Bonds may shun Cooperstown - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Bobblehead · 05-28-2007, 05:08 PM

Quote:

As Barry Bonds nears his record 756th home run, he's stockpiling quite a collection of souvenirs -- bats, balls, helmets and spikes, pieces of baseball history perfectly suited for the Hall of Fame.

Whether he'll donate any of them to Cooperstown, however, is in doubt.

"I'm not worried about the Hall," the San Francisco slugger said during a recent homer drought. "I take care of me."

link

I don't like Barry. I think he has cheated his way to the records and has shown nothing but spite for the public, the media, and many teammates.

But he is one heck of a baseball player. An amazing eye for the strike zone and a smooth swing. A player any team in baseball would want when they needed an HR.

Ty Cobb was a far worse individual and he is in the Hall. But then again, he played in a time when players were paid paltry salaries. When players didn't play for the wealth, but played for the joy of playing.

I don't think Barry will ever be hurting for money. Nor will his kids or grandkids ever need to worry about money. For Barry to keep every piece of memorabilia because, "I take care of me." is an affront to the game of baseball.

Baseball became a business a long time ago. Players and owners have reminded the fans for years that it a business. But kids don't play little league because it is business. The don't pretend it is the bottom of the 9th and hitting the Joe Carter-esque home run to win the World Series because they are thinking about business. They are playing because it is a game. They grow up to become fans of the game. They want to see immortalized the players and moments that represent the history of the game. And the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown is the repository of those memories of the game. The business owes its existence to the game.

Please Barry, you keep the business. But let the fans have the game.

Fuzzy McGillicuddy · 05-29-2007, 02:01 AM

Barry is such an easy guy to dislike because he's such a jerk. Despite making millions from the game, he thumbs his nose at it.

As far as MLB is concerned, Bonds is the 500 pound elephant in the room right now. Hank Aaron won't acknowledge his accomplishments. Even the commissioner is non-commital. Bonds is becoming an embarrasment to the game. Yes Barry is a great hitter. Steroids or performance-enhancing drugs don't make you recognize a curve vs heat. There are few holes in his strike zone. But he hits the ball further than he would naturally and that has skewed his numbers. Baseball deserves to be embarrased because for years the game turned a blind eye to steroid abuse, knowing full well it was happening.

Resolute 14 · 05-29-2007, 10:46 AM

"I'll take care of me."

True Barry Bonds, right there.

JBR · 05-29-2007, 11:59 AM

That Bonds is beginning to show signs of being a difficult person to deal with.

ricoFlame · 05-29-2007, 09:16 PM

Bonds won 3 MVPs in 4 years when he was an actual athlete in the early 90's. He's good, he always was.

Clever_Iggy · 05-30-2007, 08:29 AM

Meh... if his records and accomplishments arent being acknowledged by Aaron and Selig, dont share the memorabilia with MLB. MLB cant have it both ways - they cant criticize and shun Bonds and in the same breath want to have memorabilia from that which they shun. McGwire and Sosa's crap is in the Hall from 1998 and Selig and the rest of the baseball world celebrated that season... now Bonds gets stuck with the fall out.

I with Bonds on this one - MLB and Selig are hypocrites.

habernac · 05-30-2007, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricoFlame

Bonds won 3 MVPs in 4 years when he was an actual athlete in the early 90's. He's good, he always was.

and then he became a dumbass and cheated just to get a little more power. "No one told me it was steroid cream." Sure, Barry. The moron would have been a first ballot hall of famer anyway. But he was jealous of the other two cheaters and had to do better. Screw Barry Bonds.

socalwingfan · 05-30-2007, 08:52 AM

Here's a pretty good stat from an article on Bonds today:

"Instead it was Bonds who came along, after hitting more than 42 homers just once from ages 22-35, and hit 49, 73, 45, 45 and 45 from ages 36-40. "

http://www.nyjournalnews.com/apps/pb...07/1003/SPORTS

I_H8_Crawford · 05-30-2007, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clever_Iggy

Meh... if his records and accomplishments arent being acknowledged by Aaron and Selig, dont share the memorabilia with MLB. MLB cant have it both ways - they cant criticize and shun Bonds and in the same breath want to have memorabilia from that which they shun. McGwire and Sosa's crap is in the Hall from 1998 and Selig and the rest of the baseball world celebrated that season... now Bonds gets stuck with the fall out.

I with Bonds on this one - MLB and Selig are hypocrites.

I agree with this position. MLB had NO PROBLEM with McGuire and Sosa juicing up to "save" baseball - everyone knew it was happening, but no one cared.

Now even though baseball still celebrates McGuire's record season, they refuse to admit him to Cooperstown. Who is to say Bonds will ever get in as well? You know the voters are going to do their best to keep him out - why should he donate his stuff to a place that doesn't want him?

Table 5 · 05-30-2007, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricoFlame

Bonds won 3 MVPs in 4 years when he was an actual athlete in the early 90's. He's good, he always was.

Unfortunately, we'll never really be able to know when he began cheating, so none of it is relevant in my books. The guy shouldn't be in the Hall anyway. I dont give a crap if he was good at one point. You cheat, youre gone. Too bad so sad.

HOOT · 05-30-2007, 09:19 PM

I don't really care either way if he breaks the record but I would almost love to see him not be able to do it just for the fact we will never know how much and how long it effected his game. Even without the drugs he would still probably be close, wouldn't be hitting them as long, but would still not be far behind. Also who knows maybe his body would be in better shape at this age if he didn't use all the drugs and still could have beaten the record naturally.

ricoFlame · 05-31-2007, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Table 5

Unfortunately, we'll never really be able to know when he began cheating, so none of it is relevant in my books. The guy shouldn't be in the Hall anyway. I dont give a crap if he was good at one point. You cheat, youre gone. Too bad so sad.

He was tiny back then. so apparently we have to go back through history and bring every guy who was suspected of cheating out of the hall? i mean if that is the way that it works.

burn_baby_burn · 06-01-2007, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HOOT

I don't really care either way if he breaks the record but I would almost love to see him not be able to do it just for the fact we will never know how much and how long it effected his game. Even without the drugs he would still probably be close, wouldn't be hitting them as long, but would still not be far behind. Also who knows maybe his body would be in better shape at this age if he didn't use all the drugs and still could have beaten the record naturally.

You have got to be kidding. Go back and look at post #8. He hit 42 home runs once between the ages of 22-35. Then he goes off and hits 49, 73, 45, 45, and 45 in the next five years. Usually at the age of 35 your suppossed to be slowing down. Not taking off.

StrayBullet · 06-01-2007, 04:34 PM

Good. I'm glad Barry is doing it for himself. If Selig and Aaron are going to shun him, why can't he shun Cooperstown? It's up to him. The fact that Aaron refuses to be at the games that will lead up to breaking the record proves his immaturity and lack of class. Hate Barry. It's what people want to do. He deserves to be in the Hall - which he won't be allowed - and he deserves to break the record at the pace he's going.

Bobblehead · 06-01-2007, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StrayBullet

Good. I'm glad Barry is doing it for himself. If Selig and Aaron are going to shun him, why can't he shun Cooperstown? It's up to him. The fact that Aaron refuses to be at the games that will lead up to breaking the record proves his immaturity and lack of class. Hate Barry. It's what people want to do. He deserves to be in the Hall - which he won't be allowed - and he deserves to break the record at the pace he's going.

Why does Barry deserve anything? Because he found a good chemist? The end should not justify the means, but that is just my opinion.

And Aaron is is immature? The guy had death threats against him when he broke Ruth's record. He has always carried himself with class.

Table 5 · 06-01-2007, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricoFlame

He was tiny back then. so apparently we have to go back through history and bring every guy who was suspected of cheating out of the hall? i mean if that is the way that it works.

Sounds good to me. If someone is proven to have cheated 50 years ago, get them the hell out of there.

Once you cheat, you lose credibility for your whole tenure. Sorry, thats how it works for me. If I can't trust you now, how can I trust what you have done in the past?

With Barry, theres more than enough circumstantial evidence to declare the man guilty.

Table 5 · 06-01-2007, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StrayBullet

He deserves to be in the Hall

No, he does not. If something is not done within the boundaries of the sport, that feat, no matter how impressive, is null and void.

The man probably already built a hall of fame for himself in the basement. he can go try and enter that.

ricoFlame · 06-01-2007, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Table 5

Sounds good to me. If someone is proven to have cheated 50 years ago, get them the hell out of there.

Once you cheat, you lose credibility for your whole tenure. Sorry, thats how it works for me. If I can't trust you now, how can I trust what you have done in the past?

With Barry, theres more than enough circumstantial evidence to declare the man guilty.

hey, that sounds fair to me.