will Barry Bonds make it to 71 HRs?

[welfareloser]

wow, i dint realize there was so much left to the season... he just might do it. unfortunately, he just won't get as much acclaim for breaking a three-year-old record as his predescessor did for breaking a 40-some-odd year old record.

[eSDee]

Probably not, Barry is the Mayor of Chokeville. :P

[El Scorcho]

Originally posted by welfareloser
wow, i dint realize there was so much left to the season... he just might do it. unfortunately, he just won't get as much acclaim for breaking a three-year-old record as his predescessor did for breaking a 40-some-odd year old record.

true, but then again you could say beating the record that beat the record is even better.

On another note, ya know what i hate? when those stupid pitchers always walk great hitters like barry bonds just cause they know he'll whoop their ass when he comes up to bat. Give the man a shot at the record at least.

[Brendan]

I hope he breaks it. Then I hope somebody breaks it again next year, and the year after, just to show what a ridiculous and short-sighted solution it was for MLB to juice the ball (and to a lesser extent allow teams to move in outfield walls so much).

Up until McGwire and Sosa both demolished it, it was a record that stood for 34 years, then broken by Maris, then stood for another 37. What a joke for it to be broken by NINE by McGwire then to have someone approach the new record just 3 years later.

Sure it renewed interest after the strike in the short-term, but what about the long-term ramifications? The game has changed, for the worse. For one, the running game has basically been removed altogether. Remember when Vince Coleman, Rickey Henderson, & Tim Raines routinely got 80, 90, or 100+ stolen bases? It wasn't that long ago. Now, with the season nearly over, the major league leader has 55, and only 12 players have more than 27. Is it because players are slower now? Of course not. If anything they're faster. Ichiro's time getting from the batter's box to 1st is faster than Coleman, Henderson, or Raines and all-time is 2nd only to Mickey Mantle. But guys aren't getting the green light anymore. Why would the manager risk an out at 2nd when he knows the guy at bat is probably going to sock one out? One less piece of strategy in the game. At this pace, the game will eventually become a home-run derby and you won't need coaches at all.

So go Barry. And next year, go Shawn Green, go Luis Gonzalez, go Sammy Sosa, go Jim Thome. And god forbid one of those guys gets traded to Colorado (where Barry hit 3 today). We could easily see 75, 80, 90? What a joke.

[Markel]

Originally posted by Brendan
One less piece of strategy in the game.
The very reason I never liked the AL designated hitter. Why not just have an offense and defense, like football, if you're going to take that step? :puke:

[Fatass]

I don't think that Barry will break the record...and even if he does, I don't know how good it will be for baseball. The race between Mac and Sammy was great...every wanted to know what was going to happen next, and both of those guys were very media savy. Barry is only racing against the record, which isn't nearly as exciting...then to top it off, he's kind of a jerk when it comes to the media. If you are going to hit that many home runs, you should know that everyone and their mom wants to know what you think about it, and they want to see interview with you. As neat as it would be to see Barry break that record, I kinda hope that he doesn't.
Of course not to take anything away from him, because what he's done this season is amazing.

[Cheesypuff]

Originally posted by El Scorcho


true, but then again you could say beating the record that beat the record is even better.

On another note, ya know what i hate? when those stupid pitchers always walk great hitters like barry bonds just cause they know he'll whoop their ass when he comes up to bat. Give the man a shot at the record at least.

I don't know...If I were a pitcher...I would not like to be known as the pitcher that let the guy beat a record.

[TheLoneGunman]

He should be able to beat the record.

I think charges of racism would keep pitchers from walking him too much.

[El Scorcho]

Originally posted by Cheesypuff


I don't know...If I were a pitcher...I would not like to be known as the pitcher that let the guy beat a record.

dude...the only thing people are going to remember is barry bonds... nobody will remember the pitchers that let him get a record. Besides theres been so many that it doesnt matter.

Im not saying they should LET him get the record...just give the man a chance. After all he deserves one.

[BrewMaster]

I think he'll beat it. He is the Mayor of Chokeville, but only in the playoffs. He usually finishes the season pretty strong, that's part of why his teams get to the playoffs to give him the opportunity to choke.

[BrewMaster]

Not to mention that they play Houston 3 times at Enron Field (aka Homerun Park) and they play San Diego 6 games too. Last I checked, I thin SD pitchers underhand the ball because they suck so bad. Or was it that their opponents get to hit off of a tee because SD pitchers can't get the ball there? Who knows....

[namlook]

Last I checked SD was ranked 15 out of 30 teams in pitching. That's not bad at all.

[TheLoneGunman]

At present the rest of the season is cancelled.

What a way to keep Bonds from breaking the record :(