This Week in Baseball 8/6 - 8/12

[Guest Soriano's Torn Quad]

he might have taken something back when it wasn't against the rules for him to take it

1. There's no might. He did. That's it. There's no ambiguity here.

 

2. It was against federal law, which supersedes baseball policy.

[World's Worst Man]

A record was broken with the assistance of steroids, yay! Ruth did it on beer, Bonds did it on steroids, and ARod will end up doing it on whores and screaming "HAH" as he rounds the bases.

[Guest Soriano's Torn Quad]

p.s.: yo guys do know that the whole "my favorite team won a baseball game" thing was born out of my frustration with the TWIB threads devolving into people simply reporting the outcomes of their favorite teams' games, bereft of analysis, discussion, or anything remotely compelling? I'll ask again: stop doing it. Not that funny.

[The Niggardly King]

BARRY BONDS WILL RIDE AND DIE WITH YOU!

 

Great interview/press conference he held.

[The Niggardly King]

You know, I wonder if Bonds will be loved more over time? He really is a once in a lifetime talent, and what he went through in a way was similar to Maris and Hank... though different circumstances.

[Steve J. Rogers]

You know, I wonder if Bonds will be loved more over time? He really is a once in a lifetime talent, and what he went through in a way was similar to Maris and Hank... though different circumstances.

 

Hold it right there Sparky. Don't just lump what Aaron and Maris went through with what Bonds went through as just being under different circumstances.

 

Bonds brought this all on himself; this isn't a bunch of old Ruth/Yankee fans refusing to acknowledge that a lesser player could break Ruth's mark, and this isn't someone going through racial torment, which included death threats. Lets not act like this is anyway similar just because Bonds was persecuted in a similar fashion.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

You know, I wonder if Bonds will be loved more over time? He really is a once in a lifetime talent, and what he went through in a way was similar to Maris and Hank... though different circumstances.

He will. Many beloved players, Ted Williams the most prevalent, had poor reputations as active players.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

To add to the Mike Bacsik trivia, he pitched to Barry Bonds when Bonds had 755 career home runs. His father, Mike Bacsik Sr., pitched to Hank Aaron as Aaron had 755 home runs as well.

[Brett Favre]

Personally, I like Bonds more as the HR King. He did it in less games, and he's a better player than Aaron was. Yeah he took steroids, or accused or whatever, but that's still impressive.

[2GOLD]

 

Would have been better listening to it on the radio and not dealing with the crappy ESPN announcers.

[Ripper]

he might have taken something back when it wasn't against the rules for him to take it

1. There's no might. He did. That's it. There's no ambiguity here.

 

2. It was against federal law, which supersedes baseball policy.

 

 

Not to nick pick, but he never failed a drug test so there is no PROOF that he actually did anything more than what he said.

 

Did he? of course, but you can't remove the "might" because you want to.

 

And you know, alot of the substances on the Baseball banned substances list are not against federal law. In fact, most of them aren't.

 

I see it like this Bonds broke the record when he had some years where he PROBABLY was on something and hitting against pitchers who were also PROBABLY on something. he broke the record of a guy that played when taking greenies were second nature and most of the major leaguers took them. That guy beat the record of a guy who PROBABLY corked his bat for quite a while.

 

But the point is, alot of people corked their bat, and didn't come close to babes number. Alot of people took greenies and didn't come close to Aarons number. Alot of guys took various steroids and didn't come close to what Bonds has done.

 

All three did something monumental, like it or not.

[tominator89]

He didn't fail a test because they didn't exist.

 

There are documented physical changes in his body. How did they occur?

[Mik]

Very well said, Ripper.

 

That's pretty much my sentiments exactly.

 

And I will NEVER forget the game against the Astros in 2001 where Bonds got one damn pitch to see the entire game and still hit one of his later stage (68-71) HRs. I watched the entire game and saw him get 3 intentional walks and then they finally pitch to him once and BOOM...gone. That's a moment of greatness engrained in my memory forever.

[Brett Favre]

He didn't fail a test because they didn't exist.

 

There are documented physical changes in his body. How did they occur?

 

So now you're allowed to make shit up?

[tominator89]

He admitted to using "the clear" and "the cream"

[Brett Favre]

Well if they're steroids..they did exist. And if he beat the system, it's an assumption.

[Ripper]

He didn't fail a test because they didn't exist.

 

There are documented physical changes in his body. How did they occur?

 

 

I said he probably did, but once again, there is no PROOF that he did outside of guess work.

[2GOLD]

He didn't fail a test because they didn't exist.

 

There are documented physical changes in his body. How did they occur?

 

 

I said he probably did, but once again, there is no PROOF that he did outside of guess work.

 

That's always the thing Peter Gammons brings up when someone asks him about Sammy Sosa. He doesn't recall Sammy ever failing a drug test so he was always confused why people would always mention him like he failed one.

[The Man in Blak]

he might have taken something back when it wasn't against the rules for him to take it

1. There's no might. He did. That's it. There's no ambiguity here.

 

2. It was against federal law, which supersedes baseball policy.

 

Not to nick pick, but he never failed a drug test so there is no PROOF that he actually did anything more than what he said.

 

Well, not exactly.

 

Did he? of course, but you can't remove the "might" because you want to.

 

Yes, you can. He testified before a grand jury that he used the "cream" and the "clear" substances given to him by Greg Anderson, designer drugs created by BALCO. There are multiple statements made by Victor Conte and other BALCO executives throughout the investigation that Bonds was also receiving steroids from Anderson, as well as other performance enhancers.

 

If you want to question the morality of leaking the grand jury testimony to the public, go right ahead. But don't question the facts presented by the testimony itself.

 

And you know, alot of the substances on the Baseball banned substances list are not against federal law. In fact, most of them aren't.

 

What does this have to do with anything? The controversy surrounding Bonds focuses on his intake of substances that were banned by federal law - there's a federal investigation that's still ongoing, for christ's sake.

 

I see it like this Bonds broke the record when he had some years where he PROBABLY was on something and hitting against pitchers who were also PROBABLY on something. he broke the record of a guy that played when taking greenies were second nature and most of the major leaguers took them. That guy beat the record of a guy who PROBABLY corked his bat for quite a while.

 

But the point is, alot of people corked their bat, and didn't come close to babes number. Alot of people took greenies and didn't come close to Aarons number. Alot of guys took various steroids and didn't come close to what Bonds has done.

 

You're not willing to accept admission through grand jury testimony as proof that Bonds used illegal supplements, but you're willing to cast accusations on the previous record holder, simply because "people used amphetamines back then"? All while making blanket assumptions that everybody has cheated, presumably just because Jose Canseco or Jim Bouton said so?

 

All three did something monumental, like it or not.

 

I don't think there's much of a point in trying to deny the numbers - Barry Bonds has hit more home runs throughout his career than anybody else in MLB history.

 

But every event in history has a context, a story behind the words or numbers. And the story that will follow Barry Bonds is that he has hit more home runs than anybody else in MLB history while playing in one of the more fertile offensive periods in the game's history, with the assistance of illegal performance enhancing drugs. No amount of statistical adjustments or fanatical wishcasting can erase the numbers, but that doesn't mean that the accomplishment has to be celebrated, in my opinion.

[Boon]

Does anyone believe the Yankees can keep up the .750 pace they've been on since the All-Star break?

[devo]

Nah. They'll at least play well enough to win the Wild Card, though.

[Ripper]

And I will repeat:

 

I see it like this. Bonds broke the record when he had some years where he PROBABLY was on something and hitting against pitchers who were also PROBABLY on something. He broke the record of a guy that played when taking greenies were second nature and most of the major leaguers took them. That guy beat the record of a guy who PROBABLY corked his bat for quite a while.

 

 

All are accusations, none have been proven. Bonds said he took the two steroids, didn't know what they were and stopped taking them quickly. So while yes, you do have Bonds saying he took steroids, it doesn't suggest that his HRs came as a result of them or that he took them long enough to see substantial results. According to him.

 

Thats it. The accusations against bonds are just as solid as the ones that Aaron took amphetamines, and that Ruth corked his bat(alot). The federal goverment can't prove that Bonds lied on the stand, so I honestly don't see how you can be so 100% on it(I can see about 98% though).

 

No it doesn't mean you HAVE to celebrate the accomplishment. You didn't have to celebrate Aarons if you were around then either. I don't think anyone is telling you that you should.

[devo]

Rockies are crushing the Brewers right now 16-2. What the hell is going on in Milwaukee?

[Guest Soriano's Torn Quad]

Oh, fuck it. I give up.

[World's Worst Man]

So I look at my fantasy team and I'm all "God damn, Atkins is a beast" and then I remember I started Gallardo today. That's quite the pitching line - 2.2 IP, 12 H, 3 BB, 1 K, 37.13/5.63/0.33. I always seem to start that fucking guy when he gets smashed, and he's on my bench when he throws a gem.

[Bruiser Chong]

Felix Pie will begin his third stint in the Majors tonight, as Angel Pagan has been shelved with an oblique injury.

 

The NL Central's starting to look like an 83-win division again.

[vivalaultra]

The NL Central's starting to look like an 83-win division again.

 

If that's the case...

 

ONLY 33 WINS TO GO!!!!!! I STILL BEEE-LIEEVE!!!!!!!

 

If that's not the case....

 

Congratulations to Ryan Braun on your NLCS MVP award.

[Bruiser Chong]

I guess it's not his oblique, it's colitis. Ew.

 

Word is the Cubs have claimed Shannon Stewart off of waivers.

[Guest Soriano's Torn Quad]

Felix Pie will begin his third stint in the Majors tonight, as Angel Pagan has been shelved with an oblique injury.

No, it's an inflamed ass.

 

Shannon Stewart? No way! Now we just need Torii Hunter and we can reunite the Minnesota Twins' outfield!

[Smartly Pretty]

I'm trying to think of a Kirby Puckett joke. I'll get back to you on that.