what's funny is that MLB can't figure out why they aren't growing like they want. i *might* make a Dodgers game this year, but only if a friend can arrange for me to meet Vin Scully for a moment, just to thank him for all the joy he brought me as a kid. i doubt i'll even stay for the game, regardless who's playing, or what may allegedly be at stake. last time i went to the stadium of my own volition was the last home game they were owned by the O'Malleys. i'd rather go down to the park and watch the kids play: at least they might be doing for the joy of the sport. it's damn sure a lot cheaper and easier to get to.
Red, I suspect I'm going to be far more polite about this than Doug might.
INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY.
The moment Barry fails a drug test, you can tell me you told me so, and I'll stand there and take it. Until then, all those asterisks look like sour grapes to me.
Damn well told. For me, the issue was decided when Hank Aaron sent in the video congratulations. When one of the most erudite and classy individuals to ever play the game is big enough to pass the torch like that - yeah, that's made of win.
I'm not entirely certain I agree with classy, tbh. As I noted elsewhere, while I can completely understand not wanting to traipse around the country at the pace of a pro ball team at his age, he was less than tactful in the way he originally discussed the issue. The fact that he did record the video surprised me, in the light of those previous remarks, but it was a very pleasant surprise.
As I said in my own LJ, unless people want to try erasing the entire last twenty years from the baseball records -- all of them, not just those set by Bonds -- bleating about individuals' drug usage is pointless. Even if you assume for the sake of argument that Bonds was enhanced in some way (it's possible, and circumstantial evidence is there, but it's not proven), he was playing against other people (including pitchers) who were almost certainly also enhanced. That's about as level as the playing field is going to get. I don't condone use of performance-enhancing drugs, but I also don't see how you can unbake a cake, and that's what people wanting to flag Bonds' records or ignore them entirely are trying to do.
But of course, people were griping and complaining about Aaron breaking Ruth's record -- doubtless they included the fact that the seasons were longer, just like the metaphorical asterisk on Roger Maris' record. I don't expect Bonds' new record to last forever (unlike DiMaggio's consecutive-game hitting streak, which seems insurmountable to me), and I expect that there will be complaints when someone passes Bonds, too.
...and as gridlore reminded me this morning before I left for work, Ruth should get an asterisk because all of his HRs were logged in the days before the ground-rule double. Nobody knows how many of his "homers" actually bounced over the wall, because nobody recorded those stats, because it wasn't relevant to the game as it was played in those days.
Ruth might also get an asterisk for not being able to play against the best pitchers of all races, as when he played, racial integration had not happened yet.
If it's found out to be true, I suggest that they forget about the asterisk and simply just strike his name from record book and making him persona non grata in the baseball world.
jilesa made an excellent point in her journal that the fact that the Nats did win is an accomplishment in and of itself. They continued to play the game after the interruption that came with 756; it would have been just as easy to say "The only people who are going to remember who the Giants played tonight are folks looking to win bar bets" and packed it in for the rest of the night.
He says he wants to play in 2008, and with this monkey gone(now living with Steve Young's monkey in a nice little Hayes Valley walk-up) he might pick up his average since the pressure to hit home runs is lessened.
Ooooo.. is it like that Star Trek TNG episode (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remember_Me_%28TNG_episode%29) where Wesley breaks the universe and Dr. Crusher finds herself on an Enterprise where the crew is vanishing and only she remembers?
Crap, I totally forgot about the garage roof. I wonder what all my playa gear is gonna look like when we finally get back in there....
(Speaking of which, you interested in rolling down to Almaden Lake Park on Sunday with both of my tents and a broom to set 'em up, sweep 'em out, and see if the "new" one has any holes in it?)
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it's a sad day for what used to be a great sport.
what's funny is that MLB can't figure out why they aren't growing like they want. i *might* make a Dodgers game this year, but only if a friend can arrange for me to meet Vin Scully for a moment, just to thank him for all the joy he brought me as a kid. i doubt i'll even stay for the game, regardless who's playing, or what may allegedly be at stake. last time i went to the stadium of my own volition was the last home game they were owned by the O'Malleys. i'd rather go down to the park and watch the kids play: at least they might be doing for the joy of the sport.
it's damn sure a lot cheaper and easier to get to.
red
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INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY.
The moment Barry fails a drug test, you can tell me you told me so, and I'll stand there and take it. Until then, all those asterisks look like sour grapes to me.
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(And I'm neither a Giants fan nor a Bonds fan, for the record.)
Don't know if you guys saw this on ESPN.com. Someone elsewhere on LJ linked to it, and it raised some interesting
points:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=jackson/070806
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But of course, people were griping and complaining about Aaron breaking Ruth's record -- doubtless they included the fact that the seasons were longer, just like the metaphorical asterisk on Roger Maris' record. I don't expect Bonds' new record to last forever (unlike DiMaggio's consecutive-game hitting streak, which seems insurmountable to me), and I expect that there will be complaints when someone passes Bonds, too.
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If it's found out to be true, I suggest that they forget about the asterisk and simply just strike his name from record book and making him persona non grata in the baseball world.
-Tom
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-Tom
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Now I have to go listen to Centerfield...
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*lollerskates through her increasingly-empty office*
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Because that would be cool.
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(Speaking of which, you interested in rolling down to Almaden Lake Park on Sunday with both of my tents and a broom to set 'em up, sweep 'em out, and see if the "new" one has any holes in it?)
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And to echo the previous sentiments, "innocent unless proven guilty".