Major league baseball

[banksmiranda]

Barry Bonds is pretty much a lock to pass Babe Ruth on the home run chart. Bonds has announced that he'll play in 2005, with 2006 as a possibility. Do you think that Bonds will pass Hank Aaron? Sammy Sosa is the only player ever to have 3 60-homer seasons. He already has 564 home runs at the age of 35. Assuming he plays 4 or 5 more seasons, will he end up with the all-time home run record? One thing to keep in mind: until 1931, home runs used to be counted if they bounced into the stands. In other words, what might be a ground-rule double today used to be a home run. In that sense Bonds may already have passed Babe Ruth. I think that Barry Bonds may be the greatest baseball player ever. 500 home runs and 500 stolen bases? People these days throw out so many names as "the best player in baseball." I've heard mentioned Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols, Carlos Beltran, Vladimir Guerrero, Alex Rodriguez, and Scott Rolen. Ken Griffey was crazy good until injuries derailed him the past few seasons, but he has shown flashes of his brilliance, along with his oh-so-sweet swing, even this season. My vote for best player goes to Bonds. I think that Albert Pujols is already an amazing player with a really bright future ahead of him. Thoughts? It's really not possible to name pitchers, who really do only one thing and play every few games, as the best player in baseball. Having said that, who is the best young pitcher? Is it Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Carlos Zambrano, Barry Zito, Mark Mulder, Tim Hudson, Josh Beckett, Dontrelle Willis, Roy Halladay or someone else?

 

[PeterMetro]

I would agree. I mean the guy has hit 30+ home runs in 13 straight seasons. That's 13 folks, and likely to hit 15.

However, the steroid issue will always bug me. It seems pretty clear to me that the guy juices. Obviously, he's talented, but the records and such will always be called into question.

For my money, the best hitters in baseball are Bonds, Manny Ramirez and Pujols. Fielders would include Andruw Jones, Torii Hunter and Jason Varitek (perhaps the most underrated defensive catcher in the league). Pitchers have good years and bad years, but Johan Santana is having a very good year.

 

[jpeirpont]

I wonder if Juicing actually helps you hit more home runs. Can juicing actually help your timing and ability to read pitches. I sure it would help once you make contact but even then its probaly marginal. I think to actually find that out you would have to check home many home runs fell short in his early days due to lack of power.
I really haven't followed the juicing issued.Has it been found that he uses?

 

[PeterMetro]

From what I've read, steroids can turn a 20 home run guy into a 30 home run guy. Many of the balls that were once warning track cans of corn now get out. Like I said, Bonds is a very talented player, but without the juice, maybe he hits 60 home runs instead of his record 75.

No, it hasn't been proven that he's on the stuff. He refuses to take a drug test. But with all the links between him and BALCO, his massive head and lack of a neck (always a tell) and his muscles (look at him compared to 10 years ago), it seems pretty cut and dry to me...

 

[Stu]

First off, Sammy, I don't think will make it. His swing has slowed dramatically in the past 2-3 seasons and his output is way down, even considering he's missed time with injuries.

As for roids, perhaps they can make you stronger and hit the ball further. But I understand they can also affect your quickness, and I saw Bonds earlier this year turn on a 98 mph fastball from Gagne so quickly he pulled it way foul. That my friends, is nearly impoossible to do, and given that roids could actually slow your reflexes, well, it just shows how great Bonds is, roids or no.

A lot of home runs is leverage, timing and quickness in the wrists, in addition to strength.

 

[banksmiranda]

Peter, what you said is significant. The fact that Bonds has hit 30 HRs 13 times in a row is pretty amazing. People always pointed out that he never hit 50 or more HRs in a season.
I'm not convinced that Bonds has taken performance-enhancing drugs. If you think about it, Bonds isn't the only big-built MLB player. Albert Pujols has an almost identical physique. Bonds, earlier in his career, was a lithe 6'2", 185-lb outfielder. As he got older he changed his focus to building muscle, that's all. Many of the pitchers aren't exactly small, either. Mark Prior is 230 lb, Kerry Wood is 225 lb, Dontrelle Willis is 239 lb, Josh Beckett is 222 lb, Roy Halladay is 230 lb, Eric Gagne is 234 lb and Carlos Zambrano is 255 lb.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

I'm concerned that my idol Ichiro may not be using enough Steroids. He's gone from a "young adult" size baseball uniform to a "child" size. Granted, he's still one of the best outfielders in the game, can still throw almost everyone but the fastest runner out at home from way out in right field, and is probably the second fastest man in major league baseball; But he just doesn't flash the power like he used to. He's leading the league in batting average and hits (by more than 20), and is second in the AL in stolen bases, but he had a whopping 13 home runs last year, and this year he's only got a measly 4. If you see Barry Bonds, tell him to hook my buddy Ichiro up.

 

[PeterMetro]

...and is probably the second fastest man in major league baseball.

Who's the fastest? Furcal? I've never seen anyone get down the line like Ichiro.

In fact, Ichiro may be one of the most valuable players in the game today. Your yen for Awesome Power. (Simpsons reference? Anyone? No? Moving on...) is a bit misguided - he's a run guy, not an RBI guy. You need both: if you look at the top RBI guys in the league, then look at the batting averages of the guys who bat before him, you'll know what I mean. Regardless, with his speed and defensive prowess, he's the kind of guy you build a lineup around.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Obviously Carl Crawford is the fastest man in baseball... he leads the league in stolen bases by 20, he leads the league in triples, and he's pretty good with the lumber too...

 

[Tokyo Slim]

he's the kind of guy you build a lineup around.

Well I wish the Mariners would hurry up and build a lineup around him then. Having a team with one awesome player and about twenty crappy ones is starting to tick me off.

If Ichiro knew what was good for the team, he'd start juicing and manufacturing his own runs, and then he'd start pitching too. This is what you have to do to be MVP when you play for the Mariners. Pitch the ball, run out to the outfield, make a ridiculous diving catch to get one out, and then run down the batter at second for the tag. Not to mention consistantly batting .400 every year, never striking out, and hitting 50 home runs a year. THEN maybe we'll talk about a contract extension.

And then we would clone him, and we'd have an entire team made of scrawny little superfast asian slap-hitters.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

One thing to keep in mind: until 1931, home runs used to be counted if they bounced into the stands.  In other words, what might be a ground-rule double today used to be a home run.  In that sense Bonds may already have passed Babe Ruth.

Bonds is the beneficiary of smaller stadiums, livelier baseballs, diluted pitching, and better, uh, "nutrition," so it's pretty much a wash.

I think that Barry Bonds may be the greatest baseball player ever.

I don't think there is any debate here.  Babe Ruth is #1, Willie Mays is #2.  Bonds is in the mix with Ted Williams and Hank Aaron at #s 3-5.

 

[GSH1976]

I'm not convinced that Bonds has taken performance-enhancing drugs.  If you think about it, Bonds isn't the only big-built MLB player.

He isn't the only built MLB player because there are other players juicing as well.  In Bond's case, you do not go from being lean to adding the amount of size he has in your late 30s naturally.  Take a look at the guy's traps.  I'm sure he got them with help from creatine and whey protein.  Yeah right.

 

[RatPacker]

Quote:

One thing to keep in mind: until 1931, home runs used to be counted if they bounced into the stands. Â In other words, what might be a ground-rule double today used to be a home run. Â In that sense Bonds may already have passed Babe Ruth.
Bonds is the beneficiary of smaller stadiums, livelier baseballs, diluted pitching, and better, uh, "nutrition," so it's pretty much a wash.

I think that Barry Bonds may be the greatest baseball player ever.

I don't think there is any debate here. Â Babe Ruth is #1, Willie Mays is #2. Â Bonds is in the mix with Ted Williams and Hank Aaron at #s 3-5.
Babe Ruth is not the best player in baseball history. He hit homeruns, drank like a sailor and  beat his wife and generally was a big tub of goo. Bonds overall is one of the best players of all time. My vote goes to Ty Cobb. He hit, he stole bases, and hit homeruns when they were needed. Ichiro is the modern day version of Cobb (without the drunken stupers, brawling and uncoth behavior). I really like Ichiro's style of play. The foreign players are better players then the Americans because they use the fundamentals. The "Dream Team" is a perfect example. They are the NBA's best players and can't win. I see 6 year old shooting better then this team.

 

[jpeirpont]

The foreign players are better players then the Americans because they use the fundamentals. The "Dream Team" is a perfect example. They are the NBA's best players and can't win. I see 6 year old shooting better then this team.

That not true.Aside from Duncan and maybe Iverson none of the players on the team could be considered an elite player.

 

[esquire.]

I don't think you can say Bonds is the best player even though his slugging percentage is astronomical. His defense doesn't bring anything to the table.

As for the dream team, it was fundamentally flawed when they made up the team. They have no shooters. If they did, then it would have totally changed the games they played.