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Barry Bonds

IcebergSlim said:
ill be glad to see him break the record. 1st hank aaron had to deal with death threats from all the racist baseball fans, now bonds has to deal with this hate because of steroids. i didnt know steroids improve your hand-eye cordination n' help you to read pitches.

bonds can hit bottom line, and he reached 755 and counting. i loved his face after he hit 755 as he was watching it soar out the park.... he was like yeaaaahhhh kiss my ass!!! lol ... do your thing barry, let the haters do their job.
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no, but this does:

040417_barry_bonds_hmed_5p.h2.jpg


He's practically a cyborg.



Barry Bonds' HR Record Tainted by Elbow 'Armor'?
By Michael Witte

Published: August 06, 2007 10:45 AM

NEW YORK (Commentary) Beyond his alleged steroid use, Barry Bonds is guilty of the use of something that confers extraordinarily unfair mechanical advantage: the “armor” that he wears on his right elbow. Amid the press frenzy over Bonds’ unnatural bulk, the true role of the object on his right arm has simply gone unnoticed.

This is unfortunate, because by my estimate, Bonds’ front arm “armor” may have contributed no fewer than 75 to 100 home runs to his already steroid-questionable total.
Bonds tied Henry Aaron’s home run record of 755 on Saturday night and will go for the new standard this week back at home in San Francisco.

As a student of baseball – and currently a mechanics consultant to a major league baseball team -- I believe I have insight into the Bonds "achievement." I have studied his swing countless times on video and examined the mechanical gear closely through photographs.

For years, sportswriters remarked that his massive "protective" gear – unequaled in all of baseball -- permits Bonds to lean over the plate without fear of being hit by a pitch. Thus situated, Bonds can handle the outside pitch (where most pitchers live) unusually well. This is unfair advantage enough, but no longer controversial. However, it is only one of at least seven (largely unexplored) advantages conferred by the apparatus.

The other six:

1) The apparatus is hinged at the elbow. It is a literal "hitting machine" that allows Bonds to release his front arm on the same plane during every swing. It largely accounts for the seemingly magical consistency of every Bonds stroke.

2) The apparatus locks at the elbow when the lead arm is fully elongated because of a small flap at the top of the bottom section that fits into a groove in the bottom of the top section. The locked arm forms a rigid front arm fulcrum that allows extraordinary, maximally efficient explosion of the levers of Bonds' wrists. Bonds hands are quicker than those of average hitters because of his mechanical "assistant."

3) When Bonds swings, the weight of the apparatus helps to seal his inner upper arm to his torso at impact. Thus "connected," he automatically hits the ball with the weight of his entire body - not just his arms - as average hitters ("extending") tend to do.

4) Bonds has performed less well in Home Run Derbies than one might expect because he has no excuse to wear a "protector" facing a batting practice pitcher. As he tires, his front arm elbow tends to lift and he swings under the ball, producing towering pop flies or topspin liners that stay in the park. When the apparatus is worn, its weight keeps his elbow down and he drives the ball with backspin.

5) Bonds enjoys quicker access to the inside pitch than average hitters because his "assistant" - counter-intuitively - allows him to turn more rapidly. Everyone understands that skaters accelerate their spins by pulling their arms into their torsos, closer to their axes of rotation. When Bonds is confronted with an inside pitch, he spins like a skater because his upper front arm is "assistant"-sealed tightly against the side of his chest.

6) At impact, Bonds has additional mass (the weight of his "assistant") not available to the average hitter. The combined weight of "assistant" and bat is probably equal to the weight of the lumber wielded by Babe Ruth but with more manageable weight distribution.

At the moment, Bonds' apparatus enjoys "grandfathered" status. Similar devices are presently denied to average
major leaguers, who must present evidence of injury before receiving an exemption.

Bonds has worn some sort of front arm protection since 1992. In '94, a one-piece forearm guard was replaced by a jointed, two piece elbow model. In ‘95 it got bigger and a small "cap" on the elbow was replaced by a "flap" that overlapped the upper piece and locked the two pieces together when the arm was elongated. In '96, the "apparatus" grew even larger and so did the "flap."

It seems to have remained relatively the same until -- interestingly— 2001, the year of his record 73 home runs, when an advanced model appeared made (apparently) of a new material. It had softer edges and a groove for the flap to slip into automatically at full arm elongation. More important, the upper half of the machine was sculpted to conform more comfortably to the contours of Bonds' upper arm. Since 2001, the apparatus seems to have remained relatively unchanged.

Several years back, baseball was rightfully scandalized by the revelation that Sammy Sosa had "corked" his bat. The advantages conferred by the Bonds "hitting machine," however, far exceed anything supplied by cork. Ultimately, it appears the Bonds "achievement” must be regarded as partly the product of “double duplicity" -- steroidal and mechanical.
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^ you know whats funny, ive been a strong UNsupporter of all the armor shit since the beginning. i remember a long time ago on either espn or while i was watching a game or something of the like where a commentator mentioned it too and i finally was able to say that it wasnt just me. i hate the fact that almost every batter nowadays comes to the plate with practically a full body suit on. shin guards, elbow pads, etc. what the hell happened to the days when men played this sport? i know nobody wants to get hit by a 98 mph fastball, but come on. they could take it in the old days why are they becoming such pussies now?
 
This isn't the first time I've heard someone say those massive arm guards give hitters unfair advantages, though that article went to a whole 'nother level. I've always found them ridiculous, too. The player I always thought benefited the most from wearing one was Craig Biggio. Biggio can thank his arm guard for being second all-time in HBPs.

I understand a player wearing some sort of elbow/arm/shin/foot/etc protection if they are recovering from an injury to one of those parts, but if you're going to use some sort of body guard on a consistent base, don't make it unnecessarily big.
 
I've never liked Bonds as a person. I was on the side of Griffey Jr. during the great '90s debate of who was the best all-around player. I'm not a Giants fan at all either.

but I want to see him hit it because it's something to watch in sports...something you don't see every day...and something to remember.

And YES I just saw him do it!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA

I love when timing works out like that. :D

Congrats Barry...you are the new home run king.
 
Perfect timing, LapDawg.

I didn't see him hit the HR, but I'll watch a clip later. Hopefully now that Bonds has gotten 756 out of the way, we won't have to hear about him every second.
 
i actually cant honestly say that bonds didnt handle this one too well either. number 755 annoyed me because he was so cocky when he hit it. 756 though, i could see the relief, excitement, joy, etc. i think he was much more dignified tonight than the other night.

and yes, i do think he's a prick, but even i have to say, im glad for the guy to be done with it. now he can go on (to an extent only because he'll be counted until he retires) with his days and not worry nearly as much about the whirlpool of criticism.
 
i have to be honest also, bonds did just give a very wonderful interview. plus he looked like a little kid (you could see the love of the game... cheeeeeeesy i know) the entire time.

im a loser.
 
hahaha i was at work and saw it live!!! I was bar tending and Bonds came up to bat and this guy goes give me a drink, and i looked at him and go "u know whos up to bat" and he looks upand goes "oh shit,u can make it in a second!"

anyways enjoy it bonds while it lasts.....cause i dont think it will. But i even had a cheer come out when it happened (i hate Bonds) and it was mixed. Happy to actually see it while it happened....and happy its over!!
 
And he's black, and a loner, but that's no reason to hate someone you don't even know.
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That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Barry Bonds just broke what is arguably the most important record in American sports and he's a lying, cheating, steroid using egomaniac. He's such a raging asshole that, despite his talent, he got voted off a team by a margin of 22-2 in college. He has no place among men like Aaron, Ruth and Mays- and it has nothing to do with race.

To quote alasdairm:

*.
 
I scoff at the idea of the *... you might as well mark the entire steroids era in baseball instead of singling out the most prominent figure.

Cheating in a cheater's sport (which baseball has always been known as) just doesn't really seem all that offensive... but that's just me.
 
talk to any sports writer (off the record), broadcaster, or player who has interacted with Bonds and they will tell you what a big-time asshat he is. this was true ten years ago as well. he broke the record. hardly anyone gives a f*ck compared to how it could have happened. thankfully, the juiced-up era looks to be coming to a close. rodriguez to the rescue.

Bonds used to be a little guy with incredible running speed and a fast bat. he would have easily made into the Hall of Fame. but now...who knows?
 
^ oh theres no way he wont make it into the hall of fame. it would take a miracle (or a blatant admittance to guilt, which he most likely will never do) to keep him out.

and m885... babe ruth wasnt exactly a saint either so i dont really think its good to say that bonds doesnt belong amongst names like aaron, ruth, and mays. aaron and mays, yeah, but ruth... iunno. and willie mays being his godfather... he'll always be mentioned amongst that name... so just aaron. ;)
 
Yeah, I have a hard time believing he won't get into the HoF. The thing that Bonds has going for him that other players who are surrounded by steroid suspicion (like McGwire) don't have, is that only his second half of his career has come into question because of steroids. There is no doubt that Bonds was great pre-steroid suspicion years.
 
Banquo said:
talk to any sports writer (off the record), broadcaster, or player who has interacted with Bonds and they will tell you what a big-time asshat he is. this was true ten years ago as well. he broke the record. hardly anyone gives a f*ck compared to how it could have happened. thankfully, the juiced-up era looks to be coming to a close. rodriguez to the rescue.

Bonds used to be a little guy with incredible running speed and a fast bat. he would have easily made into the Hall of Fame. but now...who knows?
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I agree that Bonds is an asshole as far as personality goes. He didn't unfairly get that reputation. His skills are undeniable, however...juiced or not.

I doubt the steroids era is really coming to a close, to be honest. The fight is on...but that doesn't mean crap. Just look at other Doping battles other sports are mired It should be interesting to see what Canseco is talking about when he says he has dirt on A-Rod. Doping tends to stay with sports no matter what. Plus I've never seen baseball as a clean sport, even when I played little league...so I guess I'm under the opinion that if anyone thought baseball was a clean sport before the BALCO scandal...they're just fooling themselves.
 
and m885... babe ruth wasnt exactly a saint either so i dont really think its good to say that bonds doesnt belong amongst names like aaron, ruth, and mays. aaron and mays, yeah, but ruth... iunno. and willie mays being his godfather... he'll always be mentioned amongst that name... so just aaron.
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Babe Ruth may have been an asshole, but he wasn't juicing himself with steroids all the time. Nor was he under investigation by a grand jury for perjury.
 
LapDawg said:
I agree that Bonds is an asshole as far as personality goes. He didn't unfairly get that reputation. His skills are undeniable, however...juiced or not.

I doubt the steroids era is really coming to a close, to be honest. The fight is on...but that doesn't mean crap. Just look at other Doping battles other sports are mired It should be interesting to see what Canseco is talking about when he says he has dirt on A-Rod. Doping tends to stay with sports no matter what. Plus I've never seen baseball as a clean sport, even when I played little league...so I guess I'm under the opinion that if anyone thought baseball was a clean sport before the BALCO scandal...they're just fooling themselves.
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You're right about baseball never being a clean sport, especially at the major league level. If you look at the history of the MLB, you'll see all sorts of cheating. It ranges from pitchers scuffing the ball to the ultimate no-no, throwing a game (or the World Series in the case of the 1919 White Sox). People like to act that steriods are the worse thing to happen in baseball when it comes to cheating, but the Black Sox scandal tops it by far. That's not to say that cheating is okay, it's just that it has long been a part of baseball. Probably more so than any other sport.

Also, mind you, MLB had no steroid policy until 2002, and up until 2005, you wouldn't be suspended if you tested positive. Last I checked, Bonds has never tested positive for steroids. That's not to say he didn't do them, but unless he's caught, there's not much anyone can do about it.
 
Hollow, not hallowed
By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports

Long gone and a long time coming, the Barry Bonds-propelled baseball soared into the California sky and right through history; a history no one will ever be able to fully explain to future generations of skeptical fans.

Bonds has hit 756 home runs, the most ever, but it isn't just the number that comes with a performance-enhancing-inspired asterisk. It's Bonds himself, it's baseball as a whole, it's an era of sports where rule-breaking is rampant and honest heroes such as Henry Aaron are in the shortest of supplies.

Around the country, Bonds' home run will be met with cheers and curses but mostly with shrugged shoulders and pointed fingers. There are a multitude of guilty targets.

If this was supposedly the making of history, then realize history isn't going to make much of this. Ten, 30, 50 years from now, it will be looked upon with bewilderment – did people really celebrate a phony number that punctuated a fraudulent era of the game? No one will give much credence to what happened in Major League Baseball from, say, 1996 to the advent of mandatory steroids testing.

Technically, Bonds swung, connected and sent a ball out of the park 756 different times in his 22-season career. But it takes Easter Bunny-level gullibility to believe he did it naturally.

His numbers are nonsensical – most notably the absurd 73 homers in 2001, a total 19.7 percent greater than Roger Maris' mark of 61, which hasn't been touched without massive suspicion in 46 years and counting.

Forty-six year old records don't just fall by 19.7 percent. Or even by the 14.7 percent Mark McGwire exceeded Maris' record in 1998. If someone were to shave 19.7 percent off the current world record in the mile run (3:43.13), he'd finish at 2:59.2. Yes, a three-minute mile. You think you'd believe something so statistically improbable? How about 100-meter dash in 7.8 seconds? You think your grandkids would buy that one, or mock it as some old fish story?

Guess what, they aren't going to believe 73, either. And without those, Bonds didn't pass Aaron.

Bonds' ties to disgraced BALCO labs, the fact that his personal trainer is behind bars for refusal to turn over evidence on him, and the possible federal indictment on perjury charges this fall means that 756 deceives only the most dim or devout.

The saddest part is that Bonds never needed it, that in surpassing the most hallowed record in baseball he tarnished his reputation to the point his apologists have to remind people that he was Hall-of-Fame-worthy long before baseball's "Steroid Era" began.

Bonds should be hitting his, say, 650th clean homer about now, continuing to build the case that he is the greatest ballplayer of all time. That is how great he was, and is. He never needed the juice. His legacy would have been so much greater, meant so much more without it.

But that wasn't enough. In the exhaustive Bonds biography "Love Me, Hate Me," it is surmised that he was jealous over the attention lapped on McGwire, a lesser talent who looked comically juiced as he clubbed the 70 questionable home runs in 1998.

And, that is where this is about so much more than Bonds. That is why the melancholy of this record falling sweeps over a cast of the craven.

This is baseball's shame too, from commissioner Bud Selig on down. Inside the game, they knew the numbers of the late 1990s were as artificial as the players' biceps. No one dared to care. This was about making money after the disastrous canceling of the 1994 World Series.

The world Bonds and the others operated in came with tacit approval from above. Bonds may be a lout – a man born into privilege who would throw his jock on the floor, not in a nearby hamper, so he could watch a low-paid clubhouse worker pick it up – but he didn't start the drug era. He did it naturally and fumed while a bunch of clowns surpassed him.

So if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right? It isn't excusable, of course. But at the time, it was all so clouded. No testing. No concern. No comment. Just Selig, team owners and the players perpetuating a dishonest game on the fans.

"I'm sick of Bud Selig and Major League Baseball, the way they've been grandstanding," Detroit Tigers outfielder Gary Sheffield ranted to USA Today. "Why doesn't Bud Selig tell the truth? Why does he keep lying and saying he doesn't know nothing about nothing? He knew everything (about steroids) we (the players) knew.

"Bud Selig wants to talk about the integrity of the game? To him, the integrity of the game is how much money they make."

Selig maintains he knew nothing definitive, and that his efforts to take action earlier were met by the stiff resistance from the players' union. In the court of public opinion, though, Selig is seen as no more believable than Bonds.

That soaring shot, No. 756, is just one more reminder of an era that will be impossible to defend to future fans. These numbers aren't real, they aren't true. The accomplishments will be written off and ridiculed like stats from the turn of the 20th century.

In 1904, considered part of the "modern era," Jack Chesbro won 41 games and recorded a 1.82 ERA, pitching all season on two days rest. Does anyone consider that the greatest season of all time by a starting pitcher? Or do you scoff at the competition considering that today's far better conditioned pitchers – some on juice themselves – only start about 34 games a year?

Perhaps Chesbro really was great. But how could you know? His numbers are so out of line they actually weaken, not bolster, his reputation. That's what Bonds will deal with decades from now.

His home run total isn't the asterisk, he is. He didn't need the juice. But neither did Bud Selig's baseball. The whole game gets an asterisk because together they chased the easy money, the momentary glory.

But time has a leveling effect, and with the home run chase over we can finally get on with tomorrow.

History promises to be scornful, not just of Bonds, but of Selig and his cronies, and of the players' union, who led this great game, America's pastime, down a dark road, leaving behind numbers that future generations will never accept.

--
alasdair
 
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