Why I hate Barry Bonds, reason #642….
August 12th, 2007 by Gonzo
Actually, it’s more like reason #1. Yes, the whole steriod thing is pretty high on the list, but by far the biggest reason I’m such a hater is this:
http://www.timesonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18690364&BRD=2305&PAG=461&dept_id=478568&rfi=6
Guy can’t even sign an autograph or two for a memoriam/fundraiser for two Pirate employees, two guys he knew pretty well from his 7 years there…
Now in today’s warped society, I might be inclined to be skeptical of autograph situtatoins, where a broker of some sort bribes a kid to approach an athlete and ask for an autograph, athlete signs it thinking it’s for the kid, then the guy gets it, turns around and sells it.
But CLEARLY this is not the case, yet Bonds won’t sign anyway. Fucking dickhead….
August 12th, 2007 at 8:55 pm
Without question, a first-ballot Hall of Famer. A legitimate argument to be made as the best hitter ever. But man, what a shitty excuse for a human being.
August 12th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
Best “hitter” ever is an interesting debate - Musial, Gwynn, Cobb, Wagner, Williams, Greenberg, Mantle, Gehring, Aaron, Bonds, Mays and Ruth (among others) can lay claim to that statement, IMHO. If we’re talking best all around offensive talent, then it’s pretty hard to ignore Bonds’s being the only member in the 500-500 (HR-SB) club, not to mention he was an excellent OF. At least until his head/body expanded exponentially since ‘01
However, if we are talking about best ALL AROUND/MOST TALENTED player ever, there is Ruth, and then everyone else - he HR’d several TEAMS during his heyday and of course, his pitching prowess makes him second to none, IMHO…
August 14th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
Gonzo, you ignorant slut. One often includes the person with the most X when talking about the greatest X’ers of all time.
It’s Pete Rose, hands down in my book (shocking, I know). And gambling when he was a manager didn’t inflate the numbers one bit. C’mon. Gwynn makes your list? Are you gay for dingers, too? Hitters, now power hitters… WTF?
August 15th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Wow… BA, you should really stop drinking prior to posting. You make Gonzo look like Einstein with assertions like “Pete Rose is the best hitter of all time”. It is certainly accurate to state “Pete Rose has the most hits of all-time”, just like it’s accurate to state “Pete Rose is the biggest dirtbag of all-time”. But to stretch that to “best hitter”? I mean… I’m speechless.
Okay, I’ve caught my breath again. For that that aren’t aware, in addition to having the most hits, Pete Rose is also #1 all-time in games played, plate appearances, and at-bats. He should be lauded for these accomplishments, don’t get me wrong - but they indicate nothing more than “most durable of all-time”… as well as “lucky to have not played during any wars… all-time”. And they provide ample context for his ability to end up with the most hits of all-time, and explain why he’s clearly not the best hitter of all-time.
Most reasonable (i.e. sober) people can agree that with some reasonable minimum in place (call it 10, 12 or 15 seasons… or 5000, 7500, or 10,000 plate appearances), determining “best hitter” should be an analysis of *rate* statistics. So… let’s take a look. Rose’s career BA is .303. For comparison, Tony Gwynn’s career BA is .338. Um… if I need a basehit, I think I’d rather have Tony Gwynn at the plate (among a calvery of others) than Dirtbag… er, Pete Rose. Actually, let me provide some even better perspective: Pete Rose has the same career batting average as Mike Greenwell. Look it up. Then tell me again how Greenwell… er, Rose is the best hitter of all-time.
Rose’s career OPS is 784 (OPS+ of 118). Tony Gwynn’s OPS+ is 132. I won’t further embarass Rose by comparing him to the countless other all-time players that are head-and-shoulders above him in the hitting department - not cuz I’m concerned with his (or BA’s) feelings, but just cuz… well, I’ve got better things to do.
Put another way, in BA’s world, Phil Niekro is a better pitcher than Pedro Martinez and Sandy Koufax cuz he had far more career wins. Um… yeah. Gotcha. Have another shot of the Makers, my friend. Actually, better make it a double… rather than risk sobriety and the start realization that you’ve (again) made an utter ass of yourself.
August 15th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
Let’s not let statistics or lies or damn lies get in the way of my argument here. If I favored longevity and durability too much (and was a complete and total homer), then Gonzo favored power too much with his list. I took the opportunity to call him an ignorant slut. Know anything about that tantalizing and oft low-hanging fruit?
As the two of us have been mercifully spared the ravages of intelligence, I can only say thank you Cliffy, for showing us the way. Your wisdom on these matters is a beacon in an otherwise dull and pedestrian haze of an existence. I shall indeed pour myself another brown (Jack this time), and await your liver lashings upon my arrival in Mecca.