756*

[StPetersburgHoya (Inactive)]

nm

[HoyaFanNY]

maybe pedro gomez will vanish now

[kghoya]

did phil jackson start this thread?

[RDF]

The part I don't think is getting enough mention--how do you take a guy out of a game that is in the 6th inning? I know he got the record--but it's not an exhibition game--and he gets pulled? STRANGE move and I'd like to think despite the emotion and relief, that Bonds could still play the game out--as in it's important to win games and his JOB to perform/win games.

Everyone focused on HR--well what about the game? Just another case of an individual taking precedent over the team. If I was a teammate--I'd be up in Bochy's face wondering what the hell he's doing? I want to win more then watch a guy hit HR's.

[hifigator]

RDF, I was thinking the very same thing. First I heard the announcers say something like "it will now be up to Barry as to whether he stays in the game or not." Then after the last out, they said that they were going to "keep it right here" to see if Bonds goes out to left field. OF course he did ... as a token gesture, only to return to the dugout and take the rest of the night off. Now I know it was very emotional, but I'm with you on this one. It is a game. Granted, the Giants aren't very good at it, but the goal is still to win. If they were seriously in the pennant chase, then I would understand giving a little extra rest to some of the older stars to keep them fresh for the post season, but in this situation I thought it was silly.

[kghoya]

i wanted to see him hit for the cycle

[Coast2CoastHoya]

Congrats to Barry and the Giants. Juice or no juice, 756 ain't easy.

Giants fans got what they wanted - the record at home (notice the lack of boos in the stands? I liked that). The naysayers got what they wanted - a muted and qualified celebration when the inevitable occured.

Now let's see if A-Rod breaks Barry's record.

[ExcitableBoy]

Bud Selig was a coward for not showing up to see the record fall. Come on, Bud, you reap what you sew.

[strummer8526]

excitableboy said:

Bud Selig was a coward for not showing up to see the record fall. Come on, Bud, you reap what you sew.

I think Bud Selig has been one of the worst aspects of baseball for too long. This may be a dumb question, but who's in charge of who the commissioner of a sport is and when his tenure is over?

I think it's about time Bud take his Tied All-Star Games-self away from the game.

[CAHoya07]

Congratulations to Barry Lamar Bonds. Truly an incredible scene at AT&T Park last night. It couldn't have happened in a more perfect fashion - 3-2 count, crowd chanting his name, a classic Barry home run to one of the deepest parts of the park. Barry hugging his teammates and familiy after crossing the plate, Hank Aaron delivering a classy congratulatory message on the Jumbotron, Willie Mays on the field giving Bonds a microphone, then Barry addressing the crowd and breaking down when thanking his late father. Can't really ask for more (well, other than the fact that the Giants lost the game by blowing a late lead again).

Now, as a Giants fan, I am looking forward to watching the team rebuild with a more youthful roster after this year, and Barry moving on to another club (probably in the A.L. as a DH) as he moves towards 3,000 hits and 800 home runs.

And remember, if you want to give Bonds' home run number an asterisk, be sure to include Sosa (604* and counting), McGwire (583*), and Palmeiro (569*) as well.

[Deleted]

strummer85 said:

I think Bud Selig has been one of the worst aspects of baseball for too long. This may be a dumb question, but who's in charge of who the commissioner of a sport is and when his tenure is over?

I think it's about time Bud take his Tied All-Star Games-self away from the game.

He's an employee of the owners.

He makes the owners ungodly gobs of money.

They aren't going to get rid of him any time soon. To them, he's done an absolutely fantastic job, and if I were an owner I'd agree.

[GIGAFAN99]

Is it OK for me to think he juiced, would not have gotten to 756 without it, and that he's still a better power hitter than Aaron?

No offense to Hank, but if an unjuiced Bonds had less travel, fewer pitchers, fewer teams, and fewer actual types of pitches to see I think he does just fine versus Aaron.

So yeah, he's a big fat cheater. But I'll just think of skinny Barry and the 1990s when he was the best hitter in an era with other great hitters like Griffey and Thomas.

[RDF]

Selig also needs to tweak the wildcard--teams who don't win their divisions shouldn't be rewarded with hosting 2 games in a best of 5 series--what's the point of winning your division if you get in Postseason, drop a game (which in baseball happens far more then basketball) and then team who won division has disadvantage? To me it should be harder for Wildcard and yes I'm taking into account the fact they might have better record then other teams who won their divisions---because majority of time they likely won't.

[RusskyHoya]

To me, at least, the effect of all of this has been to cheapen the record. I was glued to the TV set along with most other sports fans when McGwire was chasing 61. That felt special. With Bonds and the questions, both in the single-season record chase and this, it's made me care far less, which is too bad, given the monumentality of the records in question.

Plus, as a Reds fan it just makes me all the more sad that Griffey couldn't stay healthy for the last 10 or so years. Otherwise, he'd be right up there.

[tgo]

rdf said:

Selig also needs to tweak the wildcard--

couldnt agree more. what they should do is have two wild cards and have them play a one game single elimination game for the right to play the best division winner. with that you have the one game excitement that is a big part of football or the ncaa tournament, it gets many more cities involved in a pennant chase longer in the season, it returns some importance to where and how you finish the regular season and most importantly, it forces those two teams to use their best pitcher and pull out all the stops leaving them at a disadvantage going into the divisional series against a team that is rested and has its rotation in order. the goal should be that the wild card team rarely makes the world series but that once every 15 years they do and it is a big deal as a result.

[ExcitableBoy]

tgo said:

couldnt agree more. what they should do is have two wild cards and have them play a one game single elimination game for the right to play the best division winner. with that you have the one game excitement that is a big part of football or the ncaa tournament, it gets many more cities involved in a pennant chase longer in the season, it returns some importance to where and how you finish the regular season and most importantly, it forces those two teams to use their best pitcher and pull out all the stops leaving them at a disadvantage going into the divisional series against a team that is rested and has its rotation in order. the goal should be that the wild card team rarely makes the world series but that once every 15 years they do and it is a big deal as a result.

I agree in principle, but isn't this rigidity and geographically-biased approach exactly what people are killing the NBA over right now?

Remember when the AL Central was the laughing stock of the league? Can you imagine the fit that the Angels/Red Sox of the world would raise if their teams had to play an elimination game in order to have the right to play the best team in the league, while the lowly Indians/Twins get a free pass to the real playoffs?

[dajuan]

excitableboy said:

tgo said:

couldnt agree more. what they should do is have two wild cards and have them play a one game single elimination game for the right to play the best division winner. with that you have the one game excitement that is a big part of football or the ncaa tournament, it gets many more cities involved in a pennant chase longer in the season, it returns some importance to where and how you finish the regular season and most importantly, it forces those two teams to use their best pitcher and pull out all the stops leaving them at a disadvantage going into the divisional series against a team that is rested and has its rotation in order. the goal should be that the wild card team rarely makes the world series but that once every 15 years they do and it is a big deal as a result.

I agree in principle, but isn't this rigidity and geographically-biased approach exactly what people are killing the NBA over right now?

Remember when the AL Central was the laughing stock of the league? Can you imagine the fit that the Angels/Red Sox of the world would raise if their teams had to play an elimination game in order to have the right to play the best team in the league, while the lowly Indians/Twins get a free pass to the real playoffs?

The only tweaking of the wild card should involve more teams, in the same way that the NFL does it. A one game playoff is such a crapshoot that it would cheapen the rest of the season. What if one team finished 5 games better than the other "alternate wild card" but the team that finished 5 games back manages to win the one game playoff? It could be very damaging to the league and to the notion that every game matters.

In response to RDF, how many games do you think the wild card winner should host? Do you think the wild card winner should have to play all of its playoff games on the road? I don't understand. Perhaps a 7 game first round would be better with the wild card winner hosting games 3, 4 and 6. Although to do this they would probably have to shorten the regular season (which many are calling for regardless of playoff format). The notion of shortening the season doesn't make sense for the people in control (even though many players support it) because why would every owner want to have 4 fewer home games? It would also make the single season stats of the 162 game era even more inflated than they already are.

[hifigator]

russkyhoya said:

To me, at least, the effect of all of this has been to cheapen the record. I was glued to the TV set along with most other sports fans when McGwire was chasing 61. That felt special. With Bonds and the questions, both in the single-season record chase and this, it's made me care far less, which is too bad, given the monumentality of the records in question.

Plus, as a Reds fan it just makes me all the more sad that Griffey couldn't stay healthy for the last 10 or so years. Otherwise, he'd be right up there.

I'm not a reds fan in the least, but I agree with you on Griffey. I would much prefer the classy Griffey to have the record and I too am sure that he would be right up there had he not had a rash of injuries in the prime of his career.

P.S. I find it somewhat ironic that you are a Reds fan.

[theexorcist]

www.theonion.com/content/news/destruction_of_national_pastime

[dajuan]

theexorcist said:

www.theonion.com/content/news/destruction_of_national_pastime

Even more appropriate to the recent posts:
www.theonion.com/content/news/nation_to_ken_griffey_jr_we_wish