Bonds Out Until Midseason...At Least.

[Jesse_Ewiak]

Bitching about Barry being on the juice is ludicrous unless you are going to bitch about every other baseball player on earth the past 5 to 10 years. Somehow Giambi gets off the hook because he "came clean? He still collected nice checks.

Dumb Americans - we love to forgive anyone. Barry is a bright guy and honestly that you all hate him because he is a dick to the press is laughable. We'd hate him if he actually gave interviews and said

1) "its a team game" "we take it one game at a time" "other rehashed platitude/cliche here"

2) what is really on his mind

Further, the guy just isn't your average ballplayer, mentally. Yes, he's a brusque asshole. But you know what, when all the guys go out drinking or to the titty bar or worse, he goes home, works out and chills with his kids.

Yes, he uses/used steroids. Yes, he's a dick. But, he's a fucking baseball player - he isn't the President, he isn't a schoolteacher and he isn't a bus driver so stop expecting him to behave certain ways.

[Chubby]

I must have missed the posts ecusing Giambi and everyone else... oh wait they aren't there.

God forbid we expect him to not lie, play by the rules, and follow the law.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Chubby

God forbid we expect him to not lie, play by the rules, and follow the law.

You must have issues with a sizeable percentage of past baseball stars then...

[stevew]

I remember reading an article stating how at one point Wade Boggs had lost some vision in his eyes, instead of having his normal 20/10 vision, it had fallen to only 20/20. Then he got contacts which corrected his vision back to the original 20/10. Now is it "cheating" to get contact lenses that would make your vision better than "perfect?"

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

You must have issues with a sizeable percentage of past baseball stars then...

There's a big difference between say stealing signs and using steroids.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by stevew

I remember reading an article stating how at one point Wade Boggs had lost some vision in his eyes, instead of having his normal 20/10 vision, it had fallen to only 20/20. Then he got contacts which corrected his vision back to the original 20/10. Now is it "cheating" to get contact lenses that would make your vision better than "perfect?"

Is possession of contacts against the law?

[HomerJSimpson]

Originally Posted by Chubby

Is possession of contacts against the law?

These tracks are well worn.

If these people took these arguements into everyday life:
If someone got away with speeding would be equal to someone getting away with murder;

If their employer doesn't make a rule not to steal, then it would not be "cheating," they couldn't fire them, they still should be named "employee of the month," and the employer would be more to blame than the employee since the employer didn't tell them not to break the law;

If you take a vitamin it would be exactly the same as smoking crack;

If you take a medication under a doctor supervision for a medical condition then it is the same thing as buying it illegally off the street and giving it to yourself.

What a wonderful world we'd live in.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Chubby

There's a big difference between say stealing signs and using steroids.

You've already said you didn't read most of the thread, so I'll be nice and recap: we're not talking about stealing signs here, we're talking about things like the widespread use of "greenies" aka amphetamines by players from the '50's up through the early '80's, including allegations players such as Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron and other huge stars were users.

We don't know exactly how much use/abuse of speed improved their performance (much like we don't know exactly how much use of steroids/et all has helped current players) but the presumption is the same - players were using this on the assumption it was helping their performance.

We also know that players throughout the history of the game have cheated in the form of pitchers/catchers scuffing the baseball or adding mud/spit/vaseline to it, and batters corking their bats.

In the old days, guys like Ty Cobb would wear long, sharpened spikes on his shoes and used them as a weapon to discourage fielders from getting in his way when he approached a base for fear of being speared or spiked.

These were all things that were either illegal, against the rules or unethical (or some combination of all three) that boosted performance.