Vote what to do with Bonds' 756 HR ball.

[Indy]

Barry is the greatest home run hitter of all time, and he deserves to be the Home Run King. Period, end of story.

Yeah, fuck Hank Aaron, it's not like he got the record the right way. Barry Bonds obviously deserves this hard earned record.

Indeed he does. He hit more home runs then Hank Aaron did off better pitchers then Hank had to face.

Not to mention the fact that Barry gets walked in every situation possible. Imagine if Barry didn't get walked every time there was a guy on second with first open. Or every time he come up in the 8th 9th inning of a close game. He could have 850 by now.

Put it back in the hopper at AT&T Park - it's just a frigging ball, no different than any other.

The only difference is it multi million dollar price tag.

[BigKaboom2]

The only difference is it multi million dollar price tag.

Which is economically-speaking completely embarrassing.

[Gundy]

ndeed he does. He hit more home runs then Hank Aaron did off better pitchers then Hank had to face.

I realize that the quality of pitching has improved greatly, there's no argument there. The thing is, Hank couldn't control that. He didn't choose who pitched to him. He got what he got and made the most of it.

There's no doubt that Bonds would have hit a lot of home runs even if he never juiced. I'm not nieve enough to say that he wasn't talented. He's one of the best players to ever play the game and would've probably been in the Hall even if he didn't get close to the record. I don't think he would've even come near the record if he had never gotten so huge. He had a choice and he chose to cheat therefore I believe he does not deserve it the honor. That's just my opinion of course. Some people choose to look past cheating because everyone else is doing it. I don't really give a shit about baseball anymore but still care about integrity and doing things the right way.

[Fitzy]

i dont really get the options
there should be one saying that he wants to keep the ball and let it vegetate, then sell it for 900 mil

[shadowgrin]

Haha, Bonds' response was priceless. He apparently called the buyer of the ball (Mark Ecko) an idiot.

Here's the article

Ecko did not directly respond to Bonds' comments Wednesday, but said in a statement he would make Bonds a custom T-shirt that says, "Marc Ecko paid $752,467 for my ball, and all I got was this 'stupid' T-shirt."'

I would buy one of those Ecko shirts.

[bigh0rt]

ndeed he does. He hit more home runs then Hank Aaron did off better pitchers then Hank had to face.

I realize that the quality of pitching has improved greatly, there's no argument there. The thing is, Hank couldn't control that. He didn't choose who pitched to him. He got what he got and made the most of it.

There's no doubt that Bonds would have hit a lot of home runs even if he never juiced. I'm not nieve enough to say that he wasn't talented. He's one of the best players to ever play the game and would've probably been in the Hall even if he didn't get close to the record. I don't think he would've even come near the record if he had never gotten so huge. He had a choice and he chose to cheat therefore I believe he does not deserve it the honor. That's just my opinion of course. Some people choose to look past cheating because everyone else is doing it. I don't really give a shit about baseball anymore but still care about integrity and doing things the right way.

Hank Aaron admitted to using 'greenies', a type of amphetamine, in order to be able to bounce back in between games. People have been cheating since the beginning of competition, Henry Aaron included. You see guys like Neifi Perez and Alex Sanchez getting suspended for steroid use, yet I don't see any of them approaching 800 HR. Barry Bonds is the greatest home run hitter in the history of the game, period. He's never failed a drug test, ever, nor were the substances he's suspected of using even banned from the MLB (although they were illegal; similarly to using marijuana) at the time he was suspected of using him. I'll tell you one thing though -- ESPN has done a hell of a job demonizing this guy for the better part of a decade.

[[Q]]

it's official. asterisk it is. we are too cynical/weary of steroid use for our own good. ehhhh oh well that's what i picked so i'm ok with it.

[J@3]

I don't really see how you can be too cynical/weary of steroid use in sports. It's cheating, it shouldn't be accepted at all and baseball is a complete laughing stock because of it.

[[Q]]

i completely agree with you, but a lot of people don't tihnk it's a big deal.

[Indy]

I don't really see how you can be too cynical/weary of steroid use in sports. It's cheating, it shouldn't be accepted at all and baseball is a complete laughing stock because of it.

Baseball has been a game of the spitball and the corked bat forever. Its a game that is a million times more mental then any other of the major sports in the US. Baseball is a thinking mans game.

Forever players have done whatever possible to get an edge in the physical area. It is part of the culture of the game. Once you come to grips with that and appreciate the fact that really it doesn't help a guy one way or another, baseball is much more enjoyable.

[J@3]

Spitball and corked bat isn't mutating your own body beyond its natural capabilities.

Once you come to grips with that and appreciate the fact that really it doesn't help a guy one way or another

You don't think steroids help anyone?

[cyanide]

I was watching Leno the other night, and Bob Costas is strongly against Bonds' achievements due to his reasoning based on statistics of previous years and how Bonds exponentially gets stronger and bigger as he gets older. I don't know much about baseball, but it's a good argument.

[Christopherson]

the corked bat

The funny thing is that a corked bat doesn't help you hit the ball farther. It's all psychological. The cork in the bat actually absorbs some of the energy from the impact, thus ensuring that the ball leaves the corked bat with less energy than it would from a regular bat. Just think about the difference between using an aluminum bat vs. a wood bat. It is the same concept.

[Indy]

You don't think steroids help anyone?

As far as hitting home runs go, not really. Sure, maybe 5 to 10 of Barry's home runs would have been long flyouts had he not taken anything. But hitting home runs is so much less about power then it is about going with the ball being able to read pitchers and situations.

I can't stress how incredible it is for him to be climbing towards 800 home runs while also getting walked more then anyone ever. Even when pitchers aren't intentionally walking him, they are pitching around him and not giving him anything to hit.

[Sauru]

steroids both helped then ruined cansaco(sp?) career

[Christopherson]

I can't stress how incredible it is for him to be climbing towards 800 home runs while also getting walked more then anyone ever. Even when pitchers aren't intentionally walking him, they are pitching around him and not giving him anything to hit.

Definatley. Its amazing to hear ballplayers talk about Barry. Many of them are in awe. They talk about how most guys get about 3-4 pitches a game that they have a chance at getting ahold of. In order to send it out of the park, they have to be able to recognize the pitch and then hit it perfectly with their bat. It may sound simple, but it is really difficult and the reason even A-Rod can only hit 50 home runs. Then they talk about how Barry is lucky to see 1 good pitch a game. Pitcthers either intentionally walk him or are extremely careful with him. Maybe not as much any more, but in his hiatus Barry NEVER missed an oportunity. Damn near every hittable pitch he got was hit and hit far.

[Sauru]

i really think the biggest problem with barry his not this entire steroid thing, its his attitude. he has made himself hated by everyone outside of san fran and because of that is why we are seeing all this. just my own opinion though

[Indy]

i really think the biggest problem with barry his not this entire steroid thing, its his attitude. he has made himself hated by everyone outside of san fran and because of that is why we are seeing all this. just my own opinion though

You hit the nail on the head. The fact that he is not a media friendly guy combined with the ESPN hype machine talking about steroids every time they bring him up is why Barry's middle name might as well be "juicer" to the American Public.

He was hated before anything about steroids ever came out. He is famous for not trying to be friendly with his teammates or being anything like a leader at all. He goes about his business and doesn't try to please anyone, including the fans.

[[Q]]

he should asterisk the ball all over or else baseball could pull a fast one and display it with the asterisk down

[JT_55]

Well, then it would be barely reconizable as a baseball, wouldn't it? They may as well send a picture of an asterisk to Cooperstown.

i really think the biggest problem with barry his not this entire steroid thing, its his attitude. he has made himself hated by everyone outside of san fran and because of that is why we are seeing all this. just my own opinion though

True. Too true. He alienated everyone in the media and naturally, since our views are affected by the media, everyone hated him. No one would hate Junior if he took a charge at the record (he might've too, wihtout the injuries), cause he never did anything to make people dislike him. A-Rod is another story...

[shadowgrin]

But hitting home runs is so much less about power then it is about going with the ball being able to read pitchers and situations.

I can't stress how incredible it is for him to be climbing towards 800 home runs while also getting walked more then anyone ever. Even when pitchers aren't intentionally walking him, they are pitching around him and not giving him anything to hit.

Good point. Got me thinking. Now I'm confused whether to brand Bonds a cheat, or just plain stupid for getting caught.
(Yes, I believe majority of athletes take some form of 'enhancements' in one form or another.)

[Oznogrd]

But hitting home runs is so much less about power then it is about going with the ball being able to read pitchers and situations.

I can't stress how incredible it is for him to be climbing towards 800 home runs while also getting walked more then anyone ever. Even when pitchers aren't intentionally walking him, they are pitching around him and not giving him anything to hit.

Good point. Got me thinking. Now I'm confused whether to brand Bonds a cheat, or just plain stupid for getting caught.
(Yes, I believe majority of athletes take some form of 'enhancements' in one form or another.)

A little of both really. I know when Barry hit number 70 in a single season that ESPN wasnt roasting him for steroids yet, he was the next ruth and Aaron with a baseball legacy to boot...and now because of Bonds basically giving the media the finger, every chance they get they tear him a new asshole. Now here's my question: with his obvious disdain over the way the media portrays him, why did he do that dumbass show Bonds on Bonds? he should've known that would just give them more to jeer at him with....

[Lamrock]

Haha, on his blog, Gilbert Arenas offered to buy the ball, and then ranted on about the asterisk.

http://www.nba.com/blog/gilbert_arenas.html

[shadowgrin]

Update on the ball issue.
Bonds would skip Hall of Fame induction if there's an asterisk in Cooperstown

[Indy]

Update on the ball issue.
Bonds would skip Hall of Fame induction if there's an asterisk in Cooperstown

Good for Barry. That's exactly what he should do.