to those who booed, catcalled, and thumbs-downed barry when he came to bat at chavez ravine last week, that is your right.  to those who throw things at him, that is going too far.\n\nhe has become the most polarizing player in baseball due to his alleged use of steroids, and his attitude about those allegations.  it's easy to hate the enemy.  if he were traded to YOUR team tomorrow, you'd welcome him with open arms.  you WOULD, wouldn't you?\n\nhow would you (wouldn't you?) explain to your kids that the man you loved to denigrate is now someone to cheer?  would they "buy it"?
135685
Good question Patz!:)\n\nI know near to nothing about baseball but like your idea for this question!\n\nLet's say we're talking about football(soccer): I don't change my mind about a player's behavior unless he changes his behavior,not the team he is playing at,even if it happens to be my favorite one! I can say:this guy is a great player,but I have no respect for him as a man!\n\nAnd I very much prefer a good man who doesn't play that much than a football genius who's not worth a cent as a man.
244361
First, until you can prove that Barry took steroids or until anyone for that matter comes up with concrete evidence, facts, receipts or whatever that he bought them and took them then get off his back.  Don't believe everything you read and I wouldn't take Jose Canseco's word if you paid me and I sure ain't going to believe what I read in a book with no factual evidence beyond someone heard this from someone else that he took steroids.  It hasn't been proven yet that Barry knowingly took steroids and he admitted to unknowingly taking the cream and the clear which was given to him in a flax seed oil bottle so he doesn't have a problem admitting something cause he admitted to doing that.  The problem is since he is not approachable that the public hates him, maybe he's a private person and wants to be left alone by the media cause he knows they twist everything, personally I like the guy and I'm pulling for him to break the records cause he's a great hitter with great reflexes, steroids don't improve your reflexes or your skill with the bat, just your strength so he's still a prolific hitter with amazing unheard of stats like OBP and slugging percentage.  Giambi, he was honest so that's that, he admitted to taking them and said he was sorry, doesn't forgive everything but I was never a fan of his back when he played with Oakland so it didn't matter to me either way.  But don't be hard on someone like Barry with no facts and then love someone who admitted to taking them and had facts to back it up in Giambi. Go Bonds!!
296068
Yeah, lay off Barry Bonds!!!\n\nGo Barry Go!!!!!!
246627
i dont think barry bonds ever deserved to break a record.  ever since he got into the big leagues he has been nothing but a negative role model.  his attitude towards the fans, media, and his teammates is terrible.  records should be broken with class, not with selfishness.
278827
You betcha, my friend--sitting in upper reserved, section 327, with a perfect view.  Beautiful day by the bay, not much wind, and every other hard-hit ball to center died before it got anywhere today--which is why we knew Barry's shot was heading out: it was still rising over right-center.  But as with everything in baseball, you need context: Byung-Yung Kim owned the Giants today.  It was 6-0 Rockies when Bonds came up, and there were already 2 out, with Steve Finley on first.  Kim had walked Bonds his first AB, but with a 6 run lead he looked like he was going after him.  Count went full, and we all thought, here comes another walk....The other remarkable thing was that during each pitch there was almost total silence in the yard--nobody was cheering, everybody went quiet, like they didn't want any distractions.  Never heard anything like it...And then of course all hell broke loose when he hit it.  Some guy in the right-center bleachers had a glove on it and misplayed it, and the ball dropped over the side of the section onto the concessions below.  And some other guy who was in line for a beer saw it rolling his way and picked it up.  (True!)\n\nI know there's going to be a lot of screaming about steroids, and cheating, and racism, and asterisks, and who was better, and why, and bla bla bla....You know what?  I don't think there's a sports record you couldn't taint if you looked close enough.  To me, it's about the drama of the moment, and this one had it.  Lucky to be there.  (But glad it's over....oh, and the Rockies won anyway....)\n\nP.S.: I'm with you on the steroids thing.  Strength is fine, but as anyone who's ever hit a baseball knows, a half inch either way on the bat, and you have either a very strong popup or a very strong ground ball.  The reason hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports is because the hitter has exactly half a second from the time the ball is released to decide where it's going, and whether to swing or not--and if you do swing, you're as likely to miss as to hit, and if you do hit, 7 out of 10 times you'll be out.  Steroids may give you bulk, but they don't give you eyesight or bat speed.  Not that I'm saying Bonds--or anyone else who ever played the game--is totally clean.  But I just think the effect of steroids on home runs is overrated.\n\nAs for unfair comparisons: how many home runs would Babe Ruth have hit if he'd had to play against pitchers like Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, Dave Stewart, Pedro Martinez, Dontrelle Willis...?\n\nP.P.S:  Aaron's record is safe.  Watched Bonds' play in left decline enough to know: his knees won't carry him the 3 seasons he'd need now to reach 755.
250990
Why do you say he's no good?  Did he just make a bad call?  or was it just a call that went against your team.  Act like an adult and don't be stupid.  You have to realize that no matter what you "think" you see in terms of him "missing" a call, you're going to be biased towards your own team.  If he's just a bad umpire, remember he's making bad calls all around, so it's affecting both teams equally.
442664
Everyone is bringing up steroids; I don't care if he used them or not - he's NOT a Hall of Famer.\n\nHis numbers just aren't there; this is the "Hall of Fame" - not the "Hall of Guys who were fairly good at ONE aspect of a game when there's '5 Tools' behind true greatness."\n\nTo me, Big Mac had TWO "HOF" caliber seasons; 1996 and 1998. The guy played 15 years and all he could muster was ONE season over .300 in which he played over 90 games.\n\n.300 is the mark of a 'good' hitter; not even great. Big Mac has a career average of .263; that's average-to-below-average; Big Mac was a BELOW AVERAGE contact-hitter - playing a position that wasn't at a premium defensively - that almost makes him a liability.\n\n583 - his homerun total - is impressive. Very good. Prodigal; even. As is his 10.6 At Bats per Home Run(good for best all time).\n\nBut his strikeout totals are pretty 'impressive' too; if you like big numbers. He's 23rd all-time(1596). Which doesn't contrast very nicely with the fact that he isn't in the Top 100 for all-time at-bats - I don't know what he ranks in that; only that it's over 1500 less than the guy who is 100th (Bid McPhee, 8291). What I'm getting at: He strikes out too much to be a hall of famer.\n\nSo, he strikes out too much; he doesn't hit for average. He's not even top 5 in home runs - but that's not the worst of it.\n\nHe's a choker. He has a .217 career average in the post-season. His prodigal power becomes timid in the post season; 5 HRs in 129 ABs. That's ONE homerun for every 25.8 at-bats; Which is rather pedestrain. So, Big Mac turns into a Kid's Meal under pressure. Hall of Fame? Pshaw - David Eckstein is more of a HOFer once October rolls around. This is a guy they needed to count on; he was a key part of the batting order; called upon to produce - he didn't.\n\nYou want to enshrine someone who lived and died(judging by his Batting Average and Strike Outs, mostly died) by the Home Run - an overrated statistic, if you ask me - who can't buy a hit in the post season - into the Hall.\n\nNo; just no.
467028
Pretty bad Job? Who the heck else was there? Carpenter? he was not as impressive as his year he won the cy young, and was never dominant and the Cy Young should be Dominant. Zambrano was dominant, but tailed off badly towards end of year. Hoffman was a joke, i dont care what his numbers say, i saw 3 seperate savesthat he blew in spectacular fashion by giving up Home runs to opposing batters, in one game against the dodgers he gave up back to back shots lol, Rivera has never won a Cy young, so theres no way on gods green earth Hoffman deserves one this year or any other year he's had. Glavine was very good, but again, not dominant. and Billy Wagner, gimme a break. Webb wasnt dominant either, but he really did seem to be the best  in the NL in a year where pitching was down in BOTH leagues. it was REALLY slim pickings this year in NL and AL.. Webb was a stretch, but if you look at the numbers, he really was the most consistent of what was out there over entire year\n\nI_love_\n\nThats Bull! sticking around long enough to become all time saves leader speaks to nothing more than longevity. The guy hoffman took that record from was Lee Smith. Is Lee Smith because he had that record the best reliever ever? if you say yes, then youre clueless. smith got that saves record for same reason Hoffman got it, they were around for so long ad averaged 30 plus saves a year. I dont question whether Hoffman has had a year he deserved the Cy young, in 98 he could have gotten it, but even then he Blew the biggest save of his Life to that point.. and then DESPITE his numbers, i watched him have sum of the most horrific blown saves i have ever seen, IN THIS YEAR ALONE` 4 come to mind!!  Hoffman hasnt been a dominant pitcher in a looong time and he didnt deserve it this year.. Webb got it by default because there was noone else ...maybe Carpenter, but thats it. \n\n\nAnd as for Rivera, he should have won in in 2005 , he was best pitcher in the AL, but AGAIN! the writers and their bs about giving the CY Young to a Reliever give it to Bartolo Colon ONLY because he won 20 games, with a near 4 era. im use to Relievers getting screwed for the Cy Young award. in NL and AL.. but Ive seen Hoffman in more big games than any hoffman fan wants to admit, gag like a mutt giving up HRs, not singles, or humpback liners, HOME RUNS!. Hoffman has ZERO argument
189155
I agree with Jon. Everyone hates the Astros, I love them, every  night I sit waiting for a segment of the Astros dominating vicory, then only to be put down by the stupid people at espn. If the Astros win it all this year, which the will, nobody will care except the local media. To this I am disapointed
601764
He is a hell of a ball player!  No one is worth that much money though.  He could make millions less and still be a happy and talented ball player.  The money that he is being paid and has been paid sets him up for public scrutiny.  If he is not perfect the critics will be after him.  No one can be perfect as a field player in baseball.  I am not a Yankees fan!  But much respect for them and their long standing traditions.   Go Astros!
534703
Funny thing is, the Chargers hired a shrink for an evaluation, and the shrink said, "uhm yeah, this guy's a loose cannon, and has the emotional maturity of a toddler.  Prognosis: don't draft."  \n\nWell, they did anyway, and w/in 2 days of camp, the entire team hated his egotistical chump @ss.  \n\ngianormous waste of talent, but there were plenty of signs that said he wouldn't pan out....just, nobody paid any attention to them.
269721
in sports there is never a good reason to give some one a cheap shot. and thats what it was. if he cant take getting hit, retire or move positions cause that happens when you catch. it has happened to aj before and for that fact almost every catcher in the majors and while i have seen them get in each others face but very rarily thrown a punch. its bush league on barretts part. everybody said it was cause aj slammed his hand on the plate barrett said he didnt even see him do that. so he is the punk ass
116718
I've been an avid Reds fan since the days of Pete Rose, Johnny Bench and the Big Red Machine.  What MLB is doing to Rose tears me up inside, it is so wrong.\n\nAs for Pena and Arroyo, I think it is a good trade for the Reds.  Pena was a work in progress.  He will be great one day.  For now, the Reds really needed starting pitching.  Arroyo will probably be the No. 2.  The Reds needed to trade someone.  I just feel kinda bad for Wily Mo.  It looked like he would finally get a chance to play every day but now on the Red Sox, he will play behind Trot Nixon.
252937
Canseco got what he had coming. I used to be a big fan of his. I am from Cincinnati but I rooted for the A's in the 90 world series against the Reds because I liked Canseco, McGuire, Dave Stewart and others so much but I fell out of favor with those guys. I would never deny a 12 year old kid my autograph. Jose is a dick and that's why he's poor and has to scrum off of his brother Ozzie now, even though he's broke too!!
580524
It was very amusing. In fact it made me laugh my a$$ off. Remember though, for all his theatrics he did not bump, touch, or physically make contact with an umpire. Nor did he throw anything at an umpire. It was really more show than harmful. \n\nBasically he performed a montage of Managers anger at umpires greatest hits incorporating scenes from past arguments from experts like Lou Pinella, Billy Martin, and Larry Bowa... \n\nHe probaqbly doesn't even deserve his one week suspension, but because of the widespread play of it, they had very little choice.\n\nIMHO his comments after the game about how terrible the umpires are was a worse crime than his heat of the moment theatrics on the field.
93173
I'm with you.  He's a spoiled rotten jerk and I'm tired of hearing about him.  If you haven't read the Sports Illustrated steroid issue about him, it's very telling.  Especially entertaining was listening to him bellyache about racism.  Here's hoping he doesn't break the record of Hank Aaron, who's a hero and went thru HELL to get there!
574027
only for the right price,\n\nhe's getting older, still a only a so-so fielder, and strikes out too much...\n\ndont get me wrong, i still think it would be great to have him, but not for the whole farm...