Let's get something straight here, folks. For those who don't remember, Mr. Bud Selig was in command during the '94 strike, the subsuquent home run explosion of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa in '98, and everything since. Blame Barry if you must, but the fact of the matter is that Selig and his cronies allowed all of this to go on. And in a fitting display, Selig had his hands in his pockets when Bonds hit #755. No one should be surprised by this. It's the same place his hands were when all of this started. Same s***, different year.
Glad you a-holes ran Faye Vincent out of office.
How does that egg taste, Bud? Get used to it. There's lots more where that came from.
Its all about markteting and it comes back to haunt them, cry cry but Barry Bonds is the best player that ever picked up a baseball bat, just not the nicest!
Wham, blam, crunch, zowie, kerplunk...Ricko...way to go. Selig is a #### (or at least that face lends credence) and should be held accountable for his term as commissioner...and I think he will. John Kruk commented last night about how history will view Bud Selig for not being in attendance when Bonds assumed the record. Nobody will have to worry about that. His legacy is already so tainted that his non-attendance will be far down the list. Nice job. Like a dry heat this is in his face.
Rev-Not burying Barry's merry merits at all. I think it's rather funny that Selig is squirming. What a stooge. Which I said all along.
Vearl-What I'm saying is that after the strike, MLB was in trouble. The '98 "Home Run Derby" brought people back. And the powers-that-were let it happen, even though they knew it was artificial. Selig said in a USA Today interview (I think) in '95 that there was a major steroid problem that needed to be addressed. Was it?
And here he is, many years later, reaping what he sowed. I think it's the ultimate in irony that he barely acknowledges the accomplishment. You can't have it both ways, Bud. Not to worry, though. It's not like it was a big deal or anything, Bud.
Ricko, I wouldnt go as far as to say that he isnt even close to being the best of all time. He is a seven time MVP, eight time gold glover and the most prolific home run hitter of all time. Yes he is/was a steroid user and not the nicest guy, but when you really let his numbers soak in you realize just hw staggering they are. His current colleagues consistently say the same thing: People that have not been in the bigs dont realize how rediculous his achievments are.
Bonds is a steroid user, but we are currently in the steroid era. That doesnt make what he did any better, but it does tell you that while he has an advantage that players like Hammerin Hank may not have had, so does his competition.
Congrats Barry.
Ricko I'm with you 100 per cent on Selig, and the position he has placed MLB in. But that being said I still believe it doesn't give the players an excuse for taking steriods. The 80's through to who knows when, are tainted. Heck guys who just started like Ryan Howard who could be playing til 2020 will be under the microscope. That's on the players as well, not just the higher ups.
Bonds' comparables at age 32 (Click here and go near the bottom of the page, and click the 'C' at the end of the far-right column that has a numbered list from 22 to 41):
Duke Snider
Jim Thome
Frank Robinson
Willie Mays
Sammy Sosa
Ralph Kiner
Shawn Green
Juan Gonzalez
Reggie Jackson
Jeff Bagwell
That's before his alleged steroid use.
He was legendary. And he is legendary. And he will always be legendary.
Shooter-Barry was and would have been great, no doubt. I think we all agree on that. As for his personality, he played here at ASU, and is probably the only Sun Devil that is not revered in these parts. And that was true ten years ago. He hasn't done himself any favors, no doubt.
chitown-Be careful when listing MVPs or Gold Gloves. They are awards that are voted on. Can you tell me with a straight face that he was the best left fielder in the league eight times? Please.
And I am not saying Barry is not a great player. Please don' take it that way. My main contention was not to bash him, but rather switch the target of all this criticism squarely where it should be aimed-at Major League Baseball.
Ultra-I've researched this issue way more than you have over the last year, believe me. And I've done it with an eye on objectiveness. I don't need you telling me what conclusion I should draw.
You have definitely researched more than I have. And you're definitely more objective than me.
Who was I to have thought otherwise? Who was I to question the great Ricko, knower of all things to know -- inventor of knowledge? You taught Aristotle and Plato and Socrates. You were there when Sabin developed the cure for Polio.
Oh wait, no... you didn't. You're just some guy with a computer and an Internet connection. You don't even have a working calculator. You're a fraud.
Go get a protractor, then come back and talk a big game.
Selig is as much to blame as anyone for allowing it to happen for all these years. Everyone's child hood heroes in baseball probably took them. At least, Bonds was a Hall of Famer before the steroid use.
Reeky: I am in complete agreement with you. Blogger bashers and media bashers alike have it in for Bonds AND nothing is proven yet. I'll change my thinking once he is PROVEN guilty, til then......
And what the f... is with you Ultra, you have to start something all the time,just cause you can?
Okay Ultra, I'll admit the "research" comment was a bit tacky. But at least it's a vein you're familiar with.
But I gotta tell ya, the words "fraud" and "humble" coming from you are rather funny, in an ironic sort of way. Well, at least to me. I can't speak for everyone.
Ricko, as usual you offer the fun way, the right way, the normal way of looking at things. I have a deep respect for your stuff, as I do for most people. Just keep going
the part I liked ricko was how Ultra said you were just a fraud with an internet connection and a computer. Kind of smacked himself in the face with that one...lol.
We can blame Selig as much as the players themselves. Both are at fault for not doing the RIGHT thing on this.
We can all be rest assured that there are absolutely no leaders in the MLB. Player or management wise. Just a large herd of buffalo following the lead buffalo in the herd. Not sure ever where it is going just running all together toward oblivion.
I'm not a fan of baseball, never have been, but if I were to find out that Michael Jordan used steroids to help him win his 6 NBA championships and become the greatest player of all time I would be devastated.
The entire game of basketball would have an asterisk next to it.
No doubt Ricko... Baseball had been struggling since the strike, and the Mac/Sosa home run chase was what helped get the fans back... so why shouldn't he keep his hands in his pockets then, as he did the other day?
Berry used drugs to get his home runs. Ruth and Hank did not. Berry is a cheat and should not have those home runs in the record book. Bonds is not a good exsample for kids see because it tell are kids it is ok to use drugs and cheat.
Last edited by leeschemehorn on August 8th at 8:41 AM.
Ultra, you said "Sabin developed the cure for Polio".
That wasn't a cure, it was a vaccine. To prevent polio, not cure it. There's no cure for polio, just a prevention, and it's still around. The only reason why I bring this up is because you slammed Ricko and in trying to impress everyone, came out looking like a schmuck.
We get it...you like Bonds and you dont think he cheated. Most people dont agree with you but nearly all of us dont want to debate it with you. It serves no point.
Nice post Ricko..baseball lost me during the strike.
ricko
The Bonds bashing won't ever stop as the fans who supposedly care feel that they've been cheated. When I feel however that they should be showing their indifference and addressing their anger at Selig and his damn cronies. They're the one who've led the game with their obious greed and lack of moral terpitude. Now acting all pious on his path by Selig certainly won't turn back the hands of time. The guy has been a complete jacka*s throughout his entire tenureship of the MLB.
See, all this discussion here is quite interesting. It has gone on forever, and will continue. Exactly the epicenter of the problem I'm getting at: Selig could have prevented most if not all of this, but chose not to.
Thanks Bud. You may have others fooled into thinking you're a bit upset by this whole thing, but a lot of us know better. How much fun is it paying off that debt you incurred in your deal with the devil?
As for Ultra, we came to the conclusion long ago that we're simply not going to see eye-to-eye very often, so now we just insult each other. It's actually quite fun. Provided I don't go too fast for him, of course. I hate it when I lose him . . .
Agreed, Selig isn't in much of a position to be very critical of what happened in the recent past, particularly since it happened under his watch. What he is in a position to do is seriously deal with how the sport moves forward and handles this issue in the future. Unfortunately, Congressional grandstanding aside, I don't think much of that is happening at the moment. But I think that's just Bud being Bud.
Regarding Bonds, I decided some while back to focus on what's happening in between the lines and let others continue the debate about the off-field stuff. I think I'll have a post on that very thing up in a few minutes.
Ricko, I'm going to arrest you for having an opinion that runs contrary to mine, and then I'm going to put you before a kangaroo court. Since I appoint all of the members of the court, they're all going to rule against you, and I'm going to have you locked up for as long as I want. And I'm going to torture you and brainwash you.
Thanks Nooch. I realize I was probably a little harsh towards Selig and MLB, but they ruined what was once the greatest game in the world, in my opinion. Regardless of how much baseball I watch and how much it interests me, I doubt it'll ever be the same.
ricko, this is pure blog gold, you're right Selig, the owners, the teams and players are collectively to blame for doing jacksquat to fix this mess. Every hoary rationalization in the world is trotted out, innocent until proven guilty, that's like saying you need a thermometer to tell if your house is on fire.
Ricko, nice write.
I agree that Selig played a major part in the state of baseball and the way it is today but, isn't there a players union that that needs to have a good portion of the blame also?
Oh yeah...you gotta come up with a fourth, I scratched Ultra.....
Gotcha...so it's Bud's fault Barry made the CHOICE to roid it up. I love it when it's always someone elses fault for people making dumb decisions.
With that being said, I don't like Selig any more than anyone else. You're right Ricko...he has ALLOWED this to go on for far too long. However, Bud didn't force those roids upon Barry either. They're both jack-a's.
I have a great idea to end much of this controversy.
1. Bonds retires from baseball as a player
2. Selig retires as commissoner
3. Bonds becomes new commish and straightens out the whole 'steriods in baseball' mess
4. The sports journalists have a field day with the transition of above events
The issue with Selig is that he was just a lap dog to the players union. They are the ones that resisted the drug testing. So Selig, he that suffers from the affliction of vertebraeus minimus, let the union walk all over the game. Couldn't have another lost season, or World Series on his watch. No siree Sponge Bob. Let'em roid away.
Ricko, I so agree with you about Bud Selig and his toadies. Bud Selig is the man who ruined
"America's past-time," by allowing the escalated use of steroids, with punishments that don't even amount to slaps on the wrist for these wealthy and juiced athletes.
Selig created an atmosphere in which Bonds could easily use steroids. I would even go so far to say, though I of course have no personal proof, that Selig wanted players to use steroids in order to jack up the statistics and breaking of milestone records, in order to promote a game that was becoming boring for lack of runs. Now its jujst boring for lack of meaning, because everything is juiced--or could be. Who knows with Selig covering everything up?
Irregardless, I still blame Barry Bonds, since
Selig didn't ram the steroids down his throat, and Barry is a grown man. Ok retract that last sentence. He's supposed to be a grown man.
Furthermore, I will continue to bash Bonds, because he just gives us so much to bash. Like going after those reporters in the press conference after he and his steroids hit 756 and supposely broke Aaron's record.
Spent half my life in North Dakota. The other half, so far, in the Valley of the Sun. As a kid, I was always playing, watching, reading, or writing about sports. I lost most of the "playing" along the way, but the rest remains the same. I pledge to refrain from commenting on a blog unless I've read it in its entirety. If I have time, of course.
Carry on.
Email address: rickoblog@ear thlink.net
