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Quote:

Originally posted by CA theta
Car, being the big Barry fan I know you are, here's an article I just read which you might be interested in reading:

Talking Baseball: Bonds talks about Yanks, steroids issue
June 11, 2002

By Ed Randall
SportsTicker Contributing Editor

NEW YORK (TICKER) -- Barry Bonds believed he was going to be a member of the New York Yankees 10 years ago when he became a free agent after playing with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"They were the first team to talk to me. But George (Steinbrenner) was suspended from baseball," Bonds said. "I think if George had anything to do with it, I would have probably have been a Yankee at the time."

Bonds addressed numerous subjects when I interviewed him on Saturday, including the reported use of steroids by major league players.

"If you're gonna point fingers, point the fingers at the right people and not the rest of us," Bonds said. "Two other players came out about an issue and now it's trickling down to everybody else and that part I feel is just not right. And I always seem to be the guy right at the top of the list.

"Unfortunately, I think that's really cruddy because I think I worked really hard to change a lot of things. I think I worked really hard to embrace the public a little bit more as well as the public embracing me last year. It just seems like they're kicking me in the tooth again. But that's OK. I've been kicked at before and I'm OK with it."

Bonds on performance enhancers:

"You're gonna take advantage of what's legal. Some people are going to cheat. Society cheats every day. I'm not going to say that I don't take vitamins. I'm not going to say that I don't take protein drinks and shakes and things like that because I do. These kids in today's era are a lot bigger, a lot stronger, a lot faster and if you can't keep up, you're going to be retired. You have to do what you need to do to keep up with a lot of kids. You just want to do it fairly."

On how important it is for him to be embraced like Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa:

"I don't know because with me it's always something. I'm a bad guy from the beginning. I set the record in home runs and all of a sudden that year I'm a nice person. Now this year it's the big steroid issue. I can't win period. I don't think about it. I feel that I am embraced a lot more so than I have ever been and I'm very appreciative of that. I go to stadiums and there's a lot more cheers overriding boos nowadays than there was earlier in my career and that's very gratifying to me." ...

Thanks Ang for finding that for me! Barry is without a doubt my favorite baseball player. It aggravates me that people seem to focus more on what a "bad person" Bonds is, rather than what he has accomplished. Bonds is just amazing, and whether he is rude or whatnot, how are we supposed to know, unless we actually know him?? He has never been in the news for drugs or raping somebody or whatever...and I think the media shoud just lay off him! He does a lot for charity, and I've seen a lot more interviews with him being totally amicable than him being rude. And plus, how would someone feel if a reporter kept on shoving a mike in his face every freakin minute?

I am just so happy that he will retire a San Francisco Giant! He is just one of the best baseball players ever (if not the best of the best), and I am just so proud he is a Bay Area boy :D.

Quote:

Originally posted by KSig RC

This isn't ridiculous - it's good baseball strategy. Think about it - There's no one else on that team hitting the ball, now that Wonder-Gramps Benny Santiago is back to being decidedly at replacement value. I would NEVER pitch to him - he wouldn't get a single official at-bat all season, until someone else hits the damn ball and drives him in.

Last season, waaaaay more than 50% of his RBI were himself - think about that, then you decide the right decision.

haha, I have some serious issues with Clemens (I'm a Sox fan, after all...), and I love ya Newbie - but he wasn't too far off here, in my opinion.

Drilling Piazza was a joke - you don't hit people in the head, no matter what. But - if you look at the pitch that hit Bonds, it wasn't far from being a strike at all. If Barry wants to put on the armor and lean over the plate, he's gonna get popped sometimes - think of it as the price you pay for leaning over the plate, risk/reward vs. his 73 HRs last season.

BTW - I'm a big proponent of Clemens in the Hall wearing the Blue Jays cap - that would be sweet, screw that guy

I just think that there should be a rule limiting how many walks can be given to one guy. I was watching the game the other day and the announcer was saying that perhaps one of the reasons why baseball isn't that popular anymore is b/c you can completely take the star out of the game. Whereas, if you think about it, in any other sport, the other team actually has to defend the guy! It sucks, because I know that some people only go to PacBell to go see Barry bat. And maybe even a few people in NY who aren't Yankee fans only went to see Barry hit a HR. With the way people were cheering after Barry hit the HR in the Bronx, it seemed like a Pac Bell crowd!

I can't wait for the trade season to come around. I want some new bats! I love Jeff Kent and J.T. Snow, but they just aren't doing their jobs (though Kent's doing better as of late...while J.T.'s only batting .210). I definitely don't want to see them traded or anything, but I want to see a new cleanup guy and also bump J.T. back in the batting order.

Clemens is a dickhead. Remember how he said in the papers that he would be testing out Barry's armor or something like that? Well, when he says stuff like that, and then the pitch hits him, well I doubt that it was just an accident! What a way for Clemens to show Barry that he's Hall of Fame material :rolleyes: , when he won't even throw a single strike to him.

Ah well, there'll probably be another matchup between the two in the All-Star Game and hopefully we'll see Barry get a strike!

I have to say that I am a NEW Baseball fan, but have become addicted. Basball tonight...cannot go to bed w/o watching it!

I live close to Durham, NC and have been going to the D. Bulls games. I enjoyed watching them....and some of the players, I have to say, look so good in pin stripes!

2 of our favorites were called up to Devil Rays 2 weeks ago Paul Hoover and Aubrey Huff, Toby Hall and Tenyner(sp) were called down...saw them play Sunday....fun times. Trying to replace our favs that are no longer with us...

The stanley cup was at the game...got to see a 109 yr old trophy!

Quote:

Originally posted by newbie
I can't wait for the trade season to come around. I want some new bats! I love Jeff Kent and J.T. Snow, but they just aren't doing their jobs (though Kent's doing better as of late...while J.T.'s only batting .210). I definitely don't want to see them traded or anything, but I want to see a new cleanup guy and also bump J.T. back in the batting order.

Apparently, with the lower attendance at PacBell this season (as in, like, 15% lower), there isn't much (if any) money available to take on new talent, according to McGowan . . . plus, w/out the DH, there aren't many open positions. Jim Thome would seem a good fit, but the Giants already have Snow at 1B . . . Scott Rolen might work, but David Bell has been OK, and would be wasted money on the bench. They need a CF more than anything, but no one's really available, unless they want to put Gabe Kapler out there and roll the dice.

The Giants' pitching has been awesome, though.

Quote:

Originally posted by KSig RC

Apparently, with the lower attendance at PacBell this season (as in, like, 15% lower), there isn't much (if any) money available to take on new talent, according to McGowan . . . plus, w/out the DH, there aren't many open positions. Jim Thome would seem a good fit, but the Giants already have Snow at 1B . . . Scott Rolen might work, but David Bell has been OK, and would be wasted money on the bench. They need a CF more than anything, but no one's really available, unless they want to put Gabe Kapler out there and roll the dice.

The Giants' pitching has been awesome, though.

Gosh you know a lot about baseball, Rob! I had no idea that attendance was down 15% at PacBell. I knew it was down, but had no idea it was down so much. I sincerely hope it won't be all to waste...I remember those days of 25,000 in attendance at the Stick where they were actually good days :rolleyes: ... and 8000 on a cold Thursday night were the norm! :eek: :eek:

I mean, goodness, if we don't win a World Series this year, WHEN will we?? I'm running out of patience here! Last year was supposed to be THE year for us, but it didn't turn out to be it.

Scott Rolen would be awesome. David Bell has been OK for us...but we deifnitely need more pop then that. Shinjo -- I love the guy, but he was doing so poorly as leadoff that he bats 7th regularly now!

Ahh, do I envy the payrolls of the Yanks, the Dodgers, the Braves, etc. etc.....

What are the Braves doing this season? I know last year they had alot of problems.:cool:

Quote:

Originally posted by thesweetestone
What are the Braves doing this season? I know last year they had alot of problems.:cool:

Not sure exactly... :o Rob? Help please! :)