Ducksnorts

Stu

Here’s a question for everyone re: Bonds. If you’re in the stands if/when he hits 755 and 756, do you:

A) boo
B) cheer
C) do something in between?

Personally, I would stand up, and that’s about it. Maybe some polite applause if the moment got hold of me, but not much more.

Steve C

It does not matter the footage of Bonds 756 HR will only be relavent for 10 years untill A-Rod hits #800

Coronado Mike

I will be there tonight…will stand and clap when it happens…then sit down. It is still history being made and I will be very glad to be able to say I was there…

BTW, if anyone is interested, here are some pictures from my HOF visit…

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AcOXDJy0ZtmKK

Didi

Thanks, CM.

Now for some Friday funnies:
http://www.thebrushback.com/prospects_full.htm

http://www.glassgiant.com/hollywood_sign/?l1=ducksnorts&size=300×144

Stu

7 – Didi, thanks. Here’s another I stole from Deadspin (warning: some profanity):

http://dugout.progressiveboink.com/archive/nick150.htm

If you’ve ever spent time around Yankee fans, you will enjoy this.

Didi

Nice one on Vin Scully. Love that man. Couldn’t you just hear his voice while reading this?

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_weisman/08/03/scully.bonds/index.html#

Christopher Keach

I’m going on Sunday, and hopeful that Bonds won’t be playing. If for some reason he plays and hits a homerun, I will curse and then either sit silently or boo.

lower case michael

What does personality have to do with achievement? If you are difficult with reporters or prickly around the edges your performance on the field means nothing?

I really don’t understand the level of venom directed at Bonds. As Padres fans we have legitimate reasons for hating the way he has killed us over the years but a good deal of the Bonds hate out there seems like a pile on rather than a genuine disgust. In the media every cue tells us we are supposed to hate this one guy who cheated, but why just him and why this level of contempt?

SDSUBASEBALL

15: If he wasnt such an ass and was not breaking the most hallowed record in sports, then the media would not be reacting like it is towards him. I think most of the country would like to see a more likable person break the record.

MB

17: I’ve never really understood that viewpoint. Are we ever going to know these guys off the field, anyway? Most likely not, so I don’t really care about their personality. I want to watch baseball players … personality is rather insignificant, imo.

Steve C

Re: 20 Cobb sharpening his spikes is a myth, after he retired he quoted as saying “why would I sharpen my spikes? It hurts more when their dull”

Steve C

Re: 22 Im not sure if he was being honest about it, I think he said it more tongue-n-cheek more than anything else, I just thought it was funny.

Richard

Speaking of fantasy football… anyone want to play in a (low) money league? Only $20 each, split the money 50/30/20 between 1st/2nd/3rd at the end. We use a Yahoo “live” draft and are running with their default scoring.

Steve C

Re: 26 Rose is still a fan favorite

lower case michael

#28–I hope people aren’t more likely to see Bonds as a villian because of the color of his skin, but it is certainly possibility.

One thing I haven’t heard mentioned when race comes up in discussion is that it says something about our progress as a society that Bonds feels comfortable enough to be his true, difficult, prickly self while in the spotlight. I don’t think black athletes even 20 years ago could feel so free to be themselves. You could say the public image of Bonds is more authentic that perhaps the muted image Aaron felt compelled to put out. Certainly that is the goal, for all of us to feel unencumbered by our race and free to be our authentic selves and then judged accordingly.

For the record, though I would argue Bonds deserves a round of applause if he hits it in Petco, I for one will be hoping he Ks every time up. Not because he did steroids or is a jerk, but because I am a Padres fan.

The Fathers

Because by a common sense standard he almost certainly did steroids and HGH, and because he is a jerk, I will be both booing and turning my back to him at all opportunities for the games I attend. However, I am not sure it will make a difference. There are usually quite a bit of Jint fans at these games, and there cheers could drown out some of the boos.

I will never applaud a record that I believe to be irreparably tainted at the time it is set. Then again, I wish MLB would strip Caminiti of his 1996 MVP award; I am sure that doesn’t endear to me those fans who arguably are hypocritical when it comes to that roider.

Ben B.

27: Rose is still a fan favorite after betting on baseball when he was in a position to influence the outcome? To me, that is much, much worse than using steroids at a time when they weren’t banned in the game.

I’ll be there tonight, if he hits a home run and if the homer is basically meaningless in the context of the game (after we go ahead 12-1 say), then I’ll applaud politely. If he hits one and the homer matters in the game, then I won’t clap, but I’m not going to boo.

Mark Ase

I don’t really buy the race issue for the majority of baseball fans. When you compare Bonds to both Sheffield and Giambi it seems like he does deserve to be disliked much more then either of the other guys.

I’ll be happy when the whole thing is over as I can’t imagine my nephew(who is 5 and going to go to Bonds old high school) growing up idolizing the guy.

Richard

Personally, I only dislike Bonds because he kills the Padres. If he didn’t, I’d have no problem with him.

PF4L

Anyone here think Bonds will bag it a bit or come down with sore knees or something to make sure he hits it at his home park after this series? I wouldn’t be surprised.

Personally, I don’t like the way he relates (or doesn’t) to people. I don’t like the fact that he obviously (knowingly or unknowingly) took steroids. I do hate him (in the baseball rival sense) for being a gigante and a Padre killer.

So….that being said and FWIW, If I were at the game(s) (which I am bummed I am not) I would likely cheer (somewhat subdued) since it is a record and it is history and he is a human being (albeit not the nicest at times).

Kevin

I agree with Richard. Why are we talking about steroids and records?

Bonds plays for the Giants, and he is successful against the Padres. End of story.

Or as Bill James said of personal achievemnts in his 1984 Abstract: “I wouldn’t walk across the street to see Pete Rose get his 4,000 hit. I don’t cheer for numbers.”