MLB 2004

[Jedi Idej]

McGwire really started to dislike the media after '98, and who could blame him?  He was hounded by them everyday and each day it was the same set of questions.  Personally, I think I'd get tired of the media as well.  You see SO many pro athletes just get so sick and tired of the bs that is the sports media. 

McGwire started to act like that to reporters early in his career, maybe around his 3rd or 4th year, and continued until part way through his run for the record in '98 when he took notice of how Sosa was relishing the attention.  He reverted when injuries took a toll on his numbers.

Bonds attitude, however, extends to both fans, media, teammates and everyone in general.  The guy is a prick.

I've listened to enough talk radio since Bonds has been a Giant -- can't comment on his Pirates days -- to classify a majority of the gripes as being some 20+ y.o. bitching because Bonds blew off his request for an autograph or hearsay of the way Bonds blew off that same 20+ year old's request. I've heard way more callers relaying how nicely Bonds treated their 10-y.o., or of Bonds going to his car, getting out a ball and beaning the father in the head signing it for the caller's son. My then-12-y.o. niece and her friends bumped into Bonds, his wife, and their toddler at TRU. He was nice enough to snap pictures with them. (They had a camera because they just came from a birthday party from across the parking lot.)

Moral: if you're over 17, stay out of his face.

As far as teammates... like who? Van Slyke? Jeff Kent? Why don't the national media ask Shawon Dunstan, JT Snow, Nen, Aurilia, Grissom? In a short period, Bonds and Dustin Mohr have become real close. Ricky Ledee came from the Phillies thinking the worst of Bonds, met him, and says he was wrong. Rick Reilly's hitpiece using Kent got a lot of attention. Nothing was made of Dan Patrick's interview with Matt Williams prior to that year's WS with the D-backs. To all of the talk of Bonds' being disingenuous, Williams countered that not many people knew the real Bonds like he did... that they are good friends.

******* ******* is more like it. Back when the Red Sox played the Giants in interleague play (in SF, no less) he went off on how much he hates Boston, it's racist, blah, blah, blah. When the reporter asked him where he got his info, figuring it was based on first hand experience, Bonds told him he heard "stories". Turns out the dickhead has never actually been to Boston.

His comment was stupid and he was rightly skewered for it. He has a good knowledge of baseball history but he ignorantly projected those conditions of racism in the Boston Redsox organization then to the Boston of today.

[Holographic Elvis]

Clearly you are a Giants fan and a Bonds fan, and hey, that's cool.  I've read, heard, seen, etc plenty from fans, players, media and Barry himself that show that Barry doesn't really care about anybody but Barry.  The only people I have ever heard defend the guy are guys who play for him or Giants fans.  When I interned on "Best Damn" plenty of people on that show's crew and some athletes who came through there had nothing but bad things to say about the guy through experiences they had.  They all admire what he does on the field, but know that off the field the guy is the biggest most arrogant piece of **** associated with MLB.  Personally, I've always rooted for athletes that are team players (McGwire, Yzerman, Nolan Ryan, etc.) and even if I were a Giants fan, I'd have an incredibly hard time rooting for Bonds.  If Bonds leaves the Bay Area and signs with a team I follow, I'm going to be VERY disappointed and mark my words here: I will not root for him.

[JediMAC]

Anyone catch the Yank's score tonight?  22-zip.  That would be 22 for the Tribe, and nada for the Pinstripes.  Nice!     Sorry Dave, Matt & Nick!   

Unfortunately, the Sox took out my Halos too.  Drops us another game down in the Wildcard race, and moves Boston to just 3 1/2 back from the Yankees.  Now it's getting interesting!  As much as EVERYONE loved seeing my Lakers choke in the Finals, I'd love to see the Yanks slide right outta the playoffs in the last month of the season.  That'd be classic!   

[Holographic Elvis]

A's win again and are up 3 on ya Matt!

[jokabofe]

As much as EVERYONE loved seeing my Lakers choke in the Finals, I'd love to see the Yanks slide right outta the playoffs in the last month of the season.  That'd be classic!   

don't hold your breath. uncle george will be digging into his pockets pretty deep before he lets that happen.

[Nicklab]

Anyone catch the Yank's score tonight?  22-zip.  That would be 22 for the Tribe, and nada for the Pinstripes.  Nice!     Sorry Dave, Matt & Nick!   

Uhh, I think we're still in first place though.  Losing by that much doesn't cost you 2 or 3 games in the loss column.

[Holographic Elvis]

Every team has games like this.  It's part of sports and trust me, I've been on both sides of it enough times to know.

[Jedi Idej]

Clearly you are a Giants fan and a Bonds fan

It took a few years after he became a Giant for me to become a Bonds fan. Those who read my posts here will be surprised that I occasionally rip on him and the Giants. And my friends locally would be surprised I put up a defense for Bonds on the forums.  I know he's not flawless, nor do I believe he's the oozing puss of pure evil that he's made out to be on 30-sec sound bites run ad nauseam on SportsCenter.

The only people I have ever heard defend the guy are guys who play for him or Giants fans.

I've read modern day pyscho-analysts (ie, sports journalists) describe his act as erecting barriers. (The best line I came across went something like: "I've never met anyone try so hard at being unliked.")  Whatever the reason, it's logical to conclude that he eventually lets teammates see a side of him those of us outside the clubhouse aren't privy to, which explains why guys he played with, more often than not, defend him.

When I interned on "Best Damn"

How was Lisa Guerrero in person.    She sounded like she knew what she was talking about in interviews. How the heck did she bomb on MNF?

Personally, I've always rooted for athletes that are team players

Hey. Yo. Even though I'm a big senior leaguer, 2 of the guys I rooted for were Mattingly and... Puckett.    Fortunately, cynicism had replaced idealism well before the allegations hit. Stunned, sure, but not disillusioned.

We'll have to agree to disagree. At least we have in common a dislike for fair weather fans, regional two-team fans, and hatered for the Dodgers.

Speaking of...

JediMac, should be an interesting conclusion. SF and LA play 6 times. SF and SD, 6 times. SD and LA, 7 times.

[Holographic Elvis]

Fair enough.  We'll agree to disagree.

As for Lisa, she was very nice to me when I was introduced to her my first day and the lady knows her sports for damn sure.  A lot of people on the show who had worked w/ her far longer than I had did not like her at all.  She was a professional no doubt, but did carry herself like she knew she was the sh-t. 

[JediMAC]

A's win again and are up 3 on ya Matt!

You shush!   

Losing by that much doesn't cost you 2 or 3 games in the loss column

It should!!   

Every team has games like this.

True, but it's much more fun when it's the Yanks.   

How was Lisa Guerrero in person.

Hey, you two stay the hell away from my woman!   

At least we have in common a dislike for fair weather fans, regional two-team fans, and hatered for the Dodgers.

Speaking of...

JediMac,

I'll assume you're just referring to the latter two of those blurbs there.  But Idej, are there really no Bay Area folks that are fans of both the Giants and the A's?  Or in NY, is anyone a fan of both the Yankees and the Mets?

Hell, ever since I was a lil' tike growin' up in Orange County, I've always rooted for both of my local teams, in each sport.  Dodgers/Angels, Raiders/Rams, Lakers/kinda Clippers, Kings/later Ducks (though I'll admit to being fairweathered in this sport now), UCLA/USC...

Fortunately, it's never come down to one team against another in the Playoffs, so I've never had to make a choice between the two.  I've been begging for my Freeway World Series between the Halos and the Blue, but they've never really even come close.  If they met now, I'd go with the Angels in a heartbeat though.  Rams and Raiders have come close to playing eachother in the Super Bowl a couple times recently, but to no avail.  The only local team I've dumped since my youth is USC, 'cause THAT'S a rivalry that you just can't be on both sides of.  Since I went to UCSB (long ago) and my wife went to UCLA, they've definitely won my loyalty since I hit my collegiate years.  Don't get that same vibe from any of those other franchises though.  No hatred for eachother really.

Now you wanna talk about hatred...  Dodgers/Giants.  Now there's some hatred.  I love how Vic the Brick always refers to them as "the hated ones", instead of ever calling them just "the Giants".  Anyway, yeah, it's gonna boil down to those head to head series matchups over the next few weeks here, and the Dodgers have been losing some serious steam of late.  I think we're 13-11 since the trade, including the win we squeeked out against the Snakes in extra innings tonight.  Not looking too hot right now, and we're still reeling from the implosion within our bullpen.  Not a good idea trading Mota.  At all.  That's proving a lot more costly than moving LoDuca.

I'll be extremely pissed off if both the Angels AND Dodgers falter coming down the stretch here, and we get no post season love here in SoCal.   It'll just add insult to injury if SF sneaks in there...   

[Mikey D]

Uhh, I think we're still in first place though. 

True, but for the Sox to make up 7 games in a little over two weeks has to put some worry in the Yankees, Steinbrenner, the fans, etc.  And honestly, the Yankees starting rotation is suspect and it will hurt them in the playoffs.  Great pitching will almost always win over great hitting.  Hell, you saw it first hand last year in the ALCS.

[jokabofe]

Or in NY, is anyone a fan of both the Yankees and the Mets?

nope. that's sacrilige (or however you spell it). almost as bad as liking more than one of the following: rangers, islanders, devils. that could get you killed.

[Holographic Elvis]

I've seen Billy Crystal rock out both Mets and Yankees hates.  You just can't do that.

It would be like me wearing an Avs jersey while being an enormous Red Wings fan.  It just ain't gonna happen and it isn't allowed.

[Nicklab]

I've seen Billy Crystal rock out both Mets and Yankees hates.  You just can't do that.

He wore a Mets hat in "City Slickers"...a movie, nothing more.  However, he does own a stake in the Arizona Diamondbacks despite being a lifelong Yankee fan.

[Holographic Elvis]

I've seen Billy Crystal rock out both Mets and Yankees hates.  You just can't do that.

He wore a Mets hat in "City Slickers"...a movie, nothing more.  However, he does own a stake in the Arizona Diamondbacks despite being a lifelong Yankee fan.

Yeah, I remember the hat in City Slickers, but I thought I saw him rocking one out somewhere.  Hopefully I'm wrong, but then again, why wear a Mets hat in the movie if you're a Yankee fan?  Billy has clout.  He didn't "have" to wear the Mets hat.