Biggest piss-job on Bonds to date

Not the same thing and you know it.

 

He also didn't have any at-bats against pitchers from the Marlins, Rockies, Diamondbacks and Brewers, not as many at-bats as Bonds against pitchers from the Expos/Nationals and Padres, and probably not as many against pitchers from the Mets and Astros. The reason I mention those teams, of course, is expansion. How many home runs did Bonds hit against pitchers who wouldn't have been on major league rosters before expansion? Aaron played his first eight seasons before the 1962 expansion season.

 

Even if there was no suspicion of Bonds juicing - I don't think the tone of the coverage he's getting would be that different than what he's getting because he's such an ass to the press. Anybody know if Bonds is tight with anyone in the press corps? Does he have a Stu Scott or Billy Packer type apologist?

 

Absolutely the same thing -- workplace safety. Do you think MLB should get rid of helmets, too? Maybe just the ear flaps? Maybe get rid of the padding that has emboldened so many outfielders to fling themselves against walls?

Fans pay an awful lot of money to see Barry (and all major leaguers) play and if an elbow pad helps keep a star healthy and on the field, I'm all for it.

It's pretty difficult to discern which player had more obstacles to hitting home runs. There are plenty of facts that rest on both sides of the argument. For example, here's a little piece of trivia:

With an altitude of more than 1,000 feet above sea level, Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium was (until the Colorado Rockies entered the major leagues) the highest park in the majors, which resulted in many homers and the nickname "the Launching Pad." Aaron played half his games there from 1966-74 while, conversely, Barry plays home games in one of the most difficult HR parks.

http://www.ballparks.com/baseball/national/fulton.htm

This type of argument can go on forever and probably will, which is another one of the cool things about baseball.

 

Indeed.

 

The elbow pad doesn't keep him healthy. (See also Legs, Bonds' gimpy for more.) It allows him the opportunity to take a batting stance at the extreme front of the batter's box without fearing a fastball on the arm in return for his insolence. Remember, we're not talking about a pad to protect his shin from an errant foul ball --- rather, we're talking about a piece of body armor that allows him to impudently ignore a key piece of batter-vs-pitcher strategy.

That is not the same thing as a welder's helmet, which is a mandatory piece of safety equipment needed for the job. Plenty of MLB batters do their jobs without that elbow pad. If Bonds were secure in his manhood, he'd do his job without it as well.

 

Actually, I think A Rod does wear some sort of elbow padding. It may not be as big as Bonds', but I believe he still wears it.

 

A hitter's elbow pad doesn't keep a pitcher from throwing inside to move him off the plate. It's not as if his entire body is encased in armor. Throw at his legs, or his rib cage or his shoulder. It's not a question of manhood, it's a question of protection against a 90-95 mph pitch aimed at a particularly vulnerable spot.

 

The elbow pad doesn't keep him healthy? That's just silly. Elbow pads keep elbows from getting hurt and are well within the rules. I'd wear one in a split second if I had pitchers throwing 95 mph baseballs within a foot of my body. It has nothing to do with manhood, either. He's keeping himself on the field as much as possible and protecting his ability to earn money at his chosen profession. Fans should be happy he wears it because a broken elbow would deprive them of one of the game's greatest drawing cards. The Giants front office is OK with it, believe me.

 

It takes away fear. A hitter with an elbow pad doesn't have to fear an inside pitch, thus taking away some of his respect for the pitcher's strength.

None of which has the same effect.

That's kind of the point. If they don't want to get hit in the elbow, they should back off the plate rather than bind themselves up in fiberglass.

 

We all know Barry has hit quite a few drug-addled homers over the last few years.

But given more pitchers than field players have been nailed for using roids since the testing began, how many of Barroid's homers were hit off of juiced pitchers?

Even without the roids, he's one of the greatest hitters of our generation. The other one -- Ken Griffey Jr. -- would be right up there with him if he hadn't spent so much time on the DL while Bonds was spending time with his, ahem, trainers.

 

Precisely my point, crimson, when I mentioned how power pitchers are more prevalent than in previous generations. Those 95-mph heaters are not all naturally grown.