Mike Sweeney

[LorfTVP]

Mike Sweeney is one of the most tragic players in our generation of baseball players. Agree or Disagree? Honestly, the man has immense talent, can hit for average, power, take a walk, and doesn't strike out. Shame he gets stuck on some damn shitty Royals teams and somehow can't escape the injury bug which has burrowed deep into his body and begun laying little injury eggs.

[Ditto]

Mike Sweeney is one of the most tragic players in our generation of baseball players. Agree or Disagree? Honestly, the man has immense talent, can hit for average, power, take a walk, and doesn't strike out. Shame he gets stuck on some damn shitty Royals teams and somehow can't escape the injury bug which has burrowed deep into his body and begun laying little injury eggs.

Well, I'm pretty sure his sticking with the Royals was his choice, and what I find even more tragic is that, although I'm not as fragile, I'm also not as talented.

[LorfTVP]

At least he got to play alongside a supervillain.

 

[Herc]

the most tragic part about him was that clause in his contract where he could opt out or demand a trade or whatever if the royals didn't have a winning record in 2003--of course they had one and it was their only winning record since 1994. poor guy

[Plow]

honestly i think the most tragic is bonds, the guy had it all, and blew it away because of greed and personal ambitions. I mean think about it... He could have gone down as one of the top 5-10 ever to play the game but he wanted to be the best. Top 5 or 10 was not good enough for him, he needed to be the best, and look at him now. He cheated and did things the wrong way, and he doesn't have the balls to admit it when we have a ton of evidence on him. Read of Game Of Shawdows if you think he didn't do it.

A kid at my school was talking with me and he told me Barry Bonds was the man. I looked at him and I was like funny joke man, but he was dead serious. He really likes Barry Bonds. I mean people who arent Giants fans who like the guy are looked down on completely. I am not friends with this kid.

 

That my friend is tragic. To have it all and practically lose it all.

 

Yes, Sweeney is tragic as well, but at least people feel bad for him. Everyone hates Bonds!

[Herc]

maybe i lack moral fiber but i still can't bring myself to hate bonds. i never hated him, even though he played for the giants--i always took his side when we'd argue who was better, him or griffey, and the guy was completely overshadowed by ripken's streak (an event the revisionist sports historians like to say saved baseball--even though kids my age at the time couldn't care less about it) and the homerun record chase. as wrong as he probably was for doing steroids it's really really hard for me to say i don't see why he did it. the guy never got the recognition he deserved until he started juicing--and that's 100% because the media will kill you if you dont make their job easy. look no further at how the ny media is suddenly treating eric mangini because he isn't media friendly. everyone loved the guy when he was hired but now because he has his own media policies he's being treated like garbage in the papers.

[Plow]

maybe i lack moral fiber but i still can't bring myself to hate bonds. i never hated him, even though he played for the giants--i always took his side when we'd argue who was better, him or griffey, and the guy was completely overshadowed by ripken's streak (an event the revisionist sports historians like to say saved baseball--even though kids my age at the time couldn't care less about it) and the homerun record chase. as wrong as he probably was for doing steroids it's really really hard for me to say i don't see why he did it. the guy never got the recognition he deserved until he started juicing--and that's 100% because the media will kill you if you dont make their job easy. look no further at how the ny media is suddenly treating eric mangini because he isn't media friendly. everyone loved the guy when he was hired but now because he has his own media policies he's being treated like garbage in the papers.

 

just out of curiosity, did you read Game Of Shadows?

[Herc]

just out of curiosity, did you read Game Of Shadows?

 

nope, but i feel like i did considering the amount of exerpts that made it to print. i'm not down with people profiting off what bonds did--all that info should be in the newspapers, not a book

[Plow]

nope, but i feel like i did considering the amount of exerpts that made it to print. i'm not down with people profiting off what bonds did--all that info should be in the newspapers, not a book

 

those guys did a lot of research about him and broke a lot of stories on him in their time.

 

Plenty of writers profit off books they write about what athletes did, there were tons on the yankees - red sox rivalry that were just an in depth analysis of what happened. I dont think there is anything wrong with that, escpecially with what athletes are making these days. Supply and Demand, people love to read about what they watched and what happened behind closed doors.

[Herc]

those guys did a lot of research about him and broke a lot of stories on him in their time.

 

Plenty of writers profit off books they write about what athletes did, there were tons on the yankees - red sox rivalry that were just an in depth analysis of what happened. I dont think there is anything wrong with that, escpecially with what athletes are making these days. Supply and Demand, people love to read about what they watched and what happened behind closed doors.

 

bonds cheating was supposed to be such a horrible thing--at least that's what the writers keep telling us, but before caminiti and conseco ruined everyone's fun they had no problem covering bonds and no problem encouraging us to be amazed. i feel more cheated by their sudden turnaround than by bonds. now the guy is terrible and the same people who were telling us how great he is are now not only telling us what a cheat he is, but profiting off it as well. it just rubs me the wrong way

[Plow]

bonds cheating was supposed to be such a horrible thing--at least that's what the writers keep telling us, but before caminiti and conseco ruined everyone's fun they had no problem covering bonds and no problem encouraging us to be amazed. i feel more cheated by their sudden turnaround than by bonds. now the guy is terrible and the same people who were telling us how great he is are now not only telling us what a cheat he is, but profiting off it as well. it just rubs me the wrong way

 

i understand.

 

I was hesitant to buy it, but my mom told me on christmas and my birthday (in january) that we didn't have much money so I had to pick something useful as a gift for both. That means either clothes or something intellectual. No DVDs or video games, whatever I am fine with that. So I got 2 dress shirts from the Gap and Emperors and Idiots by Mike Vaccaro for Christmas. That book is now autographed, ah thank you. Then for my birthday I asked for another book, Game of Shadows. If it wasn't a gift, I would have never got it. Once I read it, I really noticed what all the buzz was about. It's not just about him, it's about a lot of track athletes as well and their trainers. It goes into Bonds' personal life and almost makes you feel bad for him because of the way he grew up. Then again, how do you feel bad for somebody who was served the world on a silver platter.

[LorfTVP]

How about Ken Griffey Jr.? I know we're only thinking of high profile players, but still, these guys could have been capable of so much. Bonds, I hate him with every fiber of my being. It wouldn't be so bad if he were a good human being otherwise, but that's not the case.

[gateb]

honestly i think the most tragic is bonds, the guy had it all, and blew it away because of greed and personal ambitions. I mean think about it... He could have gone down as one of the top 5-10 ever to play the game but he wanted to be the best. Top 5 or 10 was not good enough for him, he needed to be the best, and look at him now. He cheated and did things the wrong way, and he doesn't have the balls to admit it when we have a ton of evidence on him. Read of Game Of Shawdows if you think he didn't do it.

A kid at my school was talking with me and he told me Barry Bonds was the man. I looked at him and I was like funny joke man, but he was dead serious. He really likes Barry Bonds. I mean people who arent Giants fans who like the guy are looked down on completely. I am not friends with this kid.

 

That my friend is tragic. To have it all and practically lose it all.

 

Yes, Sweeney is tragic as well, but at least people feel bad for him. Everyone hates Bonds!

I actually feel bad for Bonds for different reasons. He cheated we all know it, but he's taking the bullet for hundreds, maybe thousands of players that cheated. Why is it that Barry Bonds gets treated horribly in every ballpark besides his home stadium, but Ryan Franklin, a steroid user who was caught and suspended 10 games for taking an illegal substance, barely gets any negative reception when he comes into the game?

 

I think it's a little bit ridiculous how Bonds gets all the blame for the steroid era. The reason he gets booed like this is because the steroids actually work for him, and Franklin doesn't get booed because they didn't work for him.

 

That's why I don't hate Bonds like everyone else.

[fringe]

Never feel bad for anyone that earns millions for playing a game.

[LorfTVP]

I actually feel bad for Bonds for different reasons. He cheated we all know it, but he's taking the bullet for hundreds, maybe thousands of players that cheated. Why is it that Barry Bonds gets treated horribly in every ballpark besides his home stadium, but Ryan Franklin, a steroid user who was caught and suspended 10 games for taking an illegal substance, barely gets any negative reception when he comes into the game?

 

I think it's a little bit ridiculous how Bonds gets all the blame for the steroid era. The reason he gets booed like this is because the steroids actually work for him, and Franklin doesn't get booed because they didn't work for him.

 

That's why I don't hate Bonds like everyone else.

 

That's not true. It's because Barry Bonds is chasing one of the most cherished records in all of baseball while cheating. It's his attitude and his refusal to admit to his sins despite overwhelming evidence. He's also a high profile player compared to Ryan Franklin being a nobody.

[Plow]

I actually feel bad for Bonds for different reasons. He cheated we all know it, but he's taking the bullet for hundreds, maybe thousands of players that cheated. Why is it that Barry Bonds gets treated horribly in every ballpark besides his home stadium, but Ryan Franklin, a steroid user who was caught and suspended 10 games for taking an illegal substance, barely gets any negative reception when he comes into the game?

 

I think it's a little bit ridiculous how Bonds gets all the blame for the steroid era. The reason he gets booed like this is because the steroids actually work for him, and Franklin doesn't get booed because they didn't work for him.

 

That's why I don't hate Bonds like everyone else.

 

Bonds had it all, he was famous, he was a great player, he had the money, he had the girls (and made sure he had quite a few at a time), he had the name, he certainly had the fame yet he wanted more. He wanted to be seen as the best ever, and whatever it took is what he would do. He was jealous of Mcgwire.

A lot of players did take steroids, but you know what, guys like Matt Lawton are just trying to stay in the league and make a buck. They make a good buck but still they're trying to survive. In a few years form now, Matt lawton may have no money and could be a blue collar worker like a lot of us. Guys like Bonds, Sosa, Palmeiro and Mcgwire were just greedy, selfish cheaters.

I am not a big fan of Jason Giambi but at least he had the stones to admit he did something wrong. He also didn't lie to the grand jury to make himself look like a victim. He knew what he did, him and Bonds were friends/workout buddies and Bonds introduced Giambi to Victor Conte. Yet Giambi knew what he was doing and Bonds apparently accidently took "the shit". Yeah ok.

 

Read Game of Shadows, it will give you an idea of what really happened.

[gateb]

That's not true. It's because Barry Bonds is chasing one of the most cherished records in all of baseball while cheating. It's his attitude and his refusal to admit to his sins despite overwhelming evidence. He's also a high profile player compared to Ryan Franklin being a nobody.

That's my point. The steroids worked for him, so he gets crappy treatment because of it. True, he is an asshole, but he is getting improper treatment from the fans.

 

The only people that have admitted it as far as I know are Giambi, Grimsley, Sheffield, and Canseco. And none of them have received improper benefit from the fans and Giambi and Sheff were never suspended. And they are booed, but not nearly as bad as Bonds. And Sheff is every bit of an asshole as Bonds is.

 

And Plow, I have kept that book in mind and another called called "Love Me, Hate Me" which is written about Bonds. But I can't get to it now because of Summer reading