Reasons why Bonds should be our DH next year

[Dipper9]

Because Bonds has become the poster boy for the PED crusade. If you were not a baseball fan and someone asked you what you think of the steroid issue in baseball, who would you think of.

To me that is the one and only reason you don't even consider bringing Bonds into Baltimore. Not because he's a worse person than the rest of the guys. Honestly I don't know more than what I read in the papers or see on SC and we all know how reliable that is. Not because he won't help the team, because one could make a very good argument that there is not one single person who would have a bigger impact as a DH on this team. You want a power hitter with a high OBP, name a better one that is possibly available. The reason you don't touch Bonds with a 10 foot pole is that the Orioles reputation is tarnished enough already. Raffy, Sosa, Tejada, Segui, Grimsley, Roberts, Gibbons, it doesn't matter one bit whether any or all of them are guilty of anything. The court of public opinion has weighed in and in my opinion the Orioles can not afford another PR debacle.

The Orioles cannot get any lower in "the court of public opinion" either with the fans, other baseball teams, or potential free agents. Bringing in Bonds cannot make us any worse perception wise, so why not try to make our team better?

[MTOsFan]

The Orioles cannot get any lower in "the court of public opinion" either with the fans, other baseball teams, or potential free agents. Bringing in Bonds cannot make us any worse perception wise, so why not try to make our team better?

I'm not sure if thats true. Imagine this headline "Baltimore Orioles DH Barry Bonds indicted by Grand Jury". The O's have not hit rock bottom on the PR ladder yet. They still have room to fall.

[Mark Carver]

My only concern would be, if he's indicted by the Feds in 2007, and has to take time off to go to trial...

1) would he still collect his salary?

2) who pays his attorney's fees?

3) who pays for the private airplane to fly him back and forth?

[osfan83]

Well let's understand something, when I explain that Bonds disrespects his family and his wife and why, and the response I get isn't "WOW, I didn't know that, maybe we don't need someone like that" but instead the response is basically 'So what, everyone is PROBABLY doing it, if Bonds can get me a Championship, I don't care"

I have to draw my own conclusions about that kind of outlook. And I said it "COULD" speak alot about him, I didn't say that it necessarily does...

My point is, sure we know alot about Bonds and he is a creep. But if you are saying you don't want a player because of the reasons you stated, then we better do some investigating into the guys currently on the team.

When it comes to sports, my only interest is what happeneds on the field. If I started worrying if the players on my team had ever slept around or smoked a joint, I wouldn't enjoy it. Let the guys who pay them judge them on their morals. I'm just a fan who roots for the uniform anyway. Right now I hate Derrick Jeter, if he wears the orange and black I'll root like hell for him. There are very few players in any sport, that I care anything about, off the field.

[El Gordo]

The court of public opinion has weighed in and in my opinion the Orioles can not afford another PR debacle.

Just imagine the media circus(actually more like a carnival freak show) when Bonds hits 756. Fox Sports will bring back Steve Lyons to insure tastelessness. "Welcome to OPACY the house that Steroids built" or is it "the house that Ruthlessnsess built". See Bud Selig split himself in two trying to acknowledge the great feat while distancing himself at the same time. Watch Hank Aaron denounce the whole affair from video tape because he refuses to be present. Don King presenting Barry with the new Sultan of Swat crown while promotng Barry's upcoming wrestling match with Mike Tyson. Right behind him is the FBI agent presenting him with his indictment and reading him his rights. Great day for baseball in B'more.

[SVOF]

The thought of Barry Bonds playing for the Orioles makes me wanna puke.

[Dipper9]

The thought of Barry Bonds playing for the Orioles makes me wanna puke.

MY Orioles losing for 9 straight seasons is what makes me wanna puke! Its the on the field stuff that matters, and until he is suspended for using steroids, then I guess he's following the rules set forth by Major League Baseball!

Now go root for your Ravens next Sunday (by next, I mean the one following this week, since we are off this week) and root for all those wife beating, steroid using, back stabbing (literally) DUI getting, overpaid prima donnas!

[giantfan]

He wont be facing any suspensions unless hes dumb enough to test positive. I think after passing tests for two years the chances of that are slim. Bonds wont play for the o's anyways, he'll be on the westcoast.

[Ooooooohhhh!!!!]

One issue that I haven't seen addressed in this thread is the effect that Bonds would have on the clubhouse. In hearing some of the players speak at the end of last season, they seemed to convey that the clubhouse was upbeat, despite all the losing. Would Bonds have an effect on that?

Cal was here his whole career, so his special expections were given over time. Bonds would want his simply for walking in the door. I don't think this would sit well with the guys that have been here a few years.

I also have to wonder if Tejada, Roberts, and Gibbons would want Bonds here. Their names were brought up in the media not long ago, but that seems to have faded a bit. Bringing Bonds to Baltimore would certainly cast the spotlight back on those guys.

[Mad Mark]

Bonds would be kind of like how I felt about Ponson during his time here. I would boo him and would not like him at all, but I would still hope he hit 50+ homers and helped the players i like have a winning team. Just like I hoped it would click for Ponson and he would start thowing shutouts everyother start,

But I thought he was a horrible person.

I don't think it's fair to compare Sidney Ponson--a small, neglected child trapped in the body of a 20-something--with Barry Bonds, who set out to deliberately remake himself as a player with chemistry, both legal and illegal.

Not to say that Bonds doesn't have his own emotional issues--many based on the (real and perceived) mistreatment of his father--but, if Barry was only a jerk, and not a better-baseball-through-chemistry-jerk, I think this thread would trend differently.

[cindyluvsbrady]

There is no chance Bonds signs in Baltimore. Why do people keep mentioning his name?

I hope you are right about this!

[Mad Mark]

MY Orioles losing for 9 straight seasons is what makes me wanna puke! Its the on the field stuff that matters, and until he is suspended for using steroids, then I guess he's following the rules set forth by Major League Baseball!

Now go root for your Ravens next Sunday (by next, I mean the one following this week, since we are off this week) and root for all those wife beating, steroid using, back stabbing (literally) DUI getting, overpaid prima donnas!

It strikes me as somewhat odd that behaviour we expect from some of our entertainers (movies, music, TV...) we depolore in our athletic entertainers (baseball, football...)

[giantfan]

It strikes me as somewhat odd that behaviour we expect from some of our entertainers (movies, music, TV...) we depolore in our athletic entertainers (baseball, football...)

Well its all motivated by the media, this past week a couple of football players were suspended for using steroids but its like it didn't happen. The medias hate for bonds drives up all the suspense.

[BillySmith]

Fan4Life, I don't know you, and I am not going to pretend to know you, your character traits, morals, or anything esle. You very well may be the exception to this following statement, so again, I am not talking about you here. That said, many, not ALL, of the people on here who are talking about morals, character, ethics, steroids, and everything else that we HATE about Barry Bonds the person, would be cheering their heads off if Barry Bonds the baseball player came here and started bouncing homers off of Eutaw Street on a daily basis. Can you at least agree with that statement?

Well, Duquette agrees with us. We're in decent company. Crap, let's just have a platoon of released players for DH. That would be awesome. :002_smad:

[beaner]

I wrote this in another thread and will ask again:

Do any of the Anti Bonds folks root for the Ravens? If so, do you have any problem cheering for Jamal Lewis (A Convicted drug dealer) or Ray Lewis (Aquitted of murder chrages, however was at the scene and lied to the police). I'm not judging Jamal or Ray, dont get me wrong, but I think it's sort of the same idea. Granted Ray has completely redeemed himself to the rest of the league and is a class act, but his past is his past.