most hits all time.
Let's not forget Bonds is a 5 tool guy too. For that matter so was Aaron, Schmidt, Ruth, and a bunch of others. Though Ruth wasn't known for his running he did ok.
funny how we're not hearing anything about McGwire since he suddenly retired. Maybe he's writing a book.
Things that make you go Hmmm!
Has anyone else noticed that pitchers aren't throwing as hard as that did before the drug testing started? Billy Wagner was throwing up to 102 MPH when he came to the Phillies, now he's barely throwing 93 anyomre.

 

[flyfishermanj]

Is Clemens age finally catching up to him, or did he lose his "secert weapon"?????

JH

 

[Bruno]

Jack:

Thanks for the pics. My son and I walk/drive be the stadium very often. Everytime we pass Roberto's statue he says " there's Roberto" My son is three. It always amazes me how he has worked his way into the fabric of pittsburgh. I never saw him play, but I rember my parents telling me Roberto stories and that he was the greatest ever when I was a child. I do not think that I ever questioned the fact that he was the greatest.

Funny I, I caught myself explaining to my son that Roberto was the greatest ball player ever. This was not long ago Anyway nice pics

 

[JackM]

Try as I might, I could not find a pic of him making an underhand "basket catch." Seeing him do that was a thing of beauty.

 

[FarmerDave]

Now Chaz, don't be disrespecting the Babe. Talk about multiple tools, how many of your guys have over 700 home runs, .342 lifetime batting average, and back to back 20+ game winning seasons as a pitcher.

Sure Babe only had 123 stolen bases, but lets not forget he started his career as a pitcher. In addition to his numerous hitting records, he was 94-46 lifetime as a pitcher with 107 complete games, 17 shutouts,4 saves, and get this, A 2.28 lifetime ERA. Of his 3 full seasons as a full time pitcher, his win loss records were 18-8, 23-12, and 24-13.

Full time pitchers were part time players, even back then. Can you imagine how many home runs he would have if he had been a full time player back then? He had 20 home runs total in his first 4 years in the league, but lets not forget that the only position he played those years was pitcher. It wasn't until his first year with the Yankees that he became a true full time player (his 6th season in the league). Can you imagine a modern 20 game winner moving to a fielding position because he was more valuable as a hitter??? It wasn't until his days in NY that he reached his potential as a slugger. Lets face it, the guy had more talent than he was given credit for. He also had one of the fastest reaction times of any ball player ever measured. Plus the game was different back then. The bats were heavier, and the balls were not nearly as lively. Early on, Babe was actually looked down on for hitting home runs. Some thought they were bad for the game. It took the strategy out of the game.

I can't even imagine Barry trying to swing Manny Sanguillens bat. Heck, Bond's bat isn't even made of Ash. It's maple. Bond's bat is about the same size as we used in Poney Leabue in the 70s. It's lighter than the one I used in highschool ball. The game's changed. it just isn't the same anymore. They should have closed the books in about the mid 70s, and started a new set of books. That is when things started going down hill IMHO.

Don't get me wrong. Barry is one of the best ball players ever, and is arguably the best in the modern era. But it just isn't the same game. Still a good game, just not the same.

 

[FarmerDave]

Jack, I was wondering why you didn't include one of those.

As a kid playing little league in the late 60s and early 70s, Clemente was everybody's hero. Talk about an arm. But when the coaches caught us trying to imitate Clemente's basket catch, we usually caught more than just the ball.

I loved all of those guys on the 71 team. there will never be another team like it. At least not in Pittsburgh.