I’m gonna go ahead and link to this Lupica piece, because it’s just too fucked up to ignore.
Ask yourself a question now that he has the record: If Fainaru-Wada and Williams made it all up, if they have told all these terrible and slanderous lies about Barry Bonds, why hasn’t he sued them all the way into that famous McCovey Cove out beyond the ballpark he practically built for the Giants himself in San Francisco?
OK, I’ll play along.
Ask yourself this, Mike; if Bonds is the one who is lying, who lied, why haven’t the feds indicted him? If the evidence that Wada and Williams have is so rock solid, so persuasive, why have they now gone into their fourth year with a grand jury with no indictment?
I mean, it’s not like these writers had any ulterior motives to putting baseball’s reigning four-time MVP on the cover of their book, right?
Ask yourself why his trainer would spend month after month in a jail cell if he has nothing to hide.
That’s a straw man, there, Little Mike. Anderson already testified, and was given immunity –and the promise of being freed from having to testify again– and he already said what he had to say about Bonds.
Now, the Attorney General’s office wants him to come back and do it again. I think it’s pretty reasonable for him to assume that if he talks again, he’s screwed, don’t you? The government’s done nothing but lie to him from day one, why should he have to go through it again? He already talked –remember– got indicted, convicted, sentenced, and now he’s out. And now, after all the cooperating he did, and all the promises that he made and came through on, he’s being held in contempt for not giving more.
Bonds was always going to hit a lot of home runs, for a long time, because he is one of the great talents to come along in 50 years in baseball. He was never going to pass Aaron without help. Two-hundred-ninety-two home runs in his first 10 years, 756 now. Go figure.
Another straw man, Tiny Elvis. The entire world of sabermetrics has looked and looked, and has found that, in particular, Bonds, McGwire and Sosa did what they did due to many different factors, including smaller ballparks, better weight training, expansion, harder baseball’s, and better bats, to name a few. You’re ignoring something that you absolutely should –and almost certainly do– know.
Hank Aaron would never have passed Ruth without help, either. It was amphetamines or the move to Atlanta, or expansion, or the Mets, or the changes made to the baseball mounds, or all of it; but Aaron was no lock to break Ruth’s record at the age of 35, either. Without the help he got, he would have had little chance to finish with many more home runs than, say, Wille Mays. You want to talk about the 292 home runs Bonds hit in his first ten years, let’s look at Hank.
Hank Aaron had 342 home runs after his first ten seasons. How is that some kind of big difference, Mike?
Then, in 1964 (age 30) and ‘65 (31), Aaron saw his home run totals drop to 24 and 32, respectively. This was the beginning of the decline phase of his career, and, lucky for him, the team moved to Atlanta. Over the next eight seasons, Aaron hit 315 home runs, a jump from 34 a season to 40, just when his power numbers should have begun to go down. Had he not moved to the Launching Pad, there’s little doubt that he would been out of baseball a lot sooner, and he would not have had the chance to pass Ruth. His home/away splits show that he had more home runs on the road than at home in all but two of his last ten seasons. In 1971, Aaron had 31 home runs at home and 16 on the road. In ‘70, it was 23/15. In ‘67, it was 26/13.
Bonds has had similar luck. During the decline phase of his career, as he entered his 30’s, the entire league saw a huge jump in offense. I’ve written about this dozens of times, but it bears repeating in the face of this withering media storm of hypocrisy and misinformation:
Bonds peak in offensive production –and McGwire’s and Sosa’s and Palmeiro’s– came during a spectacular surge in offense across the board.
As (Bonds) entered into his thirties, the entire league was entering into a huge upswing in offense. He’s led the NL in home runs twice, once with 46 (1993), once with 73 (2001). Almost exactly at the mid-point of his career, the league baseline for offense surged some 30%. You can look it up. Here’s the league and Barry from 1988, his first full season:
2003 NL 2708 HR .262/.327/.417 ATL 235 (Barry 45) % of top team 19%
2002 NL 2595 HR .259/.327/.410 Cubs 200 (Barry 46) % of top team 23%
2001 NL 2952 HR .261/.327/.425 COL 213 (Barry 73) % of top team 34%
2000 NL 3005 HR .266/.338/.432 HOU 249 (Barry 49) % of top team 19%
1999 NL 2893 HR .268/.340/.429 COL 223 (Barry 34) % of top team 15%
1998 NL 2565 HR .262/.328/.410 STL 223 (Barry 37) % of top team 16%
1997 NL 2163 HR .263/.339/.410 COL 239 (Barry 40) % of top team 16%
1996 NL 2220 HR .262/.327/.408 COL 221 (Barry 42) % of top team 19%
———————————————————-
1995 NL 1917 HR .263/.328/.408 COL 200 (Barry 33) % of top team 17%
1993 NL 1956 HR .264/.325/.399 ATL 169 (Barry 46) % of top team 27%
1992 NL 1262 HR .252/.314/.368 Pads 135 (Barry 34) % of top team 25%
1991 NL 1430 HR .250/.316/.373 Reds 164 (Barry 25) % of top team 15%
1990 NL 1521 HR .256/.321/.383 Mets 172 (Barry 33) % of top team 19%
1989 NL 1365 HR .246/.312/.365 Mets 147 (Barry 19) % of top team 13%
1988 NL 1279 HR .248/.309/.363 Mets 152 (Barry 24) % of top team 19%
1987 NL 1824 HR .261/.327/.404 Cubs 209 (Barry 25) % of top team 12%In 1994 Barry turned 30 years old during the strike shortened season (which I excluded). Broke into two blocks, we can view his career from the 8 full seasons before the 2000 total home run barrier was broken, and the 8 full seasons after the 2000 total home run barrier was broken. Thus, Skip (Bayless’s) sentence would read something like this, “In his eight full seasons prior to 1996, Bonds averaged 30 home runs a year. In the eight full seasons after 1996, Bonds averaged 45 home runs a year.”
And the upswing in offense was througout the entire league, not just the stars, not just home runs, everything went up and stayed up. To call this era the steroids era is an astonishing over-simplification, or, more accurately, a provable misrepresentation, a ploy by the media outlets to generate controversy and money. A tiny percentage of players have tested positive, Bonds not among them, but now drug testing is discounted, because it doesn’t fit the story.
Ask yourself this, Mike; if the Wada and Williams book was so full of facts and is so dead on, why hasn’t Selig suspended or banned Bonds? There is no doubt that Selig has had the power on “best interests of the game” grounds. The fact that he has not done so, even as Bonds chased and finally caught Selig’s “friend” Aaron, says volumes about the verifiable nature of many of the books claims, and the interminable “investigation” that is based on the same heaping pile of supposition, innuendo, and bullshit.
I’m not saying he didn’t, and I’m not agreeing that he did. I don’t know, nobody but he and his trainer really do, but nobudy, nobody has nearly enough facts to treat him as poorly as the major media outlets have. Add in their –and the commissioner’s– continued bad-mouthing of baseball and it’s players, and you’ve got a lot of hot air, and not much in the way of facts.
I wrote this four years ago, and I think it still holds true:
I just want to illuminate the discussion. The drum beat that Bonds alone is somehow defying physics is part of the reason so many people are willing to accept that because Dan Patrick believes he is using steroids, it must be true. But it isn’t Bonds alone. Yes, he’s breaking all the old records. But if the game conditions hadn’t changed so dramatically, he wouldn’t be. He’d still be the best player in the game, he’d still be making a run at Aaron, he just wouldn’t be wreaking havoc on the entire baseball encyclopedia. That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy his assault on the record books, and it doesn’t mean his accomplishments are lessened. It doesn’t mean anything. It’s just something to learn from the statistical record. In a way, it’s just a fact of baseball life.
23 Backtalkers
I got it bro’. You’re tired of this little twerp.
http://slavieboy.blogspot.com/2007/08/mike-lupica-is-inquisitive-little-mouse.html
whicheer way works
I don’t even bother reading what most sportswriters have to say — they are hands down the worst thing about modern sports… they used to have a little class, now most are blowhard idiots.
Two things.
1. Bud Selig has done more in the last several years to convince an unsuspecting public that baseball is corrupt, than could ever have been done by Barry Bonds or Clay Hensley, or Jason Grimsley, or Pete Rose combined. His constant refrains of “innocent until proven guilty” while he and his pal, notorious player-hater George Mitchell, pontificate on their own personal holiness, is not only a disgrace to baseball, but a disgrace to anybody who ever had to wear a business suit for a living. This ridiculous “we’re going to get to the bottom of this” is hollower than Carlsbad’s Caverns. Bud Selig and Sandy Alderson virtually ushered in the steroid era in the late 80s and early 90s. It would be outrageous enough if Selig and Alderson were to stand by in silence while the guys they set up to be home run heros, were sliced and diced by a hateful, envy-driven and vengeful media. That would be a crime of ommission. Murder of the reputation of another by one’s silence. What makes Selig so disgusting and worthy of a place in hell is his constant refrain of slay the evildoers. He is leading the charge against his own creation in phony self-righteousness. Alan Hubert Selig is not a clown prince, for a clown prince has no influence. Selig is one of the most despicable weasels on the American Scene. A truly disgusting, self-serving, loathsome rodent of a mini-man. He is jaw-dropping transparent and a complete scum-bubble of the first magnitude. He is one of the worst human beings to rise to prominence in Modern America. We can only be thankful that baseball will still live long after his decrepit corpse is buried in some cesspool.
2. Small-minded, small-bodied twerps like Costas, Lupica and the cabal at ESPN will have other scandals to pursue. Michael Vick and NBA Refs dejour. Mass Commercial media has taken a tremendous step over the cliff. The Sports writers and commentators have disgraced themselves, albeit some unwittingly, by regurgitating lies, innuendos, gross exaggerations, over and over and over again for years. ESPN and Baseball Tonight used to be a tremendous alternative to the minuscule 3 minute sports wrap at the end of the 11 O’clock News. For years, it was something we all looked forward to. Scores, Highlights, Insight, Color, Plays. Interesting, Fun, and Entertaining. Now we get blockheads like Jim Rome, Scott Baylis, Jay Mariotti, Steve Phillips, and so many other forgettable and nauseous lecturing myna birds screeching mock outrage at a baseball player who has been charged with nothing, convicted of nothing, never even been suspended. His sole disciplinary action was a phony Five thousand dollar fine for wearing unapproved wrist bands in Spring Training by none other than Bud Selig a few years ago. A fine that was so laughable, Selig withdrew it in embarrassment.
Bud Selig is responsible for the pall over the game. Every time he opens his self-serving yap, he rubs steroids into somebody’s face. If Barry Bonds had done some of the things Pete Rose did. If Barry Bonds had done what Michael Vick is accused of. If Barry Bonds had had multiple arrests for violent crimes like PacMan Jones, I could understand Selig going off on Bonds. It would still be self-defeating for the game he supposedly represents, but I could at least understand the emotional motivation and sense of outrage. But we’re talking hormones here. Fucking HORMONES that are totally legal when prescribed. They are not even illegal. And Bonds hasn’t even been convicted of taking prescriptions without a doctor’s note. Thats what it comes down to. The so-called “hallowed” record and “sacred” is all bullshit. Its about revenge and one player being as big as the game itself, and not kowtowing to the false imagery that Selig and the other phonies would have that one player portray, no matter how unwillingly. Selig is like a jealous ex-spouse. No matter what the topic is, he won’t stop insinuating that his ex is a cheat, liar, thief, etc. And by doing so he has rained down unwarranted and unjustified scorn on a great game, and a great ballplayer, the same way a jealous and vengeful ex spouse brings about shame and humiliation to their entire family by making a constant spectacle of themselves in public….for years on end, no less. What any of us really want to see and hear about anyway, are about great plays, great players, great contests, great rivalries. The rest is all bullshit, and thats exactly what Selig is all about. Serving up heaping piles of rancid, infectious bullshit. I hope he chokes on it.
Granting that Selig, Lupica, Rick Reilly, etc. are off base, does this really interfere with us enjoying what Bonds has done? I have thoroughly enjoyed following Bonds’ march to 756, and while many Bonds-bashers strike me as mean-spirited and hysterical this hasn’t ruined Giants baseball for me, any more than Rush Limbaugh and FOX news have ruined politics for me. I’ve just learned to tune it out, recognizing that large segments of the public have a world-view that is completely different from mine. Same with Bonds — the fact that other people think he’s from the dark side doesn’t really take away from my enjoyment watching him. So I’m curious: Has the media + Selig ruined all this for the rest of you?
The media hasn’t ruined anything for me. I’ve gotten to enjoy watching arguably the greatest player of all-time for the past 10-15 years? I actually feel sorry for them because they can’t get over whatever agenda they’re trying to push by dragging Bonds through the mud and just WATCH and marvel at just how good the guy is. Instead they’d rather spew hate, create controversy and make a quick buck. Its really sad, but that’s ok I’m sure in about 30 years when somebody closes in on Bonds, the media will be licking Bonds nuts and pretend like things were all friendly and easy (which for the most part is how they go about portraying Aaron and the times when he passed Ruth, even though any idiot knows that NOT to be the case).
Yeah, if anything Bonds’ unfair treatment by the media + Selig actually ADDED to my enjoyment of the moment when Bonds hit #756. I felt like, Take that you SOBs, you’ve spent months whining and critisizing and finger-pointing, you’ve kicked Bonds in the head over and over and over again, but in the end you couldn’t stop him from breaking the record — Barry took everything you sniveling midgets threw at him and he BEAT YOU ALL.
Hmm, I guess all the media critisism bothered me more than I realized. Anyway, I was thrilled by #756.
Interesting question…..
I have to say that, yes, they have.
Having to refrain from mentioning anything about Bonds to my brother or my Dad, having to read about what a motherfucker he is, over and over, having to hear how his accomplishments are hollow and tainted, how I am a fool for being a fan of his, how he’s an asshole….
Yeah, they’ve turned something magical into something shitty. Bonds hitting 73 home runs was awesome. Breaking the single season records fro OBP, OPS, slugging, walks, intentional walks…. all of that was fantastic. The last couple of years, it hasn’t been like that.
I try to tune it out, but, sometimes it’s just not possible. It’s like having a best friend that everyone else hates. Your family, your classmates, co-workers, neighbors, everyone but you hates your best friend. Oh, and they also think they “know” that he’s a dick, that he cheats on his taxes, lies to his wife, fucks his friends wives (not yours, you hope). They have some guy that knows some guy, and he just knows that your buddy is a cocksucker.
And all your friends and family work for the local newspaper.
Yeah, they’ve made it less fun. And, they’re wrong for having done so.
Yeah, I can see how being surrounded by Bonds-bashers would get depressing. Fortunately most of the folks I hang out with are not baseball fans, so I don’t get dragged into all the negativity. My wife is down on Bonds, but she is understanding about my fandom so this is not a problem.
I’d enjoy it a lot more if Magowan and Sabean had assembled an actual team to go along with Barry. With 756 (and 757) in the books, there is NO reason to watch this team. As someone who roots for Barry because he’s a Giant, not because he’s Barry, the fact that they lost the game in which he set the record is a perfect synopsis of the season.
As someone who has worked in the media for 30+ years (no baseball in two decades, though I’ve covered all the major sports and worked/work for a lot of big media outlets), watching the barrage of abuse Bonds takes is making me ill. Bonds can be an arrogant bastard. He doesn’t play nice with the media (and he’s black – don’t kid yourself, it makes a difference). It’s embarrassing to watch. And to the Chronicle guys who got their paws on the grand jury testimony: You are an embarrassment to our profession. I hope it never happens to you.
Did Barry take something illegal? I don’t know, and no one else does, either. If he did, did it help? I have no idea, and neither does Mike Lupica, Tom Verducci or anyone else. All I know is that he’s never tested positive for any PEDs. BTW: Check Will Carroll’s piece from Wednesday in Baseball Prospectus — he talks to the guy who makes Barry’s elbow guard; the guy says the size of the mold he makes each year is the same as it was when he started making them in the mid-1990s.
Memo to all media people who continue to obsess about Barry and the Steroids Era: The fans have already voted and continue to do so — they keep filling the ballparks. Fans don’t care about steroids — at least when it comes to putting their money where their mouths are.
Bug Selig, et al., are hypocrites of the first order. The owners have ridden the Steroid Era to an era of profitability unmatched in the history of sports. For Selig to enlist George Mitchell’s dog and pony show to try to rewrite history is a farce. He’s trying to cover his ass to keep Congress off his sport’s tail (not that Congress has any business poking its nose into this, but that’s a whole other story).
Bill James did a great job in Baseball Abstract breaking down Aaron’s career HR numbers; the move to Atlanta (one of the few good hitter’s parks in that era) from Milwaukee (not a good place to hit) coincided with what should have been the downside of his career. Barry played in an era when offense took off because conditions for hitters improved, weight training blossomed, etc. This is not to diminish Aaron, an all-time great, but to add perspective.
Aaron is not on the short-short list for greatest player of all time — Barry is. Aaron was a Grade A player who was respected by contemporaries and fans. Willie Mays was an A+ player who was beloved by fans (well, maybe not in LA). Had Mays not missed 2 seasons (and 50-60 homers) and played in tough hitter’s parks (though his home/road balance was almost even), it would have been his record, not the Babe’s, that Aaron chased (and if the Babe played the field during his pitching career … )
Excellent point by +mia on Baseball Tonight: It used to be a must-watch; now it’s a “can’t stand to watch.”
If I were the Feds, I might pay more attention to Barry’s tax situation. That’s how Pete Rose was nailed. But if nothing ever comes of the grand jury, I’d like to see the government justify the millions of dollars that have been spent on NOTHING.
lupica and every other writer knows the answer to why bonds has not sued…and it has nothing to do with whether what was printed is a lie or not
for a public figure to file and win a libel or defamation suit, is almost impossible
first, you must prove that the authors knowingly printed the lie
second, you must prove that the lie was printed with malice.
third, you must prove that you have suffered significant loss because of the libel
on all three counts, bonds cannot win
in regards to lupica’s and other’s noting bonds hr totals….its nice that they neglect to note the enviroment of the stick….a place that kept his godfather from becoming the true hr king.
and i shall ask again, where was lupica and the other “protectors of the game” when rumors of rampant roid abuse started during the mac and sosa hr chase??
im sick of these guys and their attempts to ruin america’s favorite pasttime
On a follow-up note… I thought Bonds DID try to sue them?
Jay T.
it wasnt a libel suit
Hey,
As an intern at FanHouse, one of the things I have been working on this summer is improving our outreach to other great blogs on the web. The FanHouse would like to let you know that we are linking to your blog on our blogroll and we would really appreciate it if you would link back to us on yours.
Thanks,
Mike Diamond
FanHouse Intern
Barry testified before the Grand Jury that he took the Cream and the Clear.
I believe him.
The libel suit is a red herring. If you are a public figure, it’s extremely hard to win a libel suit. You can spend a whole load of money on lawyers and in the end, lose. It’s not enough that the purveyor of falsehoods are speaking falsely. You must prove that they deliberately did so or showed reckless disregard for the truth. Extremely high bar for Bonds to get over. So, no libel suit and another thing for the tongue waggers to wag their tongues about.
Incidentally, Rob Neyer yesterday in his ESPN blog linked to the ridiculous article on Bonds’ elbow brace. I called him on it and he admitted that he hadn’t read the Will Carroll article — and then totally discounted the story by the brace manufacturer because he was “on Bonds’ payroll”. When pressed further, he said that Bonds’ head grew two sizes. Besides being false, what that has to do with Bonds’ elbow brace I’ll never know, but I expected more out of him.
I used to really enjoy Neyer. He’s a bit too smug for me now. I saw him at a pre-season chat and he was too sure of his opinions.
Costas and Lupica? I think that they actually believe that they represent baseball and, at the same time, have more knowledge than the fans. Long gone are the days when they were relevant. Fact is, the Internet has brought access and (greater) understanding of baseball to anyone who cares to see it. I wonder how much they really know?
I used to think those guys knew more than me. I used to think that they were a kind of knowledgable insider. Not anymore. They fail to interest me anymore, they fail to do more than run with whatever will garner the biggest ratings, and are far more interested in being relevant themselves, scoring a scoop, and generating controversy than they are reporting the facts.
What I know about Bonds and steroids and baseball almost certainly surpasses what they know. Their knowledge is completely mainstream, and diluted, like a Reader’s Digest condensed novel.
His head is two sizes bigger…. What a joke.
Kent, I’m interested in your comments about Neyer. Where did you see him at a pre-season chat, and did he have anything interesting to say?
I went to a very nicely organized Baseball Prospectus chat w/ Neyer and Maury Brown. It was hosted by a very nice local bookstore called Annie Blooms and they rented the annex of a restaurant next to their store. Pizza was free and beer was cheap. Rob and Maury sat and answered questions for about an hour to an (ever growing) group of fans. (It was a Saturday during March Madness.)
It was an open forum, which was very nice and questions trickled in at first. Most of the questions were for Neyer and Brown politely sat and added a thing or two from time to time. As the talk progressed, my impression (and this was just MY impression) was the Neyer didn’t appear overly interested in fielding fans’ questions and clearly knew that he knew more baseball than the rest of us. It wasn’t like he minded being there, it was like he was William Shatner at a Star Trek convention and that he didn’t really respect the audience…a “what do these guys know and why am I hear exactly?”
And, honestly (you laugh), it wasn’t a geek fest. My two friends and I aren’t drooling baseball nerds and most of the audience (adorned in various baseball gear) was “with it,” drinking a few pints and laid back (vintage Portland, if you will). A few kids were there and some who clearly knew either Brown or Neyer on a personal level.
Brown, on the other hand, grew on me. I wasn’t interested in him at first because the “business of baseball” stuff wasn’t why I was there. But, Brown, had (to me) a nicer demeanor and was more inclusive. I felt bad that he wasn’t getting any questions at first. But, slowly people started asking about money, the “baseball package” deal (still in the works at the time), NYC $, and general baseball questions.
I asked Neyer about Chris Young from Az. (so highly touted by BP) and his answer was something like, “he hasn’t done anything yet, the projections are too good for him.” It was Brown who jumped in and added some comments about the young Diamonbacks and how Young’s numbers might not be as good as BP projected, but that he still looked to be a good player.
I asked Neyer why he thought that Bert Blyleven wasn’t in the HOF and when (if?) he’d ever be credited with how good he was. I added a comment or two during the question to attempt to indicated that I knew about the controversy re: Blyleven. Neyer answered that Blyleven was a guy that sabermetrics liked, that he liked, and that there was a controversy over his value. He didn’t add any details nor really express his own opinion. I don’t recall if Brown said anything to this.
I asked why they thought the Giants had chosen to get so old AND had not prepared their roster for more flexibility. Neyer mentioned that Bonds was so good that the team and Bonds had really tied themselves to one another. Fair enough, I agreed. Then he said commented that the Giants weren’t very good. Thanks, thanks for that. Brown pipped in and spoke to Giants ownership and their stadium and their immediate cash availability. He spoke of the A’s talking of leaving Oakland and how the Bay Area would be fine in the long run. I don’t remember if Zito ever came up.
Someone asked about Lincecum. I don’t remember what Brown said, but Neyer was like, “he’s good, TINSSAAPP (sp?)…we’ll see.” Someone asked about the Mariners and Neyer admitted to being wrong about Ibanez (last year remember); Brown spoke clearly to the shitload of $ that the Mariners are making.
My buddy asked about the Matsuzaka (sp?) and Neyer predicted him to be good and that he was probably a good acquisition for the Red Sox. He commented that he’d probably win around 14 games at X number of $ and that this would likely be worth the price for the Red Sox getting to the play-offs. Fair enough.
With the Matsuzaka (sp?) question and with many others, Neyer seemed too “sabermetrically inclined” in that he wouldn’t predict anything definitive. And he is probably that way and for good reason. But, I suspect that he does have opinions and views of things baseball and he certainly wasn’t going to open up to the audience. That’s fine in a way, but baseball audiences (as we all know) know a hell of a lot about the game…and it wasn’t like Neyer was talking 17th Century China to an audience of nitwits. I sensed that he didn’t want to make a stand to the audience because he might be taken to task by others. But, that’s part of what drove me nuts. He seemed to want the easy way out, the Player X has a Y % breakout rate and that means this shit.
Someone asked that BP put an author’s name to the team reviews. Neyer commented that he was for doing so, but that many at BP were not. Neyer commented that it was a good way to tell who’d be accountable for what they had written about Team X or Team Y. He then hinted at what teams he did and made a few references to (I believe it was) the A’s, but he himself didn’t come out either and say which team’s he had done. Maybe he wasn’t allowed to, who knows.
Neyer was more polished–I had always liked him with Brian Kenny on ESPN NEWS–but Brown’s niche (business of baseball) was second to none. Brown KNEW his shit to be sure. Neyer–who clearly knows a hell of a lot about baseball–seemed to shrug his shoulders with most answers (ala Selig at the All Star Game). Why isn’t Goose Gossage in the HOF? Ehhh, people have different views of him. Why don’t more people respect Rickey Henderson for how great he was? Ehh, he was a great player; people were turned off by his personality. Thanks Rob, thanks for the fire.
I’m rambling, sorry for that.
Kent, thanks for the detailed summary. Sounds like Neyer was having a bad day, or maybe he just didn’t want to be there.
the bonds stories prove that the press and the pundits lie
they lie about his shoe and head size repeatedly
its like listening to tall tails
so they link to the brace story, but discount what the brace maker says about bonds’ arm size??
is neyer aware that bonds couldnt go elsewhere to buy this brace??
what a tard
So what do you all think the over/under is on the Giants’ record in 2008? I’ll start the bidding at 67-95. This is based on:
1. We’re a bad team now.
2. Bonds, our only good hitter — and still one of the best in baseball — is probably gone, and whoever replaces him will almost surely be a downgrade.
3. The returning position players (Durham, Winn, Roberts, Molina, maybe Vizquel) will be even older, and they’re not good players now.
4. No one in our farm system is likely to make an impact, except possibly Schierholtz. (Sorry Fransden, Lewis, Ortmeier, and Rajai Davis, but none of you are better than grade-D prospects).
My prediction is that the big story of 2008 will the Giants’ fans realization that “going young” hasn’t helped much, because the kids can’t play. I’ve said it before and will probably say it again: until we develop some impact hitters — and we are years away from this, since no one in our system above A ball can hit (except maybe Schierholtz) — nothing can save us. The upside is that when ownership realizes just how awful this situation is, I expect that Sabean will be excused from his contract ahead of schedule.