Bonds To File For Free Agency

[Cityofchampions33]

he was roiding in oakland too

[Soxfan1]

Barry Bonds took steriods when there was no rule against it. Most players say that up to 50% of baseball players use steriods. Why is Bonds the only one who gets blasted?

I agree. Anyone that thinks that our everyday star players or players during the year of their career are inspirational is blind to the real world of baseball. Bonds is a jackass, but he can play baseball. He will be booed here, but who knows. How did Giambi win the yankee fans over? (Juicing) but that walkoff home run got them on his side again. Bonds can easily become a fan favorite here if he stays healthy and hits the ball.

 

 

Can Nixon play Left? Bonds can not stay healthy all year and would a good backup/platoon partner.

[example1]

These guys are also the highest paid guys in the game. They are also the very people that 12 year old boys are imitating. They are also the guys that make us look at a guy like David Murphy or Jacoby Ellsbury or Coco Crisp and say "they don't have enough power to be the CF on a MLB team". Should those guys take roids too, so they can compete?

 

The fact is we don't know how many people used roids or still use roids. The other fact is that we DO know who has benefited the most from it: guys like Giambi, Bonds, Caminetti, Palmero, Sosa, McGwire, Brady Anderson, etc., They have completely distorted the way the game is played and discussed.

 

I don't blame anyone in particular but you guys must have forgotten that Barry Bonds broke the single season home run record. He is within a season of the all time home run record. He put up 1.400 OPS with ease, changed who got pitched to and the outcome of the season for a number of teams, fans and owners.

 

We were fooled by McGwire and Sosa because they were the first to approach all-time greatness via steroids. Bonds broke their records at a time when it came out HOW those records got broken, so naturally he took the hit (although nobody would say that Sammy Sosa or Mark McGwire are looking too pretty these days either).

 

I think baseball has the opportunity to go from goats to heroes on the steroid issue. Unfortunately it might take taking down the biggest star in the game to make it happen (which has essentially already happened). The iceberg has only been scratched with the "Game of Shadows" revelations.

 

Anyone who thinks that Shawn Merriman is the only one in the NFL doing roids is crazy. I don't know about the NBA, but I do know that athletes have gotten bigger and faster on a yearly basis over the past 10 years. We have 6-4, 260lbs linebackers running 4.6 40's in football and nobody is raising any flags, while the biggest critique of baseball was that the power numbers surged and the fans and owners just accepted it because it made them money. Football is more popular today than it has been in years, and the players are mysteriously bigger and faster than ever before while, simultaneously, books like Game of Shadows highlight the amount of money and effort put into making steroids and performance enhancing drugs perfectly effecient and undetectable by any yet-devised tests. The book is much, much bigger than Barry Bonds but the power of the book was the grand jury testimony in the BALCO case, and the most important and well-known BALCO client was Barry Bonds.

[example1]

he was roiding in oakland too

 

No doubt. In game of Shadows Giambi essentially tells the grand jury that he's been using since he was in the minors when he mysteriously shot to the top. This guy isn't good unless he's juicing. We know that much.

[example1]

I agree. Anyone that thinks that our everyday star players or players during the year of their career are inspirational is blind to the real world of baseball. Bonds is a jackass' date=' but he can play baseball. He [b']will[/b] be booed here, but who knows. How did Giambi win the yankee fans over? (Juicing) but that walkoff home run got them on his side again. Bonds can easily become a fan favorite here if he stays healthy and hits the ball.

 

 

Can Nixon play Left? Bonds can not stay healthy all year and would a good backup/platoon partner.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong yankee fans out there, but I don't get the sense that Giambi is any sort of fan favorite. I get the sense that he and sheffield have largely been embarassing, both because of their massive contracts and their ties to steroids.

 

I don't want the sox getting players that are, from the start, guaranteed to not beliked by the fans. I'm depressed that you guys would be happy with a player you despised on your team. You guys want the pats to get TO too? Is that just what they need to go from being one of the best teams in football to winning a championship? I don't think so.

[Soxfan1]

Did I say he was a fan favorite? No, but the yank fans dont boo him anymore after the power surge he had.

 

I shouldn't have mentioned the part about fans. I would doubt Bonds giving a s*** what the fans thing.

[example1]

Did I say he was a fan favorite? No, but the yank fans dont boo him anymore after the power surge he had.

 

I shouldn't have mentioned the part about fans. I would doubt Bonds giving a s*** what the fans thing.

 

I guess you didn't. You said he had "won over" the fans. I don't think that's possible for Bonds in Boston or really anywhere else. I've told myself since this whole thing started that the only people who even root for the guy anymore are his own fans, and they are somewhat embarassed about it. He has been booed in every park he plays in. Are we really so fickle as to stop booing him once he comes to OUR blessed team? I know we're not all saints, but he's shown no remorse, has admitted NOTHING and has continued playing, through injury, solely to get the record via cheating. right in front of our eyes. I don't want to look back in 5 years and say that Bonds, like Canseco, came to Boston to effectvely die in the place of a younger, better available LF like Soriano, or Lee, or Manny Ramirez, who will contribute for 4+ years.

[CrespoBlows]

Crespo: saying game of shadows isn't about Bonds is like saying Moneyball isn't about baseball. It doesn't deal with the minutae of Bonds' every day life but it still deals with him as an example of the problem in general.

 

You contradict yourself with your second sentence. You say Bonds is the EXAMPLE of the book. What's the problem? Steriods. So, in absolute reality, the book is about steriods, with a mention of Bonds in order to generate interest.

[kreinbihl34]

f*** Bonds, I rather lose 100 games then have that dick on the Red Sox. Maybe I care about pride too much, but I rather lose fairly, then cheat and win.

[CrespoBlows]

f*** Bonds' date=' I rather lose 100 games then have that dick on the Red Sox. Maybe I care about pride too much, but I rather lose fairly, then cheat and win.[/quote']

 

Technically, it's highly likely Bonds is off steriods. The Red Sox wouldn't be cheating.

[Optimist]

Technically' date=' it's highly likely Bonds is off steriods. The Red Sox wouldn't be cheating.[/quote']

 

And no one beleives you'd rather have the Sox lose 100+ games than have a strong #5 hitter.

[kreinbihl34]

And no one beleives you'd rather have the Sox lose 100+ games than have a strong #5 hitter.

 

Strong 5 hitter I'll take, if he isn't Barry Bonds.

I'll give you an example. The two best players on ym basketball team were kicked off the team b/c they screwed up some cars. I was pissed b/c they costed us possible a really good season. Then the board let them back on and I'm even more pissed. I don't want people like that on my team. I want the good guys who become legends, not just good players.

[jsinger121]

I'll take the 1.000 OPS thank you. Bonds won't cause any problems.

[example1]

You contradict yourself with your second sentence. You say Bonds is the EXAMPLE of the book. What's the problem? Steriods. So' date=' in absolute reality, the book is about steriods, with a mention of Bonds in order to generate interest.[/quote']

 

 

How about this CrespoBlows, insofar as the book deals with steroids in baseball (which is probably 1/2 of the book) it deals with Barry Bonds and only peripherally everyone else. It uses Giambi and Sheffield's testimony about Bonds to strong effect. It talks about the BALCO guys' youth, including how their lives intersected with Bonds for the past 30 years. Then it talked about other records that were broken by people who used steroids, most prominantly in olympic track and field, as well as McGwire's broken record. Then it talks specfically about Bonds' record run. If you read between the lines you see that many of these records, from sprinting to weightlifting have come largely thanks to performance enhancing drugs. This didn't really come to public attention/alarm until Barry Bonds started demolishing records in his late 30's and BALCO got nailed in an FBI raid coming largely from BALCO's involvement with tampering samples and doping olympians. The actual story isn't about Bonds, but he is easily the biggest fish to be implicated and he deserves to be on the cover.

[schillingouttheks]

Did I say he was a fan favorite? No, but the yank fans dont boo him anymore after the power surge he had.

 

I shouldn't have mentioned the part about fans. I would doubt Bonds giving a s*** what the fans thing.

 

You probably shouldn't have. Bonds will NEVER be a fan favorite in Boston. If he comes here, we'll thank him for whatever positive stuff he does on the field to help us win but he will NEVER be appreciated. Let's remember that this is the same guy that called the city of Boston racist.

 

I'll take him on my team because we'll win lots of games because of him, but I wouldn't appreciate him...I'll just say thanks and move on when his time here is over.

[CrespoBlows]

How about this CrespoBlows' date=' insofar as the book deals with steroids in baseball (which is probably 1/2 of the book) it deals with Barry Bonds and only peripherally everyone else. It uses Giambi and Sheffield's testimony [i']about[/i] Bonds to strong effect. It talks about the BALCO guys' youth, including how their lives intersected with Bonds for the past 30 years. Then it talked about other records that were broken by people who used steroids, most prominantly in olympic track and field, as well as McGwire's broken record. Then it talks specfically about Bonds' record run. If you read between the lines you see that many of these records, from sprinting to weightlifting have come largely thanks to performance enhancing drugs. This didn't really come to public attention/alarm until Barry Bonds started demolishing records in his late 30's and BALCO got nailed in an FBI raid coming largely from BALCO's involvement with tampering samples and doping olympians. The actual story isn't about Bonds, but he is easily the biggest fish to be implicated and he deserves to be on the cover.

 

Sounds fair.

[Soxfan1]

Does anything other then the matter of him producing matter?

[Soxfan1]

f*** Bonds' date=' I rather lose 100 games then have that dick on the Red Sox. Maybe I care about pride too much, but I rather lose fairly, then cheat and win.[/quote']

 

Who is your favorite player on the red sox?

[schillingouttheks]

Does anything other then the matter of him producing matter?

 

If he becomes a clubhouse cancer or starts bitching about playing in a "racist" town, that will matter.

[BSN07]

Any team that signs old roid boy I will no longer have any respect for. If your a gm how could you? No one signed Palmerio after his episode and yes I know Bonds hasn't tested positive but to even bring that "maybe he did"to your clubhouse is just a bad idea. Besides at this point I believe bonds is near the bottom of the hill, he went over it a few seasons to go. The only reason I see to bring him in is to beat the HR record. And that will bring in more conterversy and publicity good and bad. Besides I think it's not a real issue for the HR record because even tho i'm a Red Sox fan I believe if AROD stays healthy he will be the new HR champ at the end of his career.

[rician blast]

No one signed Palmerio after his episode and yes I know Bonds hasn't tested positive but to even bring that "maybe he did"to your clubhouse is just a bad idea.

 

"maybe he did" is not a problem in the clubhouse because the players know or have a good idea of who has or hasn't juiced. The percentage of players who have used performance enhancing drugs is probably so high that whether he used or didn't would not be an issue in ther clubhouse. it's not like he's the exception...he's more the rule.

[schillingouttheks]

Any team that signs old roid boy I will no longer have any respect for. If your a gm how could you? No one signed Palmerio after his episode and yes I know Bonds hasn't tested positive but to even bring that "maybe he did"to your clubhouse is just a bad idea. Besides at this point I believe bonds is near the bottom of the hill' date=' he went over it a few seasons to go. The only reason I see to bring him in is to beat the HR record. And that will bring in more conterversy and publicity good and bad. Besides I think it's not a real issue for the HR record because even tho i'm a Red Sox fan I believe if AROD stays healthy he will be the new HR champ at the end of his career.[/quote']

 

Palmeiro was an obvious mental breakdown after the 'roids thing. He needed to use ear plugs because the booing bothered him so much. Not to mention that he was clearly on the decline at that point of his career. Bonds is still capable of putting up that 1.000 OPS, which is why he'll be attracting a number of interested teams. That's all that matters. The fact that he can contribute in a big way to help your team win is reason enough for a team to sign him. Morals don't play a major role in baseball. SO many players use performance enhancing drugs that it just doesn't matter anymore.