Barry Bonds to retire after 2006 season

[LifeHacker]

Report: Barry Bonds Done After '06
After sitting out most of 2005, Barry Bonds is calling this season his last. The Giants slugger told USA Today that he will retire with or without the all-time home run record.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2336586

Even with all the steriod controversy he is the most dominate player I have ever seen. I know I may sound naieve, but I don't believe he knowingly took steriods. Even IF he did, it wasn't banned by baseball until last year.

[Douchebag Listener]

I hate that asshole. I hope he gets hit by a drunk driver on the night before the season opens. He doesn't deserve to be number three alltime and certainly doesn't deserve to surpass Ruth or Aaron.

[Kyle]

Report: Barry Bonds Done After '06
After sitting out most of 2005, Barry Bonds is calling this season his last. The Giants slugger told USA Today that he will retire with or without the all-time home run record.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2336586

Even with all the steriod controversy he is the most dominate player I have ever seen. I know I may sound naieve, but I don't believe he knowingly took steriods. Even IF he did, it wasn't banned by baseball until last year.

Same here. I don't know what, if anything, Bonds took in his career and I probably never will, but I do know he is the most dominate players of the era and one of the best of all-time.

However, I don't buy that he'll retire after this season if he's a couple HRs shy of the record. The only way I see him retiring is if he breaks it this year, or he pulls a Sammy Sosa and embarasses himself this year by not being able to hit the ball out of the infield.

If he hits 40 HRs and comes up 8 short of the record, he'll be back no matter what he's saying now.

[rahrah]

good riddance - i hope no one pitches to him all year

[prozac]

The guy did amazing things with his bat but he an asshole in the same vain as that other nut job Albert (Joey) Belle. Bonds could leave this year and I would not care. Same shit goes for Sammy Sosa and Mcguire.

[LifeHacker]

I hate that asshole. I hope he gets hit by a drunk driver on the night before the season opens. He doesn't deserve to be number three alltime and certainly doesn't deserve to surpass Ruth or Aaron.
good riddance - i hope no one pitches to him all year
Bonds could leave this year and I would not care.
I don't get all the hate for Barry. What did he ever do to deserve it? None of know him personally. Frankly, I could give a shit if he is a bastard off the field. Most athletes of his caliber probably are. His on the field performance was absolutely dominate. He has to put in the Top 5 Greatest Baseball Players Ever.

7 MVP Awards
8 Gold Gloves
13-time All-star
2 Batting Titles

Look at this guys average season for his 20 year career.
Avg: .300
OBP: .442
SLG: .611
OPS: 1.053
HR: 42
RBI: 110
R: 123
SB: 30
TB: 331

Look at those numbers. Arguably is the second most offensively dominate player in the history of the game.

By the way Albert Belle is a HOFer.

[rustytrombone1]

I don't get all the hate for Barry. What did he ever do to deserve it? None of know him personally. Frankly, I could give a shit if he is a bastard off the field. Most athletes of his caliber probably are. His on the field performance was absolutely dominate. He has to put in the Top 5 Greatest Baseball Players Ever.

7 MVP Awards
8 Gold Gloves
13-time All-star
2 Batting Titles

Look at this guys average season for his 20 year career.
Avg: .300
OBP: .442
SLG: .611
OPS: 1.053
HR: 42
RBI: 110
R: 123
SB: 30
TB: 331

Look at those numbers. Arguably is the second most offensively dominate player in the history of the game.

By the way Albert Belle is a HOFer.

ZERO rings. Performed only once in the playoffs. Choked other times. The hate stems from him being an asshat. Pure & simple. He will get into the HOF, no doubt. Even with the probability of steroids, he's in. Personally, I cannot stand him. As a baseball fan, his bat speed is phenominal and to watch him hit is awe inspiring. But...it still goes back to he's an asshat.

Albert Tinkerbelle is not a hall of famer. Get real.

[LifeHacker]

ZERO rings. Performed only once in the playoffs. Choked other times. The hate stems from him being an asshat. Pure & simple. He will get into the HOF, no doubt. Even with the probability of steroids, he's in. Personally, I cannot stand him. As a baseball fan, his bat speed is phenominal and to watch him hit is awe inspiring. But...it still goes back to he's an asshat.

Albert Tinkerbelle is not a hall of famer. Get real.
Why is Bonds an "asshat?" Explain that to me.

The zero rings thing is bullshit. Dan Marino has zero rings and he was one of the greatest QBs of all time. There are plenty of HOFers without rings.

Go look at Belle's numbers. He has 9 HOF seasons and was one of the AL's most feared hitters in the the mid to late 90s.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/belleal01.shtml

I know Belle will never get in the HOF because he didn't play long enough and the media dislikes the guy, which should have no bearing on if a guy gets in. HOF should be based on on field performance and stats only. THe HOF voters don't do that and hold grudges. Thats why guys like Belle and Jim Rice don't get in.

[Ballbuster1]

I agree, rings shouldn't and don't mean shit as far as HOF status goes.
But he has a nasty cloud hanging over him about the steroid stuff.
He'll probably get in, but there will always be questions about wether
he deserved it.

[Fuck Crosby]

I hope he takes a curve ball to the grill this year

[Skeet Slambone]

I know it's OT but Albert Belle should absolutely be in the HOF

[Yukon_1449]

Bonds is an asshat because he wants everyone to worship him, but won't grant interviews and won't do shit with fans. He demands to be considered the best of all time and I think that arogance turns alot of people off. Also, the steroid cloud is huge. Look at Raph, sure lock for the HOF, now it is in doubt if he will be considered. Does taking roids help you see and hit a baseball, No, but it does help you stay healthy to be able to play into your 40's. Bonds used to steal bases, good D, run around. Now all he does is swing a bat and lumber around a field. He is a liability on D. I can't wait to see if he can stay healthy with out his drugs. At the end of last season, he said that he would be losing a lot of weight in the off season to help his knees. I call bravo sierra on that, the reason the weight will be off is because he won't get to use his roids any more.

The rings should not be a deciding factor, but, great players step it up when the shit is on the line.

Griffy Jr. was 3x's the player Bonds ever was. Rember, Griffy was put on the all century team, Bonds was not even mentioned.

[rustytrombone1]

Why is Bonds an "asshat?" Explain that to me.

The zero rings thing is bullshit. Dan Marino has zero rings and he was one of the greatest QBs of all time. There are plenty of HOFers without rings.

Go look at Belle's numbers. He has 9 HOF seasons and was one of the AL's most feared hitters in the the mid to late 90s.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/belleal01.shtml

I know Belle will never get in the HOF because he didn't play long enough and the media dislikes the guy, which should have no bearing on if a guy gets in. HOF should be based on on field performance and stats only. THe HOF voters don't do that and hold grudges. Thats why guys like Belle and Jim Rice don't get in.
Bonds is an asshat because of his attitude. That's all I was saying. He is not the most personable person. I, personally, do not care for the man (yeah, like that matters!). The dislike of Bonds is a direct result of his attitude towards the media and the fans. If he was more approachable, imagine how crazy the baseball world would be as he's approached Ruth & Aaron. I suspect it would be similar to the Sosa/McGwire 70 HR chase in the late 90's.
Baseball & football comparisons--don't work. My point with the no rings comment was more towards Bonds not performing in the playoffs when he got there. Yes, he did perform with the Giants a couple years ago, but prior to that, he flat out stunk (playoff batting averages: .167, .148, .261, .250, .176, .356, .222).

[OandA_Chris]

he wants to play long enough to move past Babe Ruth in all-time HRs which i think is fucked up with all the steriod controversy.

[weakside]

Two things on this fucker:

1. How stupid does he think people are? No one actually believes he did not know what he was taking was in fact steroids. He is a liar and a cheat and I hope his nuts fall off from taking them.

2. Despite making millions from being an entertainer he treated the people who built baseball, the fans and media, like total shit who were a bother. Fine, if you don't like the media hype quit and do something else.

Best thing that ever happened was seeing my favorite team ruin what probably was his last chance for a World Series ring.

[prozac]

[QUOTE=weaksidetacker

Despite making millions from being an entertainer he treated the people who built baseball, the fans and media, like total shit who were a bother. Fine, if you don't like the media hype quit and do something else..[/QUOTE]

This sums it up perfectly for me....The guy was great but he was so combative all the time. I don't want some vanilla player giving sound-bytes the whole time but Bonds made it impossibe to like him unless you were a Giants fan. FU Barry Bonds.

[NikDaSchwugie]

I'd damn near call Bonds the black Ty Cobb. He'd spike a white reporter in the face if he could get away with it.

[askewcore]

I just dont like him because last year he said that when he passes Babe Ruth's 714 he'd be "the best left handed hitter ever, and no one would have to talk about Ruth anymore"

Just for that, I wish with all my might that he hits his 713th and after he touches home plate, his heart explodes from steroids.