Bud Selig is an asshole

beachdweller wrote:

Bud Selig has a 50 yr friendship with Hank Aaron, but he also has an overall responsibility to all of baseball, he's been bad for baseball recently.

As for Bonds, the players union does protect the players and their illegal use of enhancement drugs, but the owners could do something if they wanted, and all the focus on Bonds benefits the owners, if that much focus was on the entire problem in baseball, then they might have to take action or lose money.

when it comes down to it, it's all about money, the purest baseball view is a farce now, nothing pure in baseball anymore.

nothing is pure in baseball anymore... and it seems absurd to compare todays records to past records in baseball. how can you compare a mans batting average to the batting average of a ban who hit when the fielders did not have webbing in their gloves? or when the starting pitcher went 9 innings, when they took a bus from game to game instead of an airplane? when the training eqipment was different? baseball has juiced the balls to go furthur, so why not juice the players. it is simply not the same game. night games, artificial turf, domed stadiums, baseball in colorado, why even bother to compare todays records to records set when none of that existed? these play as much if not more of a factor in player performance than steroids do.... it is just the evolution of the game.

robbie wrote:

nothing is pure in baseball anymore... and it seems absurd to compare todays records to past records in baseball. how can you compare a mans batting average to the batting average of a ban who hit when the fielders did not have webbing in their gloves? or when the starting pitcher went 9 innings, when they took a bus from game to game instead of an airplane? when the training eqipment was different? baseball has juiced the balls to go furthur, so why not juice the players. it is simply not the same game. night games, artificial turf, domed stadiums, baseball in colorado, why even bother to compare todays records to records set when none of that existed? these play as much if not more of a factor in player performance than steroids do.... it is just the evolution of the game.

Two records came to mind while reading that:
Ted Williams hittting .400
and
Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak.

Both those records are well over 50 years old.

robbie wrote:

nothing is pure in baseball anymore... and it seems absurd to compare todays records to past records in baseball. how can you compare a mans batting average to the batting average of a ban who hit when the fielders did not have webbing in their gloves? or when the starting pitcher went 9 innings, when they took a bus from game to game instead of an airplane? when the training eqipment was different? baseball has juiced the balls to go furthur, so why not juice the players. it is simply not the same game. night games, artificial turf, domed stadiums, baseball in colorado, why even bother to compare todays records to records set when none of that existed? these play as much if not more of a factor in player performance than steroids do.... it is just the evolution of the game.

Yes, but many of those records (HR not withstanding) are still pure, because for every advance that has happened to help one side, there is usually a balance.

Sure, the gloves have improved, making hits harder, but artificial turf makes hits easier. Training equipment makes practice more effective, but guys 50-100 years ago were not hitting off 2-3 guys on every team hitting at least 95 MPH. Domed stadiums help the defense and the pitching as much as it helps the hitting. Guys may have gone 9 innings back then... which was an advantage for the hitters. Now guys are essentially hitting off fresh pitchers every at bat.

Baseball is probably the most pure of sports. Basketball adds 3 point lines, changes the way things are called, adds new circles and zones. The NFL changes what is a penalty every year, uses instant replay, and tinkers with rules. The NHL moves lines, adds penalties, changes the way its called in the playoffs, etc...

Baseball, for all its faults, is a game you could bring a guy from 1925 and he would still know most of the rules, and what was going on. None of the other sports could say that.

gue_barium wrote:

I disagree with the 'gloves have improved/making hits harder' part, but other than that, nicely stated sentiment.

eh, i just said that to address his point. I think the gloves aspect of it plays a very very minimal role, if at all. If anything, it only helps protect the hand so it results in fewer injuries for defensive players.

gue_barium wrote:

I'm sure it still stings when you catch a screaming line drive the wrong way.

and getting hit in the head with a helmet on still hurts... but doesnt kill you like it would without one.

Oddly, the only proven 'roid cheat in Bonds' recent chase is the pitcher who gave up 755. He was suspended for a positive test in the minors.

As for Selig. Fuck him. Fortunaely his worst ideas (contracting my team, dumping the AL and NL for an Eastern and Western conference) never came to fruition. He may not have created the steroid problem but he looked away when it helped save his game.

As for Bonds. I have never had a big problem with him. I don't find him that abbraisive. I am not kidding myself, though, into thinking that he did not use steroids. Maybe he has not tested positive and maybe you could make an argument that if he only used it when it was not against MLB rules (not likely or his body should have broken down even worse, like McGwire), that he never really cheated. Either way, there will be an asterisk in most of our minds. The funny thing, though, is that I find myself pulling for Bonds out of spite to all the people that are so upset.

As for 'roids:
What bothers me about the outrage is that its only about homers. Nobody cares that pitchers use them to recover from their outings (particularly relievers that pitche multiple games in a row). Where are the boos for Juan Rincon? Steroids are about much more than homers. They are about recovery from injury and workouts and a bit of extra endurance. You know who I suspect of Steroid use? Cal Ripken Jr. Much of his streak came after some prominant olympic 'roid busts. Playing every day is hard. When it was common place to take "greenies", I don't have reason to believe he was not doing it. I can suspect him, if you can suspect McGwire. And I guarantee you Lou Gehrig was not using them (he also was playing much of his streak in immense pain, but that's a different story). The cloud of suspican either needs to hang over everyone or needs to be forgotten. It's MUCH more than homers. (Note that I am not accusing Cal of anything, just saying that the cloud could hang over him as much as anyone else who's head did not grow 7 sizes in the steroid era).

And as a fan of a team that is going to lose a two-time Cy Young winner to salary (and who has watched a well-run A's team make the postseason but not win it all while dumping all sorts of great pitchers due to salary), I say fuck it. Fix the real problem in baseball: The team inequities, which make it less a sport and more a spending contest. (To bring this to the 'Train, make it more socialist, like the NFL). Get me a salary cap and I'll deliver the performance enhancing drugs myself.

mca47 wrote:

Fuck you Bonds! Fuck you and all of your friends who destroyed the reputation that is the greatest game in the world. Fuck you and your record, you will always be known as a worthless cheater and anyone who cheers you is either a naive asshole or someone who doesn't give two shits about the game. Enjoy your day as "the greatest home run hitter of all time" but also enjoy your testicles shriveling up and you early death you fuckin' prick.
Going down in history in a ocean of "boos" must really feel great!
There were greater men before you that had you position but had a greater appreciation for the game, and did just as well if not better then you in an age that required no less then showing up to the ball park and giving it your best.
Fuck you and your body armor you wear as you hang over the plate. If anyone deserves to be hit with a 100 mph fastball it's you, you asshole.
Fuck you as you treat those few people that support you like shit. Who the fuck do you think your are? You made it buddy! You got what you wanted...the publicity, the fame, the fortune...but you know what? You can't hack it! You will go down as the biggest disgrace to professional sports ever.
Deny it all you want asshole, we all know you are lying and that's why people will continue to boo you. Those that are naive will learn in time. Look at Bush supporters, it only took them 7 years and 3,000 people dead...and now 25% of the country still supports him...

Shit, bad example.

Fuck you Bonds! I hope that there is some way for you to never hit a home run again. I wished that before you tied Aaron. All I know is that if I was a pitcher I would advise you to be on your toes because there is no doubt you would have one up and in.

This was so good to read, I thought I'd quote it. Nice rant!

Selig as the commish should be there.

don't gimme no wrote:

He should be in SF right now. He's got a fucking job and he should be doing it.

I'm not a Selig fan, but I agree. He has a job and should be doing it. His job isn't to see the record break but to oversee baseball. So I have no problem with him not being there. He has been there what like 9 or 10 of the last 12 games. he's given enough time away from the office to see the record.

Then Commissioner Bowie Kuhn wasn't there when Aaron passed Ruth. He went to a dinner in Cleveland that night.