Barry Bonds

[Tigers_eye]

Barry Bonds would have the most hallowed record in baseball. Highest home runs.

I use to watch/follow MLB when McGuire and Sosa was chasing the Home Run record for the season. Clements, Big Unit, Braves Pitchers and hating the yankees was my attraction. All poofed away when the labor lockout /drug cheat became a news. Don't care much about the all time home run record chase by Barry either.

However, I listen to the radio talkshows (sports) and there was an arguement made which I think was legit.

Sould Barry's record be hailed by all (once he breaks Hank Aaron's home run reocrd)?

Some say he was juiced up. They would care less. The others argue what would you do about the pitchers who used it and pitched to Barry and others? If you accept McGuire's record, if you accept Jason Ziambi's World series rings why not accept Barry's? Is it because he is black and they are not?

What's your thought on this one? Do you care even?

[Puck]

at first i thought you were talking about billy bonds..

[Tigers_eye]

Bond just tied the record at 755. he is going home and may be break the record there.

[Sohel]

Originally Posted by Tigers_eye
Bond just tied the record at 755. he is going home and may be break the record there.

Wish I was back in the City for this ...

[Rommel]

I hate Barry Bonds. I mean its pretty obvious he took steroids. I mean compare what he looked like in Pittsburgh to what he looks like now. Also he has all these Balco dealers saying that they did supply steroids to him but Barry says he took them unknowingly. So even Barry Bonds has admitted he took steroids but he thinks that it is ok to take steroids if you don't know about it. Well he should know about it. There is a thing called a label that he could read for once. Also he just wants the world feel bad for him cause hes black. But being black has nothing to do with being a lying, selfish cheater.

[Tigers_eye]

I do not like Barry Bonds myself. I also think he took the performance enhancement drugs. Did he cheat? Yes, may be! Knowingly? Yes, may be!

should we void his achievement? I say "no". The reason is simple. There are many in Baseball players now who has admitted that they took drugs. Pitchers and batters. They have performed greatly and won some World series also. Are we willing to take back those titles? Like NYs when Jason Giambi played?

What are we going to do about the pitchers who pitched to Barry while they themselves took drugs?

We can't correct the past. We can only move on and fix the present and hope for the best in the future.

[Sohel]

Link:http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...SPV7RDG1K2.DTL

THE DAY AFTER
Bonds confident he'll send national media home soon
John Shea, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, August 6, 2007

(08-06) 04:00 PDT San Diego -- He feels it. He anticipates it. Now all he needs is for someone to throw a pitch for him to hit it.

Barry Bonds rediscovered his stroke in extended rounds of batting practice early Saturday, and it showed when he hit his 755th home run in the second inning off Clay Hensley, who on Sunday was optioned to the minors - not, the Padres say, because he served up the pitch to Bonds.

Now the trick for Bonds is to maintain the stroke so that he can hit No. 756 in front of the one fan base that almost universally supports him. The Giants open a seven-game homestand tonight against Washington, and lefty John Lannan, who never has faced Bonds, will make his third big-league start.

"If I keep my mechanics right, you guys won't be around long," Bonds said Sunday to a massive group of reporters, mostly national scribes who'll remain on the beat until Bonds hits one more homer to break Henry Aaron's record.

Bonds sat out Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Padres, resting after appearing in nine straight games and giving himself time to catch his breath after the big 7-5-5.

He said he received lots of congratulatory calls from friends, family and associates, including Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez, who hit his 500th homer off Kansas City's Kyle Davies hours before Bonds went deep off Hensley.

Aaron did not call.

If Bonds feeds off Saturday's BP as much as he thinks he might, it could be a productive week. The Giants play four against Washington and three against Pittsburgh.

"My batting practice was like spring training 2001, when I couldn't miss hitting it out," said Bonds, who hit 73 homers that year, eclipsing Mark McGwire's season record.

"When I'm swinging the way I was in batting practice, I can tell. There are things that if you make a mistake, you're going to lose. I've been there before, 22 years. I know exactly what I'm capable of doing. I know if I get into position to do things, you're in trouble."

Take note, Mr. Lannan.

Lannan is known mostly as the guy who was ejected from his major-league debut after plunking Philadelphia's Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Utley has a broken right hand, hurting the Phillies' playoff hopes.

"I heard of him," Bonds said of Lannan, "but I don't know him."

Hensley was more familiar to Bonds. He's a former Giants farmhand who had faced Bonds in 11 at-bats before Saturday. Sunday, the Padres, short on relievers, called up Mike Thompson from Triple-A Portland. Hensley got sent down.

"He did?" Bonds said. "That sucks."

Hensley and Bonds spoke briefly in the tunnel outside the clubhouses late Saturday, and Bonds sent him an autographed bat. During the conversation, they agreed the pitch would have been called a ball if Bonds hadn't swung.

"Obviously, it's a huge deal for the media and fans and everybody. But to me, it's just another home run," Hensley said. "We're trying to win a ballgame, first and foremost. It's a big accomplishment. Congrats to Barry. But it's not something I'm going to watch over and over on TV."

Hensley didn't answer a question about whether he felt the record would be tainted, but the pitcher did address his 15-game suspension in the minors for testing positive for steroids: "You make mistakes when you're younger. I made a mistake. I served my penalty. That's all I really want to say about it."

Bonds didn't have much time after the 13-inning game to throw a party.

"Sat down at the hotel for a minute, took my kid up to bed," he said. "I've got an 8-year-old, guys. There's nothing I could do. I don't have a nanny."

If it was a quiet night Saturday, it's expected to be rowdy tonight when the new all-time co-leader in homers is greeted by Giants fans.

Commissioner Bud Selig, who was in San Diego over the weekend, is expected to miss the next couple of games. Major League Baseball will be represented by Jimmie Lee Solomon, executive vice president of baseball operations.

Mays is expected to be in the house. According to a club spokesman, Mays attempted to fly to San Diego Sunday morning, just in case Bonds pinch hit and broke the record, but a plane malfunction kept him home.

Though Bonds is on the verge of becoming the career homers king, he reflected on tying and passing Mays' 660 in April 2004, saying, "Nothing's bigger than my godfather. That's family. Nothing's bigger than family."

What about breaking the record in San Francisco?

"I'd love to do a lot of things, but a lot of good fortunes have to come with that," Bonds said. "There's no pressure on me to do it right away. But I want to do the things I've done to keep my mechanics right."

E-mail John Shea at jshea@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page B - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Love him or hate him, the single season HR record and now this among others put him all the way up there with the gods of the game.

[Puck]

so now i know that he is a baseball player!

[abdulw11]

I don't know much about baseball...ok, I know nothing about baseball.

But what I understand from Tigers_eye's posts, is that Barry Bonds is about to (or already has - like I say, i know nothing) break a home run record, whilst knowingly taking steriods.

Doesn't that mean then, by accepting his achievement, people are accepting the use of steroids in baseball, or any other sport for that matter?

[Tigers_eye]

Originally Posted by abdulw11
...
Doesn't that mean then, by accepting his achievement, people are accepting the use of steroids in baseball, or any other sport for that matter?

Not proven yet that he took steroids knowingly. Federal investigation still going on. Unlike other sports US congress has a hold on Baseball. They regulate the rules. There were no rules on performance enhancement drugs. So almost all did that. Barry had admitted to the grand jury investigation that he may unknowingly took the drug. Just like Warne, Shoaib, Asif etc.

Yes, people must accept cause there is no other way to go. One do not know how many people cheated. Even many admitted after their retirement that they took drugs. One can't go back years after years to void all the achievement they had made. The player list is quiet long.

[Tigers_eye]

He is the new king! Congrats! Bud Selig, the commish wasn't there to witness it. Hank Aaron wasn't there either however, he had a recorded video message played at the game after the home run.

[Sohel]

Originally Posted by Tigers_eye
He is the new king! Congrats! Bud Selig, the commish wasn't there to witness it. Hank Aaron wasn't there either however, he had a recorded video message played at the game after the home run.

1. Barry Bonds 756

2. Hank Aaron 755

3. Babe Ruth 714

4. Willie Mays 660

5. Sammy Sosa 604

6. Ken Griffey Jr. 589

7. Frank Robinson 586

8. Mark McGwire 583

9. Harmon Killebrew 573

10. Rafael Palmeiro 569

Monumental achievement, chemically assisted or not. Hank Aaron's message framed it just right. Hank Aaron, the Babe, Ty Cobb, Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Hank Greenberg, Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle, Joe Dimaggio, Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Frank Robinson, and my all time favorites- Sandy Koufax and Roberto Clemente have company in that exclusive Pantheon watching over the Hall of Fame. Time to go after the Sadaharu Oh record of 868 home runs. Bonds said he wants to continue playing, so that's definitely a possibility. Looking forward to him breaking that record and crossing the final frontier in a Giants v. As World Series, but with a different kind of earthquake this time.

The SF Chronicle link: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...SP8LREVAU2.DTL

Excerpts-

There's a new home run champion of all time, and it's Barry Bonds.

Is he the greatest home run hitter of all time? All who cherish this game will have to search their hearts and answer that question in their own way. But the number is not open to debate, dispute, praise or scorn. The major-league record is 756, and Bonds owns it.

He broke his three-day-old tie with Henry Aaron in the fifth inning of the Giants' 8-6 loss to the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night. With one out and nobody on base in a 4-4 game, Bonds hammered a 3-2 pitch from left-hander Mike Bacsik into the bleachers to the right of straightaway center field.

Bonds hoped to set the record at home, in front of fans who love him unconditionally, just like most of his other milestone home runs. To the surprise of nobody, it happened exactly that way in front of 43,154 people.

Lest anyone doubt how Bonds feels about this record, amid a loud chorus of criticism that he achieved it using performance-enhancing drugs, he explained his feelings forcefully and concisely during his postgame news conference.

"This record is not tainted at all, at all, period," Bonds said. "You guys can say whatever you want."

And

In a remarkable moment, the Giants asked everyone to turn their attention to the scoreboard for a video tribute, similar to those by Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali on earlier nights. The crowd had to be stunned to see the face of Aaron, who has spurned Bonds throughout this chase, saying he wanted to be anywhere but in the ballpark when Bonds broke his record.

Aaron congratulated Bonds and said, in part, "I move over now and offer my best wishes to Barry and his family on this historical achievement. My hope today, as it was on that April evening in 1974, is that the achievement of this record will inspire others to chase their own dreams."

Bonds seemed touched and pointed toward the screen. Later, Bonds was asked what Aaron's message meant to him. He said, "It meant everything. It meant absolutely everything. ... We all have a lot of respect for him from everyone in the game. Right now, everything's just hitting me so fast I'm lost for words again. It was absolutely the best, absolutely the best."

In the last archway along the right-field wall, where the homer totals of Bonds, Aaron, Babe Ruth and Mays have been listed for the last several years, the "1" that had marked Aaron's nameplate was replaced by "2," and Bonds' went from "2" to "1."

Aaron established his record by surpassing Ruth on April 8, 1974, and held it for 12,173 days, sharing it with Bonds for the last three.

When Aaron hit his 715th home run, two fans at Atlanta Fulton-County Stadium ran onto the field and greeted Aaron as he trotted between second and third base. After Bonds hit his 756th and stood in front of the Giants' dugout, a man ran onto the field and was tackled by a large complement of police and security officials. Bonds did not appear to see the intrusion.

...

[Tigers_eye]

Baseball is all about numbers. Winning is not that important. Since not very many teams gets to the playoffs. As we saw the chase of Sosa-McGuire the 68 home run season, then Bonds breaking 70, and now bond making history; in most cases the team lost. had this be in Cricket we would not care the way Baseball fans care.

As I said in many cricket threads, winning is everything. The individual numbers mean very little to me, if the numbers come after winning so be it. That is why to me, Viv is better Lara, Waugh is better than Tendu, MJ better than Big "O" (Oscar Robertson), Russell over Wilt; Pele over Maradona.

[akabir77]

Originally Posted by Tigers_eye
Baseball is all about numbers. Winning is not that important. Since not very many teams gets to the playoffs. As we saw the chase of Sosa-McGuire the 68 home run season, then Bonds breaking 70, and now bond making history; in most cases the team lost. had this be in Cricket we would not care the way Baseball fans care.

As I said in many cricket threads, winning is everything. The individual numbers mean very little to me, if the numbers come after winning so be it. That is why to me, Viv is better Lara, Waugh is better than Tendu, MJ better than Big "O" (Oscar Robertson), Russell over Wilt; Pele over Maradona.

hi hi ta holet To T_E bhai Bashar is better captain then other captains from bangladesh...

[Tigers_eye]

Originally Posted by akabir77
hi hi ta holet To T_E bhai Bashar is better captain then other captains from bangladesh...

We need to see our opponents also. Beating up minnows only inflates the winning stat. Does not show cast the real picture. Tol petey ghushi marben na. illegal.

[Sohel]

#756



Barry Bonds and Steroids