Why Is it that Barry Bonds is heralded as an "Outstanding" Baseball Player?

Question

Ok, yes he will break Hank Aaron's home run record this year. It's unfortunate, since Hank is one of the games greatest home run hitters, but why is it that Bonds is classed as a great baseball player? Sammy Sosa hit 600 home runs, sports radio wasn't interested due to steroids. Yes that milestone should have an asterix, but then they said you look at great players, and bonds was clumped with Aaron and Ruth. Yes Bonds hits homers, but his body mass also grew massively from his early years in Pittsburgh. Bonds, like Sosa was drafted as a good hitter, but ultimately a speedy outfielder with decent power. Not until the performance enhancing scandals did these guys really start to jack bombs. Bonds' fielding has fallen even worse every year starting back about 6 or 7 yrs, and he doesn't have a good career average. I'm confused as to why this guy even is considered an all time great. I think his and any record broken buy a steroid suspect should have an asterix.

Ok, so first off, I don't HATE Barry Bonds. I don't think that he should be so publicly picked apart like he is, I just feel that there are so many great players to play the game fairly (see Griffey). He has shown absolutely no signs of steroids, no swift explosion and no huge spike in numbers. He is the prime example of consistent. It doesn't help he's in Cincy, but he gets less recognition then Bonds. I don't think he is a horrible player, He was above average and showed great ability in his prime, it's just too bad he had to get wrapped up in the Juicing issue. If he would not have been involved in the Steroid issues I would say his record is legit, however; because he had the huge blow up of the body, and because he has been linked with Balko, his record, like So-so's and Big Mac's should have question marks, yes Aaron's should say in more games, yes pitchers who have been caught should have question marks. I just hate hearing Bonds' name synonymous with the best to ever play

Answer 1

Because all people do is talk about him. Any publicity is good publicity and he gets more attention than he rightfully deserves. Why don't we all just stop talking about him and maybe he will go away? I am really tired of hearing about him. I wish he would just break the record already so I can hear/talk about REAL baseball again.

Answer 2

Barry Bonds was the greatest ball player I have seen bar none. Maybe his numbers are a bit inflated but even if you shade 200 home runs from his total you can STILL make a very solid argument for him being the greatest player of all time. He could do it all. I wouldn't say he is one of my favorite players but there is no question at all he is the very best I have seen and I have been watching baseball since the early 1980s. Is it wrong for you to chose him as your favorite player? Hell no! Wade Boggs is still one of my favorite players of all time even though it is known he had an affair on his wife when he had small children. While the extra marital affair may not be baseball related it shows a total lack of integrity to betray your wife and children in that way and I would say far more so than cheating at work. Is it worse to betray the ones you love or your coworkers? I think the answer is obvious. There is nothing wrong with choosing Barry Bonds as your favorite player he is a human like the rest of us and makes mistakes the only difference between Barry Bonds and your neighbor down the street that uses very similar PEDs to what MLB players do just to stay looking good for the ladies is that Barry Bonds was a god at the game we love.

Answer 3

Well. . . Because he is an INCREDIBLE HITTER and for most of his career was a very good fielder as well. Any player who can put up the home run numers he has while still having a 299 career average and talk all the walks he has in a once in a lifetime talent! Counless gold glove awards and MVP awards. . .HELLO. . .what part of this don't you understand? Sammy Sosa has a career batting average of 274. Bonds also has over 500 stolen bases. . he has been an all around star. HOLY CRAP MY KEYBOARD IS DYING!!! MY SPELLING LOOKS LIKE THAT OF A POLITICIAN OR ACTOR OR ACTRESS. . . STILL MUCH BETTER THAN A CRAP RAP SINGER THOUGH.

Answer 4

bonds is the second best player i have seen, only behind a griffey i still only see in his prime days. bonds gets a bad rap because he doesnt get along with the media, so the media wants to say he uses steroids even though he has never tested positive for steriods. what if it comes out that arron used steroids? should he have an asteric? i dont think so. up until the past couple years they were not tested for. bonds in his prime a beast and even today has the best eye for pitches. bonds deserves to get the record and be a first ballot hall of famer.

Answer 5

I think your question should have asterisk. That asterisk will say Can't use Spell Check and is a Bonds hater. I'm a Pirates fan. I respect Bonds ABILITY. Do you think that blimp Babe Ruth was a good player when he retired? Want me to list the players who stunk their last couple of years playing? Bonds was one of, if not the BEST, player of the last few years. Do you want the asterisk by Aaron's name stating he played more games then Ruth as well? I mean we have to be FAIR. Oh and I hope you start putting Asterisks by the Pitcher's names since MORE OF THEM HAVE BEEN CAUGHT USING 'ROIDS. McGwire's name better have a asterisk-caught using a then legal PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUG. See Bonds was never caught with anything illegal or then legal.

Answer 6

There's a statistic called "on base percentage", which does a very good job of capturing how effective a player is at NOT making outs. Since not making outs is one of the core skills needed to drive an offense, those players who excel at not making outs tend to be among the very best ever.

Having digested this, lookit the OBPs Bonds has posted, career and seasons. Among the best ever. He has utter mastery of his strike zone, like no one else playing today and few others in history. And steroids cannot explain this demonstrated ability of his. The haters simply edit this out in their deranged minds, because it doesn't agree with the prefabricated hate agenda.

There's a lot more to Bonds' career, but it starts with his on-base ability.

Career: 6th

Best seasons: #1 (MLB record .609, 2004), 2, 7, 11, mixed in amongst a lot of "Williams" and "Ruth" listings.

Answer 7

There is a lot more to being a great player than just jacking bombs. He is a great all around player since birth. Bonds, like Griffey Jr were stars right out of the gate. He has slowed down for the most part, and like older players, can just rely on his at bats.

Answer 8

He was a Hall of Famer before the roids scandal. He could run,hit for average,power and he was a good left-fielder.I'm not trying to defend him, but he was good before he juiced up. Sosa on the other hand is over-rated. 3 roid filled seasons and his play all-around was average at best. Regardless Bonds , as a hitter was as dangerous as anyone ever has been...roids or not. I believe he took roids and the Home Run record will always be Aarons( til A-Rod breaks it) but you can't deny how good he was before the juicing.

Answer 9

He is outstanding. And if you saw this guy in his prime you would know that. End Of Story!

Obviously you have not even looked at his stats. The guy in his prime is a .300 hitter. He has a career .299 AVG. In Pittsburgh he had more than above average power. Look at the stats. He also has stolen a lot of bases. He is a 5-Tool player. Not anymore but in his prime he was pretty badass. Also in his prime he was one of the best fielders in the game.

Answer 10

Look at his numbers, they're spectacular.

He's won 7 MVP's and 8 Gold Gloves.

Since when is .299 not a good average?

How can you say he isn't an Outstanding player?
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