BS: Bonds-A classy thing he could do...

Subject: BS: Bonds-A classy thing he could do...
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 01 Aug 07 - 09:10 AM

I just had this thought. A rather classy thing Barry might do at this juncture, BEFORE he ties or breaks Aaron's home run record, is to announce his retirement from baseball--effective immediately. Hank would remain the king and Barry would make a statement about the obvious--that in the big picture of stuff--none of this matters one single whit! Anyone who cares would know he could've broken that one-upmanship record almost at will.

Only a thought for this hot but beautiful Wednesday morning...

Art

Subject: RE: BS: Bonds-A classy thing he could do...
From: Rapparee
Date: 01 Aug 07 - 09:14 AM

That would be classy, Art. But I doubt that he'll do it.

Subject: RE: BS: Bonds-A classy thing he could do...
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Aug 07 - 10:00 AM

Retire? Why the hell should he? Outside of what a lot of disgruntled sprortswriters have said, there is no evidence that Bonds is anything except one of the greatest hitters of modern baseball. He was also, in his youger days, the premier left fielder in the game.
He is a student of baseball history who is aware that the real home run record is held by Josh Gibson and will, probably, never be broken. If he is suspicious of writers, and he is, so were Steve Carlton and Ted Williams but they never recieved the vitriolic treatment that he has. They were unfreindly but not "uppity".
This steroid thing is a blind. Nobody is suggesting that there are suspect numbers in Micky Mantle's record because of his use of "greenies" as recorded in Jim Bouten's book, "Ball Four".
And, I might add, when Aaron was getting close to Ruth's (All White) record, quite a few folks suggested he stop just shy as a gesture of class and respect. Class and Respect, my Aunt Fannie.

                        Mike

Subject: RE: BS: Bonds-A classy thing he could do...
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 01 Aug 07 - 02:26 PM

Yeah, I hear ya, guest. It would still be a grand thumming his nose gesture and walk away into the sunset.

On another tack, why not ban the lifting of weights too. The guys ought to compete with the body their superior being gave them.

No eye glasses for the unpires either.

Art

Subject: RE: BS: Bonds-A classy thing he could do...
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 01 Aug 07 - 03:03 PM

GUEST, you sound like a Giants fan to me.
Even his well-reported steroids use aside, Bonds is an arrogant prima donna who puts himself in or out of the Giants lineup as the mood strikes him. The only class thing this jackass is likely to be guilty of is teaching a class on how to manipulate Major League Baseball into ignoring his transgressions.

Subject: RE: BS: Bonds-A classy thing he could do...
From: KB in Iowa
Date: 01 Aug 07 - 03:29 PM

I have never had any use for Bonds as a person but gave him his due as a great player, one of the best ever. I have a real problem doing that now. All of his best seasons came after he turned 35. That does not happen in the normal course of events, you could look it up. He was able to do this because he cheated.

It wasn't just him, of course. Look at all the 50+ Home Run seasons there were for a few years. Completely out of whack with what had gone before and it has since gone back to the way it was. If I really cared any more (the cancelled WS of 1994 killed the mirage) I would say wipe out all records from about 1998 through I-don't-know.

Subject: RE: BS: Bonds-A classy thing he could do...
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 01 Aug 07 - 03:31 PM

I never thought I'd see the day, Art: The words "Bonds" and "Classy" in the same sentence.

And me, a Pirate fan..

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Bonds-A classy thing he could do...
From: John Hardly
Date: 01 Aug 07 - 03:57 PM

I always liked Sean Connery best.

Subject: RE: BS: Bonds-A classy thing he could do...
From: SharonA
Date: 02 Aug 07 - 12:32 AM

Sorry, Art, but you're far from the first to come up with this idea. Philadelphia PA talk-radio host Michael Smerconish wrote about this very thing in his Philadelphia Daily News column of June 21st, and of course he'd talked about it on his morning program for several days before that.

Here's a link to the article: "FOR BONDS, THE 754 SOLUTION" by Michael Smerconish, June 21, 2007

Subject: RE: BS: Bonds-A classy thing he could do...
From: GUEST,PMB
Date: 02 Aug 07 - 07:40 AM

FOR BONDS, THE 875 SOLUTION

Subject: RE: BS: Bonds-A classy thing he could do...
From: GUEST,Mike Miller
Date: 02 Aug 07 - 11:32 AM

I am the nameless guest who posted earlier. Drop the records after 1998? How about we drop all the records before 1947? You want to talk about artificial? The true home run record will, probably never be broken but, of course, it doesn't really count because it belongs to Josh Gibson. This anti-Bond fervor is a derect result of his antipathy for sprortswriters, not his character. Pete Rose (before his little gambling problem) was lionized by the writers (as his numbers warrented) because he liked them, he was cooperative and he hung out with them after games. His personal life, his treatment of his wife and his disregard for his daughter and his drinking and his temper tantrums, went unreported in the "for he's a jolly good fellow" atmosphere. We have to realize that what we know is what we are told and we are not always told the unbiased truth.

                      Mike

Subject: RE: BS: Bonds-A classy thing he could do...
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 02 Aug 07 - 12:12 PM

OK. I'm sorry, Mike. I'll concede Barry has just as much class as Pete Rose ;>}
The MLB has the power to control this problem, but the Superstar Syndrome and the Player's Union won't allow the necessary reforms. We'll continue to see the occasional sacrifice tossed to the lions (Mark McGwire anyone?), mainly washed-up or retired players, to appease the fans. Maybe, in order to be in the record books, drug testing should be required, and allow the players to make the choice as to whether they qualify for the official accolades or not.

Subject: RE: BS: Bonds-A classy thing he could do...
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 02 Aug 07 - 02:57 PM

I only mean to say that it would be fun the watch if he did retire one shot shy. The sports talk shows would go crazy. ALL YELLING, ALL THE TIME!!!! --- I guess it's the anarchist in me!

SharonA, Really, I never was aware of that article. All great minds...

Jerry, you're right. I'm just a troll, I guess. You thought you'd heard all I had to offer, huh?? I guess I try to surprise you once in a while. ;-).

Art