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Todd (nolemmings)I am so sick about people pissing and moaning about Barry Bonds. Take a step back and look at what he's doing, both in his career and this season, especially (since it's topical), the latter. He passed Babe Ruth in walks - the ultimate sign of opponent's respect, in a record that stood for 78 years. He will be the second player in history to have a slugging pct. greater than .800 (only ruth again), and he will be in the top 5 in on base Pct. (exceeding .500). These latter records have stood for more than 70 years and should surely show anyone interested in the nuances of the game just how great a hitter is Bonds.
What about his mouth? In the last two months, I read two wire stories that were poignant. First, Barry hit a pinch hit home run to win a game-- his interview went something like this: " I don't like to pinch hit because I stink at it". Next, when he passed Mike Schmidt in career HR's, he said he wanted to thank Mike Schmidt for talking to him and being friendly when Barry was a young player and when Schmidt sure didn't have to. Both of these confirm what many of us already knew-- that Barry, while sometimes cocky, knows his shortcomings, doesn't duck them, and that he respects if not praises those who have reached accomplishments before him. POINT TO SPECIFICS THAT YOU THINK MAKE THIS GUY SO BAD. Personally, I'm glad this guy isn't your everyday interview chock full of nothing but cliches. If he tells the media to go to hell and leave him alone, that's only a plus in my book. Barry is not the "look at me , I'm the greatest" type of guy, and that speaks volumes. Those who can't deal with that and want another Sammy Sosa, too bad.