So Bonds Finally Did It

[Dan Gould]

Now that its happened, what do you think about it?

[Bright Moments]

[catesta]

I like baseball, but could give a flying fuck about Bonds, never have.

I look forward to the day he and that stupid dangling earing walk away from the game.

[BruceH]

Big deal.

[Dave James]

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Up over and out.

[RDK]

Not quite as simple as the poll suggests. I would never say "who cares?" in regards baseball, but at the same time i don't really give a fig about Barry. It's an impressive feat, so congrats are certainly in order, but there's no way he'll eclipse Hank's record. As for calling him a cheater, well, I think that's an oversimplification in some ways - and an excuse in others - but either way it will likely get him into legal trouble and hurt his reception at the HOF.

So I guess my answer is "all of the above."

[connoisseur series500]

Anticlimatic.

It was obvious that not only would he move ahead of Ruth in the homerun list, but that he will certainly add to it. Not sure he'll reach Hank though.

[Dan Gould]

Not quite as simple as the poll suggests. I would never say "who cares?" in regards baseball, but at the same time i don't really give a fig about Barry. It's an impressive feat, so congrats are certainly in order, but there's no way he'll eclipse Hank's record. As for calling him a cheater, well, I think that's an oversimplification in some ways - and an excuse in others - but either way it will likely get him into legal trouble and hurt his reception at the HOF.

So I guess my answer is "all of the above."

Well, that's why I said, "heart of hearts" - which reaction is strongest?

Good to know I haven't lost my knack for making up polls that someone is dissatisfied with.

[md655321]

From Bill Simmons. I used to dislike the guy, but he has been scary accurate as of late on most issues.

The Bonds saga has broken the record for "biggest disparity between the amount of newspaper/TV coverage on a subject versus the amount of time I've spent discussing that subject with my friends and/or my father." I'm not kidding you -- I haven't spent a single second discussing Bonds with anyone I know over the past two months, except for one time with my buddy Hench when we were talking about how broken down Bonds looks in left, then I wondered if the Tigers (and Jim Leyland) would trade for him this summer to DH, followed by us wondering how much Bonds would go for in our AL roto league as a free agent if that happened. That was it.

Bonds just isn't that compelling anymore -- it's a tainted milestone, he doesn't have any credibility, and watching him play baseball at this point is like watching Andre The Giant in the late-'80s, when he could barely move and wore those tights with the one strap over his shoulder. It's depressing. There's just nothing happy about him. I'm much more interested in Leyland and the Tigers, or the Mets possibly getting hooked up to the Juvenation Machine, or Poo Holes' at-bats, or young flamethrowers like Papelbon and Zumaya ... I mean, I can think of 50 baseball subplots right now that are more compelling than some broken-down dude limping around and trying to break a milestone that he cheated to get. Enough is enough.

Edited May 29, 2006 by md655321

[Quincy]

My reaction is a mixed bag. From the looks of things his knee is majorly hobbled, so I think Hank is safe. Yeah, he could surprise me and get hot, but I think just being 42 (soon enough) is hard enough, never mind having bone-on-bone in the knee going on. Trust me, that doesn't feel good.

The other thing is that if he hadn't decided to follow the steroid herd he'd probably have between 600 to 620 homers right about now. OK, maybe "only" 580 or so, but throw in the speed he had and it's incredible. Easily one of the greatest players, but his actions have clouded his accomplishments. Could have been worse though, he could have played for Colorado.

Passing Ruth? Well, Ruth played against just white guys, didn't play at night, played in a park that favored his swing, and played against pitchers who threw hard only in tough situations. Ground rule doubles were home runs and he may not have faced a slider.

On the other hand, Ruth & Aaron, Mays & Robinson didn't get to wear armor on their elbows. For all the talk of steroids, and it is very much worth talking about, I think that elbow armor may be the more controversial element in comparing eras. Imagine if Aaron could have strapped on a big honking elbow armor guard in 1954. No more losing the outside part of the plate - crowd away! (Though vs. the likes of Drysdale & Gibson it still would have been scary.) I have no idea what it could have added to his total, but if you take away the fear of getting a 90+ mph fastball on the naked elbow and it's good for just 3 more HRs a year for Hank that puts him over 800. Yee haw!

So no, Barry's 715 doesn't impress me all that much. But despite his crappy personality, his career before the 'roids does. However one adjusts the numbers down, or even throwing out everything after the drugs, it was Hall of Fame stuff. But this feels cheap, fake & stupid. A perfect match for the times we live in.

Edited May 29, 2006 by Quincy

[Jazzmoose]

My reaction is "So what? In sports, nobody jumps up and down screaming 'we're number two!!'"

Second place on the alltime list is something, but when (if) he passes Hank, ask me again.

[Christiern]

It's a lot like "winning" an election without getting the votes, isn't it?

I think Bonds is a disgrace and those who honor his "achievement" are deluding themselves.

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

Too busy watching the Stanley Cup Semifinals, so we missed it. That Carolina-Buffalo game last night was somethin' else!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JSngry]

Barry Bonds = The Human Asterisk

[Matthew]

I just have so many conflicting emotions over this one:

1. When I was in school in Berkeley I watched Bonds when he played with Arizona, and he was an amazing talent even then, but you could also see he thought he was something special. Well, he was, the most talented college player I saw during my six years in Berkeley. BTW, Lance Blankenship was the best over-all college player I saw in those six years -- really.

2. Love the Babe, read all I can about him, the Babe will always be thought as someone apart for the ordinary. Bonds, however, will never be though of in that way. Bonds will be looked at like Albert Bell, but with a worse personality.

3. Bonds did it, you can't take it back, and you can't take away the fact he was/is the top player of his generation. The only one that could have come close was Ken Griffey in Seattle, Griff was a wonder to behold.

4. So, in my deepest heart -- all of the above.

[Soulstation1]

barry should pitch those Fathead products...

[BERIGAN]

....

Passing Ruth? Well, Ruth played against just white guys, didn't play at night, played in a park that favored his swing, and played against pitchers who threw hard only in tough situations. Ground rule doubles were home runs and he may not have faced a slider.

...

True enough..(though I thought the slider was around then, but just don't know) But Babe had to suffer bumpy, long ass train rides. Some pitchers were throwing spitters, more screwball pitchers back then as well. When Babe first started, he was a pitcher, and it was the dead ball era...how many home runs would he have hit if he had started playing 10 years later, and was a hitter only? What if he had worked out like Bonds did, and Hadn't smoked, drank and ate the way he did? What if he had video tape of pitchers he had never faced before, and he had the kind of advance scouting they use today? Babe still hit 714 in a 1000 less at bats than Bonds did.

[BERIGAN]

barry should pitch those Fathead products...

[Quincy]

....

Passing Ruth? Well, Ruth played against just white guys, didn't play at night, played in a park that favored his swing, and played against pitchers who threw hard only in tough situations. Ground rule doubles were home runs and he may not have faced a slider.

...

True enough..(though I thought the slider was around then, but just don't know) But Babe had to suffer bumpy, long ass train rides. Some pitchers were throwing spitters, more screwball pitchers back then as well. When Babe first started, he was a pitcher, and it was the dead ball era...how many home runs would he have hit if he had started playing 10 years later, and was a hitter only? What if he had worked out like Bonds did, and Hadn't smoked, drank and ate the way he did? What if he had video tape of pitchers he had never faced before, and he had the kind of advance scouting they use today? Babe still hit 714 in a 1000 less at bats than Bonds did.

Barry probably has faced a few spitters, or at least scuffballs. He does play against the Dodgers you know.

Good point about the video scouting (and other good points as well.) Did you know some Colorado hitters (or at least Helton) use video iPods to view at bats against pitchers? Whacky! Nothing like a portable system to go with the rest.

Finally, for all the talk of hot dog & beer training with the Babe, somewhere on the web is an article on the offseason where he hired a fitness instructor! Kinda shatters the myth, and he may have only done it for one season. I'm sure a medicine ball was involved.