This is not the prevailing sentiment floating around baseball these days. Though his numbers will be quite worthy of Hall of Fame (HOF) admittance, people will use his surly attitude and his “steroid use” as detractions. Even though Bonds only had one season, 2001, where he hit over 50 home runs, and he was a two time MVP before 1992, Bonds will always be linked to steroids. Nevermind the fact that he has won 8 Gold Gloves, or that his batting average is a career .298. Bonds is the poster boy for steroids, and probably forever will be.
Add to that, the fact that Bonds is not very friendly with the media (or anyone else) and you have someone who is easily vilified. Take, for example, his decision to sit out Monday’s nationally televised game against the Chicago Cubs. Apparently a 42 year old with a history of leg problems can’t get a day of rest. But I digress at the moment. Back to why Bonds is a Hall of Famer. First, despite being constantly pitched around, he has had over 100 Runs Batted In (RBI) in 12 of his 21 years of playing Major League Baseball. He has also led his team deep into the playoffs, with the Giants being 5 outs away form winning the World Series in 2002. He is still the most feared hitter in baseball and has been for several years. Excluding the 2005 season (in which Bonds only played 14 games) Bonds has had more than 100 walks for six straight seasons.
With Bonds moving closer to this hallowed HR record, the detractors have become louder and fierce. As if the game of baseball has been clean in its entirety. Let’s just forget about the “greenie” stage where coffee was marked, letting players, coaches, etc. which coffee had the amphetamines in them. Or maybe let’s not remember the fact that a team attempted to throw a World Series. Some have stated that the honorable thing would be for Bonds to just stop playing and not break the record. So they would want him to quit, after blasting Ricky Williams for quitting on his team. The man has done everything you want from a baseball player during his career. He hit, stole bases, played the field, and led his team deep into the playoffs. Though he doesn’t have a World Series ring, he won’t be the first star player not to get one.
So the question becomes: Will they keep an 8-time Gold Glove winner, 7-time MVP, soon-to-be All-Time HR leader out of the HOF? And if so, for how long? I wonder will this discussion ever come up for a certain 43 year old pitcher still throwing smoke. Wonder why he gets a free pass.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
July 11, 2007
MLB held its All-Star game last night. With a little less than two weeks before the NFL training camps open, this time of the year is reserved for MLB. So I have decided to blog about this game.
The pregame interview with Willie Mays was excellent. Fox did a great job and both Derek Jeter and Ken Griffey Jr were genuinely interested in what Mays had to say. That interview alone garners more interest in the game.
However the ensuing “Swing for a Million” promotion drained most of that energy. The guy who attempted barely hit the ball out of the infield. The pregame introductions brought some of that energy back especially when Barry Bonds was introduced. The pregame tribute to Willie Mays was even more touching than the interview. It took me back to the summers when I read Satchiel Paige’s book and actually have a strong love to play baseball. This was before I struggled to catch up to fastballs, which eventually drained that said love. Now I’m a regular fan for the season and a highly interested fan for the playoffs.
Now that the game has finally started, there was some first time jitters as Prince Fielder dropped a routine throw at first base. That mistake was quickly made up for as third baseman David Wright of the NY Mets made a diving stop to end the inning. In the bottom of the first Jose Reyes led off with a single, which brought Barry Bonds to the plate. His first at-bat ended with a flyout to right field. Nevertheless, Griffey was able to come to the rescue with a single the brought home Reyes, and gave the National League (NL) a 1-0 lead.
Griffey then helped to preserve that lead by making a strong throw from right field to nail Alex Rodriguez at the plate to end the 3rd inning. Ichiro Suzuki provided some sparks as he delivered an inside-the-park home run to put the American League (AL) up 2-1. That happened to be the first inside-the –park HR in All-Star game history. The AL then added to their lead by a solo HR from Tampa Bay’s Carl Crawford in the top of the 6th.
The NL cut into the lead following a triple by Carlos Beltran and a sacrifice fly by Griffey. The game moved along until the top of 8th inning when Cleveland Indians catcher Victor Martinez hit a 2-run HR to push the AL’s lead to 5-2. The NL made a late push when Alfonso Soriano hit a 2-run HR to cut the lead to 5-4. Then the NL loaded the bases against Francisco Rodriguez. He was able to save the game and now the AL has 10 straight victories over the NL. This victory also gives the AL home-field advantage for the World Series.
Well I must say that this year’s All-Star game was quite entertaining and at the same time it was a well-played game. Bring on the 2nd half of the season.
The pregame interview with Willie Mays was excellent. Fox did a great job and both Derek Jeter and Ken Griffey Jr were genuinely interested in what Mays had to say. That interview alone garners more interest in the game.
However the ensuing “Swing for a Million” promotion drained most of that energy. The guy who attempted barely hit the ball out of the infield. The pregame introductions brought some of that energy back especially when Barry Bonds was introduced. The pregame tribute to Willie Mays was even more touching than the interview. It took me back to the summers when I read Satchiel Paige’s book and actually have a strong love to play baseball. This was before I struggled to catch up to fastballs, which eventually drained that said love. Now I’m a regular fan for the season and a highly interested fan for the playoffs.
Now that the game has finally started, there was some first time jitters as Prince Fielder dropped a routine throw at first base. That mistake was quickly made up for as third baseman David Wright of the NY Mets made a diving stop to end the inning. In the bottom of the first Jose Reyes led off with a single, which brought Barry Bonds to the plate. His first at-bat ended with a flyout to right field. Nevertheless, Griffey was able to come to the rescue with a single the brought home Reyes, and gave the National League (NL) a 1-0 lead.
Griffey then helped to preserve that lead by making a strong throw from right field to nail Alex Rodriguez at the plate to end the 3rd inning. Ichiro Suzuki provided some sparks as he delivered an inside-the-park home run to put the American League (AL) up 2-1. That happened to be the first inside-the –park HR in All-Star game history. The AL then added to their lead by a solo HR from Tampa Bay’s Carl Crawford in the top of the 6th.
The NL cut into the lead following a triple by Carlos Beltran and a sacrifice fly by Griffey. The game moved along until the top of 8th inning when Cleveland Indians catcher Victor Martinez hit a 2-run HR to push the AL’s lead to 5-2. The NL made a late push when Alfonso Soriano hit a 2-run HR to cut the lead to 5-4. Then the NL loaded the bases against Francisco Rodriguez. He was able to save the game and now the AL has 10 straight victories over the NL. This victory also gives the AL home-field advantage for the World Series.
Well I must say that this year’s All-Star game was quite entertaining and at the same time it was a well-played game. Bring on the 2nd half of the season.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
July 8, 2007
Well Roger Federer has done it. He has joined the exclusive company, which winning 5 straight Wimbledon titles gets you. Though this time was much, much, much harder as Rafael Nadal pushed Federer to 5 sets, with Federer having to win two tiebreaks. This win also kept Federer’s grass court winning alive. It is now at 54 matches, with his last lost coming in 2002. This title also put Federer closer to catching Pete Sampras for most Grand Slam titles.
Federer has 11 titles which ties him with Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver for third all time. With Federer having won every title except the French Open, it seems that the only thing that will be able to stop him from passing Sampras is injury. He even seems close to winning a French Open title, as evident by his advancing to the finals the past two years.
Now Federer can, should and will enter the conversation of greatest tennis players of all time. Where he will rank will depend on the person(s) making the list, but he will be near the top. He has won on every surface, though not the Grand Slam at the French, and he transformed from a temperamental youth to an unflappable man. In today’s match he withstood Nadal’s best, and still he was able to finish the job.
When it’s all said and done, Federer will have more than 20 titles. He is only 25 years old, and has managed to say relatively injury-free. Though Nadal is closing the gap, I have no doubt that Federer will raise his game once again. One thing is for sure, the classic match-up provided by those provided that Federer earned his record tying Wimbledon title.
Federer has 11 titles which ties him with Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver for third all time. With Federer having won every title except the French Open, it seems that the only thing that will be able to stop him from passing Sampras is injury. He even seems close to winning a French Open title, as evident by his advancing to the finals the past two years.
Now Federer can, should and will enter the conversation of greatest tennis players of all time. Where he will rank will depend on the person(s) making the list, but he will be near the top. He has won on every surface, though not the Grand Slam at the French, and he transformed from a temperamental youth to an unflappable man. In today’s match he withstood Nadal’s best, and still he was able to finish the job.
When it’s all said and done, Federer will have more than 20 titles. He is only 25 years old, and has managed to say relatively injury-free. Though Nadal is closing the gap, I have no doubt that Federer will raise his game once again. One thing is for sure, the classic match-up provided by those provided that Federer earned his record tying Wimbledon title.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
July 7, 2007
Excuse me if this feels like déjà vu. I know its 2007, but it feels like years past. At least that’s what the fans at Wimbledon should feel. For the second straight year, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will square off for the men’s title. Both men overcame slow starts, with Nadal actually losing his first set against Novak Djokovic. Nadal was able to come back and win the second set 6-1 before a blister forced Djokovic to retire while trailing in the third 4-1. Federer was nearly pushed to a tiebreak by Richard Gasquet but he regained his form and won in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3, and 6-4. Now the match-up is set, Federer versus Nadal. Federer is putting his 53 straight grass court wins (not to mention his four straight Wimbledon titles) up against the only man standing in between Federer and his quest to win every Grand Slam. (For the record, Nadal has won the previous two French Opens against Federer) Federer will win again and tie Bjorn Bork’s open era record of five straight Wimbledon titles. Nadal will provide plenty of resistance, but at the end of the day, Federer will have all the answers, especially on a surface where Federer is far more comfortable.
On the women’s side, Venus Williams joined an elite group of women. By defeating Marion Bartoli, Williams won her fourth Wimbledon title. That put her with Martina Navratilova (9), Steffi Graf (7) and Billie Jean King (4) as the only women to win four or more titles during the Open era. Williams definitely played better than her ranking coming into Wimbledon. During her run to the final, Venus was able to defeat the 2004 Wimbledon Champion (Maria Sharapova), the 2004 U.S. Open Champion (2004 U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova) and the French Open runner-up (Ana Ivanovic). That left Williams well prepared for her Final opponent. While Bartoli was able to make the first set close, coming back to tie that set at 3-all. However, Venus took over from there winning 9 of the final 10 service games. With the U.S. Open up next, it will be great theatre if all the major players in the women’s game can compete, without any injuries. But when does that usually happen.
With Wimbledon wrapping up on Sunday, the focus will now turn to the MLB All-Star game. That takes place on Tuesday in San Francisco, and all eyes will be on Barry Bonds. Bonds is only four homers away from tying Hank Aaron’s HR record of 755. I just hope that the pitchers don’t begin to walk Bonds every time he steps into the batter’s box. Without running to the top of my soapbox, MLB needs to embrace Bonds, as he approaches this milestone. This is one of the only ways to move past this. Anyways, I also predict that Bonds will hit a HR in his park for the All-Star game. As for the result of the game, does anyone really care? The MLB brass wants to draw more interest to the game, so they attach home field advantage for the World Series to the game. Well since that rule has been implanted, I have watched less than before. I don’t see how letting the home field advantage for the World Series be decided by an All-Star game makes any sense. Especially when it is mandated that every team have a representative. I know that MLB is still trying to recover from their ill-advised strike, but isn’t a better way just to lower ticket prices, and have more fan-team interactions. Just my thoughts on that.
Well I’m off to go enjoy the day before the heat comes back.
On the women’s side, Venus Williams joined an elite group of women. By defeating Marion Bartoli, Williams won her fourth Wimbledon title. That put her with Martina Navratilova (9), Steffi Graf (7) and Billie Jean King (4) as the only women to win four or more titles during the Open era. Williams definitely played better than her ranking coming into Wimbledon. During her run to the final, Venus was able to defeat the 2004 Wimbledon Champion (Maria Sharapova), the 2004 U.S. Open Champion (2004 U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova) and the French Open runner-up (Ana Ivanovic). That left Williams well prepared for her Final opponent. While Bartoli was able to make the first set close, coming back to tie that set at 3-all. However, Venus took over from there winning 9 of the final 10 service games. With the U.S. Open up next, it will be great theatre if all the major players in the women’s game can compete, without any injuries. But when does that usually happen.
With Wimbledon wrapping up on Sunday, the focus will now turn to the MLB All-Star game. That takes place on Tuesday in San Francisco, and all eyes will be on Barry Bonds. Bonds is only four homers away from tying Hank Aaron’s HR record of 755. I just hope that the pitchers don’t begin to walk Bonds every time he steps into the batter’s box. Without running to the top of my soapbox, MLB needs to embrace Bonds, as he approaches this milestone. This is one of the only ways to move past this. Anyways, I also predict that Bonds will hit a HR in his park for the All-Star game. As for the result of the game, does anyone really care? The MLB brass wants to draw more interest to the game, so they attach home field advantage for the World Series to the game. Well since that rule has been implanted, I have watched less than before. I don’t see how letting the home field advantage for the World Series be decided by an All-Star game makes any sense. Especially when it is mandated that every team have a representative. I know that MLB is still trying to recover from their ill-advised strike, but isn’t a better way just to lower ticket prices, and have more fan-team interactions. Just my thoughts on that.
Well I’m off to go enjoy the day before the heat comes back.
Friday, July 06, 2007
July 6, 2007
The final weekend at Wimbledon is here. On both the men’s and women’s sides of the brackets, there are surprises. First, take the women’s final which features Venus Williams versus Marion Bartoli. Coming into Wimbledon, Venus was a sleeper pick to reach the final. Having not played much this in 2007, her ranking has dropped to #31. But Venus is a different woman once she steps onto the grass of Wimbledon. After fending off match points in her first and third round matches, Venus caught fire against Maria Sharapova. She turned in a near flawless performance as she won 6-1, 6-3. Williams then went on to defeat Svetlana Kuznetsova and Ana Ivanovic to earn her place in Saturday’s final.
Her opponent, Bartoli, is even more of a surprise. Bartoli, who is ranked #19th in the world, earned her spot by defeating #1 seed Justine Henin. Even more impressive is the fact that Bartoli lost the first 6-1 and was down 4-3 in the second. Bartoli then rebounded, won the second set, and pulled away to win 6-1 in the third set.
On the men’s side, the final four has more household names. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, seeded #1, 2 and 4th respectively, all have made the semifinals. The surprise comes from the fact that the 3rd seed, Andy Roddick, isn’t there. Roddick lost in five sets to Richard Gasquet. Even more surprising was that Roddick lost the match after being ahead by two sets. Add that to the fact that Roddick lost two straight tiebreaks after winning 18 straight tiebreaks, and you can see why Roddick was at a loss for words in his post-match press conference. Gasquet gets a great gift as he gets to face Federer in one semifinal while Nadal and Djorkic face off in the other.
So after several washouts, the final weekend has the possibility of providing some magic. Federer can match Bjorn Borg’s record of five straight Wimbledon championships, while Venus Williams can win her 4th championship. The win will be her first since 2005, when she also was ranked in the teens. Watching these two events is reason enough for me to tune in. What about you?
Her opponent, Bartoli, is even more of a surprise. Bartoli, who is ranked #19th in the world, earned her spot by defeating #1 seed Justine Henin. Even more impressive is the fact that Bartoli lost the first 6-1 and was down 4-3 in the second. Bartoli then rebounded, won the second set, and pulled away to win 6-1 in the third set.
On the men’s side, the final four has more household names. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, seeded #1, 2 and 4th respectively, all have made the semifinals. The surprise comes from the fact that the 3rd seed, Andy Roddick, isn’t there. Roddick lost in five sets to Richard Gasquet. Even more surprising was that Roddick lost the match after being ahead by two sets. Add that to the fact that Roddick lost two straight tiebreaks after winning 18 straight tiebreaks, and you can see why Roddick was at a loss for words in his post-match press conference. Gasquet gets a great gift as he gets to face Federer in one semifinal while Nadal and Djorkic face off in the other.
So after several washouts, the final weekend has the possibility of providing some magic. Federer can match Bjorn Borg’s record of five straight Wimbledon championships, while Venus Williams can win her 4th championship. The win will be her first since 2005, when she also was ranked in the teens. Watching these two events is reason enough for me to tune in. What about you?
Monday, July 02, 2007
July 2, 2007
The NBA draft has come and gone. There were a couple of trades made, but they didn’t involve the two players (Kobe and KG) that most wanted and/or expected. The trades that were made seemed to do little more than make sure the Western Conference will have young studs to continue their dominance. The first trade involved the Seattle Sonics and the Boston Celtics. Seattle received Boston’s 5th pick in the draft (Jeff Green), Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak in exchange for All Star Ray Allen and Seattle’s 35th pick (Glen Davis). A good trade on paper, but Allen is 32. The Celtics gave up two young players for one old one. Seattle gets two high rated players to rebuild around.
The next trade involved the New York Knicks and the Portland Trailblazers. Portland received Channing Frye and Steve Francis in exchange for Zach Randolph, Dan Dickau, and Fred Jones. This is a major steal for the Blazers. Not only do they clear room for Greg Oden, but they also give Frye a chance to redeem himself, this time without the bright lights of New York. All in all, this draft has me excited for the NBA season. It has been awhile since I have felt like that.
The NBA free agent period has begun and there still remains the possibility that major action will take place. Chauncey Billups, Rashard Lewis, Gerald Wallace and Vince Carter are some of the names who will be on the market. Wait, scratch Carter from that list. Sources are reporting that he resigned with the Nets, his contract an estimated $60 million dollars for 4 years with a team option for a 5th year. Even without Carter, there are plenty of players who can help teams take that next step. Though not “stars” per se, they can do the things needed (rebound, defend, shoot) to get further than the first round of the playoffs. Of the names listed above, Lewis is closest to changing teams with the Sonics have Kevin Durant and Jeff Green playing the same position as Lewis. That will keep interest in this period fresh.
The MLB All-Stars were announced last night and Barry Bonds was voted a starter. So he will be able to play in his home park. I know Bud Selig was upset at that fact. With Bonds only 5 homers away from Hank Aaron, the pink elephant in the room continues to grow. As for the rest of the rosters, both look really even. I like that Magglio Ordonez made the team. He has been really crushing the ball for the Detroit Tigers. I hope they make the postseason again; they’re a fun team to watch.
Well it’s the first week in July, so football is almost upon us. I cannot wait. Really. I can’t.
The next trade involved the New York Knicks and the Portland Trailblazers. Portland received Channing Frye and Steve Francis in exchange for Zach Randolph, Dan Dickau, and Fred Jones. This is a major steal for the Blazers. Not only do they clear room for Greg Oden, but they also give Frye a chance to redeem himself, this time without the bright lights of New York. All in all, this draft has me excited for the NBA season. It has been awhile since I have felt like that.
The NBA free agent period has begun and there still remains the possibility that major action will take place. Chauncey Billups, Rashard Lewis, Gerald Wallace and Vince Carter are some of the names who will be on the market. Wait, scratch Carter from that list. Sources are reporting that he resigned with the Nets, his contract an estimated $60 million dollars for 4 years with a team option for a 5th year. Even without Carter, there are plenty of players who can help teams take that next step. Though not “stars” per se, they can do the things needed (rebound, defend, shoot) to get further than the first round of the playoffs. Of the names listed above, Lewis is closest to changing teams with the Sonics have Kevin Durant and Jeff Green playing the same position as Lewis. That will keep interest in this period fresh.
The MLB All-Stars were announced last night and Barry Bonds was voted a starter. So he will be able to play in his home park. I know Bud Selig was upset at that fact. With Bonds only 5 homers away from Hank Aaron, the pink elephant in the room continues to grow. As for the rest of the rosters, both look really even. I like that Magglio Ordonez made the team. He has been really crushing the ball for the Detroit Tigers. I hope they make the postseason again; they’re a fun team to watch.
Well it’s the first week in July, so football is almost upon us. I cannot wait. Really. I can’t.
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