Firing One Up: Barry's 756
For all of those that say Bonds is completely clean or is NOW! How does his foot, and head size increase in his LATE 30s and early 40s? It is not a normal activity. Also, its a matter of psyche. If a player hits 73 (or whatever the record for a year is now) then pitchers are going to pitch him differently in the next year. Yes anyone can make the argument that contact and recognition cannot be gained from the use of HGH or annabolic steriods, but that contact and recognition translates into balls flying over fences is insane.
Take Brady Anderson. There should be little argument that Anderson's 50 HR year of 1996 was suspicious. He hit only 11 HR in his first four seasons, although he averaged about 250 ABs a season. THen in 1993, he hit 21 in 650 ABs. That was easily his finest season until 1996. Two years after the strike shorted season of 1994, he hit 50 HR in 570 ABs. WHY? HOW? For a deadpull hitter to yank so many out only once in his career, while being around 20 for the rest of his career. In 1992, Camden Yards did open and Anderson's HR totals jumped from 2 the previous year to 21. Jim Palmer has been quoted in ESPN TV shows that Brady was juicing. Although he struck out around 100 times annually, he also walked nearly 85 times too. Although Barry never has K'd 100 times, numbers closer to 80, he always had same if not more walk numbers. But Bonds walked intentionally nearly ten -fifteen times more than Brady.
My point is that yes Bonds is a great hitter with recognition speed, defense, and contact, but he increased his annual HR average of 40 to 73 in 2001. Does that increase the echo of Brady Anderson? Pac Bell Ballpark opened in 2000, receiving rave reviews, but concerns about the RF porch. It should have been harder for Bonds or any lefty to hit homers to RF. Yet, Bonds HRs increased with the new ballpark.
My philosophy is once you CHEAT, then you are out. You do not get to keep records, you do not get to take your team to the post-season and nearly win the World's Series in 2002. Pete Rose cheated by gambling and it tarnishes the game in the same way the strike did in '94. He was kicked out. Why does Bonds get more chances? Is it because he is from California, largest state in population? Is it because he plays in San Francisco, neighboring Nancy Pelosi's district, which also legalized MARIJUANA? There is something seriously wrong with Americans that want to ignore when someone cheats, steals, and tarnishes one of our nation's most herald pastimes. Is Barry's situation a more larger problem that the morales of our nation have become so easy that cheaters are still revered as heroes?
John Rocker
The Aftermath
2 comments:
so are guys like gaylord perry, whitey ford, and don sutton not cheaters? or ty cobb?
To answer the question of CJM06 concerning Ford, Perry, Sutton and Cobb, ARE you Serious? Cobb hit 117 HR with a career average of .366. He played in the deadball era where they took trains from stadium to stadium. OK, Cobb was a mean dirty player but he came from an era in which it was ok to jump into the stands a create a brawl. In the NBA players were suspended for a season. As Sporting News has stated, Babe Ruth challenged Ty Cobb to a fight because Cobb was vocal about Ruth's "get as much as you can get" stance. Cobb was vicious in how he played the game but he did play the game.
As for the pitchers, are you crazy. Ford I don't even know what you are referencing, maaybe some Yankee conspiracy by a former NY Giants fan. Sutton again, what? Perry probably got into trouble for a palmball scandel or some sort of lube or something. It was probably a compliment the lowering of the pitching mound in 1969. THe statistics of Perry pprior to '69 were far better than the subsequent years, although non were too bad for the legendary arm.
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