Um, I think practically any Giants fan will agree that Kent was a diva jerk asshole, but the fact remains that Bonds was still the team's leading asshat. And there's a big difference between a "comfy" chair and a barcolounger. Polls of the locals, that is Bay Area residents, are running better than 3 to 1 agreeing with the Giants decision to end their relationship with Bonds. Here's what some of the local sports writers have had to say: By Mark Purdy Mercury News Sports Columnist Here is what should happen tonight: Bonds starts in left field against the San Diego Padres. He hits one last home run into McCovey Cove. In the top of the next inning, he is replaced on defense and trots off the field to grand applause. He blows kisses to the crowd, demands a microphone and tells them, "I'm sorry for doing what I did. Thanks for supporting me in spite of my faults. Free pizza for everybody!" Here is what would be fun to see happen: Bonds starts in left field against the San Diego Padres. Victor Conte throws out the ceremonial first pitch. A remote television camera beams in Greg Anderson, Bonds' jailed trainer, for a touching farewell wave. Baseball commissioner Bud Selig shows up for a ceremony in which, because his hands are still stuck in his pockets, he must use his feet to present a plaque to Bonds. Here is what probably will happen: Bonds starts in left field against the San Diego Padres. Fans applaud. He grounds out to the right side of the infield a couple of times, then in the sixth inning laces a single into right field, as has been his way in 2007. He is then removed for a pinch runner, tips his cap to the crowd and leaves the field. And that will be that. One Giants executive said nothing over-the-top is planned for tonight's game. There will be short video tributes to Bonds and his best Giants moments, shown between each inning. When Bonds comes to the plate, there will be pauses so that ovations can go on as long as people are in the mood to clap. But that's it. The Giants pretty much used up all the coins in their ceremony jukebox for the hoo-ha surrounding Bonds' smashing of Hank Aaron's career home runs record this summer. Tonight, no postgame ceremony is scheduled except for the farewell team wave that follows each season's final out at AT&T Park. Otherwise, nothing. No platforms will be erected. No ceremony will unfurl. No one will hand a mike to Bonds for him to say a few words. Too bad. It would be interesting to hear what he has to say. When Bonds wrote on his Web site last week that the Giants had told him they no longer wanted him, he claimed to understand that it was just business. But his remarks contained an undercurrent of annoyance and resentment that the team didn't inform him earlier. Or was it that he couldn't believe he was no longer calling the shots? In the locker room before Tuesday's first pitch, media members and even some Giants players kept sneaking stares at the infamous three-locker space Bonds has occupied since the ballpark opened in 2000. The locker was stuffed with Bonds' clothes and a couple of golf bags. By Ann Killion Mercury News Sports Columnist The Day finally arrived for the Giants. And as expected The Day was awkward and uncomfortable and full of questions. Friday was The Day the Giants ended an era. The Day they officially broke with Barry Bonds. If you were expecting emotion and sentiment, think again. If you were expecting a Tony Gwynn-like farewell or a Cal Ripken-like embrace, sorry to disappoint. The announcement came in typically, weirdly Bondsian fashion. Bonds was informed of the team's decision by Peter Magowan during Thursday night's game. Ever the mercenary, Bonds posted the news on his Web site Friday. Within minutes of the posting, the scrambling Giants had called a Friday-at-rush-hour news conference. In the interview room there were three seats, three bottles of water and two participants: managing partner Peter Magowan and General Manager Brian Sabean. Bonds was not there for what should have been a sentimental moment but ended up a clinical discussion of the surgical removal of No. 25. Later when approached by reporters seeking comment on the end of a remarkable 15 years, Bonds said, "No, I already made my statement." Excuse me while I reach for my handkerchief. Bonds thought he had leverage. The night he broke the home run record he insinuated he would be a Giant next season and bragged about his "family of fans" who would help secure his future. But the feedback the Giants have gotten on Bonds from the faithful is decidedly split. "On this issue, they are divided," Magowan said. The vocal (but shrinking) pro-Bonds faction points to his numbers. They don't understand why one of the worst teams in the league is ridding itself of its most productive player. They can't figure out why Bonds can't stay while the team rebuilds. Friday's moment of ironic contrast came a short time after the Bonds decision was announced, when the Willie Mac Award was presented. Beloved Willie McCovey, who retired as a Giant, presented Bengie Molina with the annual honor given to the team's most inspirational player, as voted by his peers. Since 1980, 28 players have won the team's most prestigious award. Bonds - who has worn the San Francisco uniform longer than any player besides McCovey and Willie Mays - never did. Bonds' final days were never going to play out like McCovey's. This was never going to end like Gwynn or Ripken. Bonds is not that kind of player. He doesn't engender sentiment. He's not going to participate in the Home Run Derby in his own town, he's not going to play if he doesn't feel like it, he's not going to hustle, and he sure as hell wasn't going to take a discount to play one final year as a Giant. "It didn't really come up," Magowan said when asked about the possibility of Bonds playing for a reduced rate in 2008. It didn't come up because Magowan would have been laughed out of the clubhouse by Bonds. It didn't come up because the reality is that you can't rebuild with Bonds around. The True Believers refuse to see the toxicity and the dysfunction, but it has been there for years. The Giants could live with it when the team was winning or the weak division provided camouflage or Bonds was in reach of a record. But not anymore. "Let's quit while we're ahead," Sabean said. Ahead of what? Before Bonds is indicted? Before the 43-year-old's playing time diminishes further? Before Manager Bruce Bochy goes stark-raving mad? Magowan mentioned how, 15 years ago, when he signed Bonds, the move gave the new ownership "instant credibility." But over the years, the Bonds saga - the Balco stain, the way the team bent to his every whim, the focus on records rather than winning - has damaged the Giants' credibility. Time to rebuild that part of the franchise as well. Ray Ratto San Francisco Chronicle So this, apparently, is finally it. The last night of The Era, with all the good and bad, the invigorating and frustrating that it implies. It's James Whitmore's last night in the Harry Truman one-man show. Hal Holbrook's last night as Mark Twain. Cate Blanchett's last interpretation of Queen Elizabeth I. William H. Macy's swan song as Eleanor Roosevelt. Or something like that. At this point, everything about Barry Bonds' 15 years with the Giants seems like a great pewter blur. Including the farewells. Since he did not play in Tuesday night's 6-4 loss to San Diego even though a few fans chanted his name in the bottom of the eighth, when he starts tonight, it will be the last chance ever, ever, ever ... unless, of course, Giants management gets one final, unlikely bout of eight-figure seller's remorse. All indications are that tonight's send-off (or kiss-off, depending on your frame of mind) will be dignified and unobtrusive, which apparently means that Britney Spears will not sing the national anthem while biting off the head of a whippet. Other than that, they are keeping the details a secret. Hey, they got Henry Aaron on tape without anyone spilling the beans, so I guess anything's possible. But other than the obligatory stream of video tributes - Hey, it's James Gandolfini! Hey, it's Mick Jagger! Hey, it's Babe Ruth! Hey, it's Charlemagne! - that leaves a lot of possibilities for a more genuine and realistic commemoration of B. Lamar's Last Waltz. That is, if the Giants want the last night to reflect the totality of his time in Black, Orange and Creamsicle. Like: -- An enormous effigy of Buddha, carried around the field like that of the Blessed Virgin in "The Godfather," complete with cash pinned to the effigy to symbolize the pot loads of money he made the team, and the team paid him. And Buddha, because no slim, trim deity could carry that type of load. -- A huge chrome bat, ball and pillow set, to commemorate the 8,348 plate appearances, 31,582 pitches, 586 home runs and 574 intentional walks. -- A large lineup card with the four-spot left blank, to commemorate the number of times Dusty Baker, Felipe Alou and Bruce Bochy didn't know whether or not he would be available that day. -- A float full of lawyers, and you do so know why. -- Jeff Kent, and Shawon Dunston standing between them. -- All the "Road To History" ballpark signage that they can't really use anymore when Dave Roberts starts 2008 in left field. Or, if Brian Sabean can swing it, Adam Dunn. -- A DVD of the 2002 World Series, in which Scott Spiezio pops up to second instead of homering off Felix Rodriguez. -- A unicycle containing all his favorite sportswriters. -- Umpire Dutch Rennert's strike call on his Blackberry. -- His Hall of Fame plaque, with the engraved legend, "You already have my statement." -- Jon Miller reading identical telegrams from each of the other 29 owners that say, "Honest, we gave it very serious thought. We just couldn't make the numbers jibe." -- The 1991 National League MVP award that went to Terry Pendleton. -- An autographed poster from Friday's news conference of Peter Magowan looking like someone had just force-fed him a live squid. -- A gift certificate from Starving Students Moving guaranteeing next-day delivery of the clubhouse lounge chair, TV and the three lockers he called home and hearth. -- And finally, the MLBTV package at home, so he can see on a day-to-day basis what the Giants meant the other day by "moving forward." Sorry for the lengthy post, but not every sports writer has an axe to grind with Bonds. Some can actually have an objective view, and even accurately reflect the mood of the fan base. Ann Killion and Mark Purdy have always offered a very insightful and well balanced perspective. Ray Ratto is... Ray Ratto.
Sorry for the lengthy post, but not every sports writer has an axe to grind with Bonds. Some can actually have an objective view, and even accurately reflect the mood of the fan base. The articles you posted all came with ambient grinding noise. These reporters are all reacting to being told, "You already have my statement." Their disappointment in this reaction seems to be dominant emotional backdrop to the epitaphs they're giving to the Bonds era. How is that not axe grinding? I see no direct quotes from teammates saying, "Boy, can't wait 'til he's gone!" As far as reflecting the mood of the fan base, that isn't what we were talking about at all. We were talking about his clubhouse presence -- his role as teammate. The only argument you've presented that addresses that is the Willie Mac Award issue, which only proves he's not a cheerleader. You can't conclude that he's a clubhouse cancer from that. Maybe he finishes second every year -- we don't know. I appreciate your thoughtful response, but I still don't feel I have significant evidence in support of your statement that "Bonds has... dominated the roster and the clubhouse, making it very difficult to attract quality, competitive players."
I never get enough copyright violation in my diet.
So, what would it take? Sworn affadavits from former teammates? A webcam beaming a Howe-ian 17,000 images a day to you from inside the clubhouse? It's Barry Bonds, not the Yankees. You can take the blinders off. You seem so ready to blame the writers irfc cited above, but how much research have you done on the mood in San Francisco? At least he went looking for some local flavor on the subject. While the writers above may be more out of touch with the fan base than an actual Giants' season ticket holder, they know a lot more about that crowd than you or I do. I've been looking for fan reaction pieces, but can't seem to find 'em. I suppose there are thousands of Bay Area bloggers who will lavish praise on Barry, and that's where I need to look. Obviously, you and I are on different sides of this argument, and will probably stay that way. You seem to think that every sportswriter in America who writes something bad about Barry hates him, is jealous of him, or has an axe to grind. I simply think the guy's a dick who hasn't given many people reasons to look for whatever good is hidden beneath his surly attitude and gigantic cranium. And, to finish, as in earlier posts, I claim no ability to know what you're feeling, what you're thinking, what you're eating, drinking, wearing, or anything else. Any conclusions I've reached and/or written about are pure speculation on my part and come from my interpretations of contextual clues in your writings. Any resemblance to Crafy Sousepaws, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
For the third time, here's the comment to which I am reacting: Bonds has also dominated the roster and the clubhouse, making it very difficult to attract quality, competitive players. The Barcalounger was a real stumbling block to team building. I'm not refuting anything about the "mood in San Francisco." I'm not begruding anyone who wants to discuss "fan reaction pieces." The claim was made that Bonds' persona -- as a teammate, not as an idol, an interview subject, a neighbor, a father, a valued customer of American Express, just as a teammate -- drove prospective players away from San Fran, principally because he had a Barcalounger. My position, which I have conceded may be a faulty one, is solely that this view comes exclusively from media conjecture. I haven't seen a direct, attributed and corroborated quote that he is a clubhouse cancer. I have never seen anything expressed by free agents that they were staying away from San Francisco because Bonds is there. Peter Gammons has never reported, to my knowledge, that his inside sources are whispering that Free Agent X is staying away from San Francisco because he doesn't want to play with Bonds. Retired players are not writing tell-alls (that I know of) revealing how horrible a teammate Bonds was. I grant you that it may be unreasonable to expect evidence like this to ever break. Most players like to avoid burning bridges, and most would probably like to stay off of the Barry Bonds Show if they can avoid it. Maybe there is evidence of which I am unaware -- if there is, I would welcome it and I am open to changing my position. Until I do, though, the only evidence I have is a handful of players saying he's a pleasure to have as a teammate against scores of reporters who write their own conjecture about Bonds without any whiff of the real evidence I'm asking for. No blinders, just the facts, man. I'm not willing to throw myself into the Bonds hating frenzy and accept every bad thing anyone says about him like he's a one-dimensional villain from a comic book.
I never get enough copyright violation in my diet. /chuckles softly I understand your point crafty, but what kind of evidence do you need? I think llb has put it a lot better than I could. I have grown up in the Bay Area and in the Bonds era. I can go back and research 15 years of articles and news stories in the three main newspapers for specific evidence and really give yerfatma heartburn. But there is such evidence of Bonds becoming a growing abcess in the clubhouse, and whose source was not solely a Bonds dissed sports writer. It didn't just sprout up overnight, there has been a continuous and growing sentiment based on the Giants performance and why they hire the players they do, the difficulty with keeping Bonds in the 4 spot in the lineup when he slumped badly, the early departures of Matt Williams and Will Clark, even Jeff Kent, just to mention a few. I think it's completely unrealstic to think that his teammates are going to trash talk the guy while his uni is still hanging in his locker. Once Bonds retires the gloves are gonna come all the way off. The barcolounger was just the euphemism for all the shit you would have to put up with if you decided to play for the Barry Bonds Giants. You can split hairs about him being second in the voting, but not once in 15 years did the great and benevolent Bonds get that "team" award. You don't have to drop an acme safe on my head for me to get that someone was trying to send a message.
I think llb has put it a lot better than I could. You lost me. What is "llb?" I am by no means even pretending to know more about the Giants, their fans, their media, their personnel, their front office, or really anything at all than those who live in the Bay Area (and that includes everywhere fromTampa Bay to Green Bay to the Hudson Bay to the Bay of Pigs). Here's my point in a nutshell: mmph, mmph, prph. Here's my point if you open the nutshell: I have heard teammates of Bonds' say he is a good teammate. I have not heard teammates of Bonds' say he is a bad teammate. You may be right that, in time, these stories will come forth. When I see good evidence that Bonds' existence hindered the Giants' recruitment potential, I am fully prepared to accept that. At this time, that evidence is made up entirely (to the best of my knowledge) of conjecture, and I don't accept that as good evidence of anything. This is particularly true of evidence that stems from a collective media that routinely bashes the guy for every reason under the sun. I do not deny in any way that Bonds is a first-rate jerk. Lots of teams have first-rate jerks. If free agents refused to play on teams that had first-rate jerks, they'd have to take up golf. Or something.
I disagree. Bonds would be the worst thing for the Royals right now. I mean this from a strategic standpoint, not even factoring in the media drama that seems to follow him. Not saying that Bonds would even want to go to KC, but it would be a nice aquisition for the team. He could give some of the young guys like Gordon some real help with hitting. If he would sign at a decent price (again, not holding my breath) it would be a good deal. **He could prolly show them how to get around all the drug tests too.** That aside, I think a team like Seattle would be a good situation for him. Sexson is hitting a .200 clip this year, and with Bonds could easily make the postseason. Also, I heard some yanks fans talking about Bonds... why would the yankees even need him? We already have an awesome bench, outfield, and also have Giambi as DH... its not gonna happen. Personally, I wish he would just fade off out of baseball, but I doubt if he will.
