Barry Bonds: Race Baiting A-Hole (A Mini Rant)

[anti_shrub]

I'm tired of Barry Bonds and the media that apologizes for him no matter what he spews out. Bonds gets protected by the media almost as much as Shrubbie does, it seems.

So Barry makes the comment that he's more interested in breaking Babe Ruth's home run mark of 714 than he is in breaking Hank Aaron's record of 755. Why you ask? Well since more people talk about Babe Ruth than Aaron, it's obviously because the Babe was white.

I'm sick of this piece of trash constantly displaying rude and boorish behavior, then branding the people who call him on it racist.

Here in Pittsburgh we've had to deal with the double barrel of being accused of sour grapes since Bonds broke into the majors with the Pirates, which would hold some weight if it wasn't also here that his ego grew to gargantuan size (not to mention the difference in his body shape *cough*enhanced*cough*).

Every time the Giants come to town, you can count on two things: Barry will get booed, and the sports reporters here will write tongue-clicking columns on how the poor racist city of Pittsburgh dares to not bow before the Greatest Player That Ever Doth Lived. I mean of course this city is racist, its not like we loved Willie Stargell, Roberto Clemente, Franco Harris, Jerome Bettis...well you get the point.

As far as I'm concerned, Bonds can hit 900 homers and he'll never be anywhere close to the best player in history.

[WilliamPitt]

1. He's right about the Babe, though

Hate him as you will - he is a dick by all reports - but the Babe gets more press. Go figure why. Here in Boston we have the Ted Williams Tunnell to honor a baseball player who was an amazing hitter but never won a championship. There isn't so much as a brick named for Bill Russell, a God on the court who won 11 championships with the Celtics. Go figure why.

[anti_shrub]

2. Maybe its because

The Babe hit more homers than most other teams in his day.

Maybe its because The Babe did what he did despite being the total opposite of what we think an athlete should be, namely his drinking, smoking, and overeating.

Babe Ruth was literally and figuratively larger than life. It also helped that he was part of the most famous teams in sports during their most famous period, that being a Yankee in the 20's and 30's.

As far as Bill Russell goes, I think he's victim to being good in a sport before the sport was widely popular. Basketball wasn't the attraction back then it is now. Does that make it fair? No, but it's the same if soccer became a major sport 20 years from now and people asking why guys who played in 2003 don't get the attention current players do.

[jaysunb]

3. Maybe...just maybe

YOU and others feel the need to "approve" what Black men like Dusty Baker or Bonds say.

I'm pretty sure you know what Barry didn't Say !!

[anti_shrub]

7. What the hell...

What are you trying to say there? I'm not quite sure I follow you correctly, I'd like a clarification before I issue a proper response.

[morstyranni]

22. He's insinuating you're a racist

I think, I don't now why, maybe because you made the PC mistake of questioning the validity of an African American's statement.

[Journeyman]

4. Babe Ruth brought respect back to a game. . .

that was devastated by the Black Sox Scandal. Many people make a great deal about "The House that Ruth Built," but without the respectability Ruth brought back to the game, few people would have sat in the seats of Yankee Stadium (or any other ballpark). So yes, Ruth gets a disproprotionate amount of praise, but it's for more -- much, much more -- than his stats.

[WilliamPitt]

5. Basketball was HUGE in Boston when Russell played

Babe Ruth was larger than life in a league that excluded black players. I've seen stats on Negro League players that put the Babe in deep shade.

I'm not defending Bonds. But today Aaron's feat is unparalelled along with Ruth's, but Ruth gets the press.

[anti_shrub]

6. Perhaps

but there's players in the Japanese leagues that have put the MLB record to shame too, but is that to say Ichiro is unfairly treated by white fans? Of course not.

To clarify that a bit: People always mention that the hitters in the MLB back then didn't have competition from guys in the Negro league, which is true, but how many guys in the Negro Leagues had the benefit of facing lesser quality pitching? Not every pitcher there was Satchel Paige, and Josh Gibson wasn't facing guys like Warren Spahn either. It ends up being an apples and oranges argument to me.

[Syrinx]

8. I like your book (but not as much as "What Liberal Media?" by Alterman)

But I regret that I've seen *baseball statistics* racialized.

[morstyranni]

19. The Negro League was a good league...

But it wasn't as good as the Majors, I think if they intergrated earlier some of those NL guys would be up there with the white players, but the Babe would still be one of the best, if not the best from that time period. He was a natural.

[NYYFan]

25. Incorrect- The Negro Leagues measured up to MLB and even surpassed it

Have you ever looked at some of the stats (although incomplete) the Negro Leagues ??!!!

http://www.negroleaguebaseball.com/faq.html

http://www.nlbpa.com/links.html

I also highly recommend "The Complete History of the Negro Leagues 1884-1955" by Mark Ribowsky.

After you've done some more research- get back to us.

[JohnKleeb]

26. sorry you are wrong

The Negro Leagues were far superior to the majors. Josh Gibson hit more homers than the babe yet he didnt even live to be forty. Cool Papa Bell he was very fast. Satchel Paige and others need I say no more. Many negro league stars are virtually unknown if you listen to old negro league vets they will tell you about other names most havent even heard of.

[noiretextatique]

9. so maybe it isn't "race-baiting"

as you suggest, since as you say "Babe Ruth was literally and figuratively larger than life."

i don't know much about bonds otherwise...

[anti_shrub]

10. Bonds heavily implied

That Babe carries the mythos he currently has because he's white.

[noiretextatique]

11. well...if the shoe fits

the leagues weren't integrated when babe was playing...were they? and few of the negro league players, no matter how great, are even known today. i don't understand your problem with this, though i gather bonds is considered a jerk by many. it doesn't take anything away from babe's acheivements. certainly the fact that segregation benefitted whites isn't news to you.

[anti_shrub]

12. Of course it isn't news to me

I just hate how he plays the racism angle to justify his boorish behavior.

[noiretextatique]

13. i gather...don't know much about him

or his behavior.

[Uzybone]

17. Please quote

where he said that.

Unless your one of those people who goes about sniffing for racism where it isnt and then starts shouting about how this black person or the other is racist.

[FreeperSlayer]

16. Bill Russell was GOD

Damn shame there's nothing named for him.

[morstyranni]

18. He was a hoop god but...

There's nothing named for Larry Legend either, Boston is a baseball town first, the only celtics person to be honored in anay timeless fashion is Red, who has a statue in Fanueil Hall, which is always getting crapped on by the gulls. I think Tedddy Ballgame is Boston's athlete that guy was an amazing man, now he's a the punchline to popsicle jokes, we live in a crazy world.

[MaynardIsGod]

14. I feel it's my obligation to say

.. WHO GIVES A FLYING MONKEYS ASS WHAT HE THINKS. HE HITS A GOD DAMNED BALL WITH A BAT FOR A LIVING... :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

[morstyranni]

20. Obviously a lot of people care.

But you're entitled to your opinion.

[Forkboy]

15. I dont know if he's a racist shitheel

but he's definately a shitheel.

[morstyranni]

21. I don't think he's a racist shitheel,

but I think he is a race-baiting shit heel, who hides behind perceived prejudices when he says assinine stuff.

[Blue_Chill]

23. I think Bonds has a point

Babe is the one everyone talks about even though he isn't number 1. Thus he wants to break his record so that ignoring the black players will become even more obvious.

BTW - "the babe" wasn't a great guy.

[Alenne]

24. Can you provide the quote?

He implied and he obviously meant may be good enough for the rest on this thread but not for me. I want to know what he said.

[Alenne]

27. Somebody is race baiting and it isn't Bonds.

I read the quote and he never said anything about doing it because Babe Ruth is white. You took your issues and put it on Barry Bonds.