You know what I think of Barry Bonds, so I am not going to use that needle again.
However, I am disappointed in Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson.
Both had been vocal in speaking out against steroids. I thought Aaron, especially, was taking a noble stand.
Nope. Turns out there were negotiations for his video note. Class? No way. Aaron sold out. And, when he said this is something that could inspire the youth of America, I was disgusted. His message endorsed Bonds actions.
As for Robinson, I covered him when he was manager of the Orioles. Thought he, along with Aaron, were strong on there own.
Both came off as frauds.Wonder how much they got paid.
14 Comments
Realistically, though, can they really come out against Bonds in the absence of any definitive proof? While I can see them preferring to keep quiet, I imagine there was likely a lot of pressure placed on them based on race alone.
Taken together, I think we’ve caught a glimpse of MLB’s PR plan for the steroid issue: Cast the shadow of doubt upon individual players while simultaneously repeating the “innocent until proven guilty” cadence. Sounds plaid to me, like they’re trying to please all sides in this issue.
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Benny (RE: MLB)
MLB has been very calculating in its statements. No doubt for the legal mess that could eventually follow. I agree, they should have shut up. Both had been very local in speaking out against steroids, then they participated in the moment. Both Aaron and Robinson have a stature in this game where they don’t have to answer to anybody. I just wish they would have stuck to their guns.-JD
This is what Aaron should have done for baseball in absence of proof. I think he’s already made his personal stance clear, and this doesn’t change it for me. In terms of playing the game of baseball and celebrating the game, I’m glad to see him congratulate Bonds. If this happened in an interview outside the game, it would have been fishy.
How funny was it that a Mets fan caught the ball, and the pitcher is a former Met?
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Spiderpig (RE: Mets fan)
Interesting how the pitcher’s name kind of rhymes with the word ``asterisk.’’-JD
Wow, John, your language is strong but I agree with you. I was surprised that Robinson even attended the game as just last year he pretty much bashed Bonds and steroids use.
I’m just guessing but I don’t think MLB was responsible for engineering Robinson’s and Aaron’s participation. They either did it on their own or when prompted or asked to by the Giants, reporters, or Bonds’ own PR people.
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JK (RE: Robinson/Aaron)
Robinson was there representing MLB. I know Aaron is close to Selig, so you can’t rule that out. He just didn’t do this on the spur of the moment.-JD
John, I have a question. You say negotiations were made as to intent on the video. Is it possible those negotiations were spurred by LAWYERS. threatening to sue Aaron for slander?
I can see Bonds knowing what Aaron would say and sent his lawyers after him like pit bulls.
If thats not the case. then like all our baseball idolization. yet another one has been shattered and all we can do is watch the game and enjoy what we see on the field. and choke down the rest.
:-(
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Steve C. (RE: Negotiations)
Can’t believe in a slander suit. If Bonds were to sue anybody, it would be the authors of the book for libel. But, truth is the defense for libel. If Bonds were so wounded, he’d be swinging the lawyer stick. Notice how he hasn’t.-JD
There are countless issues with steroids in baseball and they do NOT begin or end with Barry Bonds. There is no way to resolve this mess that Selig created (with the help of the Player’s Association)—hence the decision to ignore it while the media spotlight is shining brightest. I’m sure Selig feels that nobody will care about it in 30 years anyway.
What comes out in this blog post is not so much a moral stance as a wish to see Barry Bonds humiliated. You hate him and you wanted the only guy that could really humiliate him (Aaron, what Robinson did or didn’t do is irrelevant) to make the greatest use of that opportunity.
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Taylor (RE: Humiliation)
Not buying it. To be humiliated you have to have shame and Bonds has none.-JD
John – I agree with you and deplore the ‘money=greed and corruption’ culture in sports today.
My sports heros of this week are Tommy Glavine who passed a milestone just by showing up and doing his job for years. (a milestone reached by only 23 men in the history of baseball)and 25 year old Mexican citizen Lorena Ochoa, a member of the LPGA who won the British Women’s Open at St. Andrews last weekend with a score of -5, in typical Scotish summer weather where you wear full rain gear, and where they removed their usual clubhouse sign “No Women or Dogs Allowed”. She is gracious on and off the course and plays with a smile. Padraig Harrington won over a million and a half for his British Open two weeks ago, Lorena won less than $500,000. And she was still smiling and gracious.
Tommy gets accolades from sportsmen like Sandy Koufax, Bobby Orr and Tom Seaver and others too many to count. Lorena gets applause from every woman who has ever played in a golf tournament. These are real sports heros.
Only $500,000 and she was still smiling? Wow she really is gracious.
you’re way too obsessed with this John, its a record, yes, we all know that. But how does comparing a guy from this era to one of another era work anyway? How is Ruth’s era even close to what this era is like? Or Aaron’s to this era? SOOOOOO many differeces in the game. Ruth didn’t play against all the available competition, Aaron arguably wasn’t the best HR hitter at any single time he was playing (just over the longest period of time), he also played in a tiny ball park, and when amphetimines ran wild. You can’t stick one player into another era and compare them, which is why records basically mean nothing to me. Will anyone pass Cy Young on the all time wins list? No, but there may be better pitchers…. So as for Bonds, he’s the best of his era, hands down, there’s no denying it, steroids or not, whatever you want to argue, he’s the best of his era, and thats what matters. He has HOF written all over him and if you can’t see that, you shouldn’t have a vote.
john, thanks for saying what needed to be said about this fraudulent accomplishment.. bonds should be ashamed of himself.. bonds and clemens are dirty rotten cheaters…
metsfan, ballparks generally are smaller in this era than when Aaron played. And up until 2006, greenies were just as plentiful (if not more) and legal as when Aaron played. So Bonds certainly could take as many greenies as he wanted in addition to his designer steroids and HGH. Further, Aaron led his league in HRs four times and was 1, 2, or 3 in HRs nine times. In comparison, before 2001, Bonds only led his league in HRs once and was 1,2, or 3 in HRs just five times. There seems to be no basis to your statement that Aaron was never the best HR hitter at any single time. I’m glad to see John speaking out. Too many journalists like Sheehan at the Baseball Prospectus are wearing blinders.
I disagree John, Aaron did what he did to be the bigger man. He knows Bonds altered his body to break the record, and I’m sure he’s upset about it, but in the face of that, it takes a lot, certainly more than a paycheck from MLB, to do what he did. I’m torn on 756. I love seeing records fall but I was very perplexed by this one. I raised my arms as it went out and then felt bad for having done so. I’m in the process of reading Game of Shadows and then plan to read Jeff Pearlman’s book on Bonds. I’ve been skeptical of Bonds since everything leaked, but I reserve my judgement until everything becomes more clear.
All that said, I wish Griffey had been able to stay healthy to break it, now there’s a guy kids can look up to.
I guess its settled.
Cheaters win.
I, as well, possess a pit-bull who may be the most trusting animal I have ever owned. Soon, a fresh dog breed will occur together for that media to blast, because they have performed rotties and dobies in previous years. Unfortunate that media sensationalism breeds so much inaccurate information.