Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.
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@MathMan5072 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@vox_pestis said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@MathMan5072 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@nflman2033 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
As much as I hate his guys, statistically speaking, the answer is Barry Bonds, both as a Pirate and a Giant.
Ignoring Bonds, I would say Ken Griffey Jr., but by the time he got to Cincinnati, he was a shell of his former self. I may have to go with Tony Gwynn, at least in the early 90s he was still great. Saw Glavine and Smoltz, but never got to see Maddux or the big unit live.
Best game I went to, well most memorable, I was at the brawl between the Reds and Cardinals, where Molina and Phillips had words at the plate right in the bottom of the first, Cueto kicked LaRue I believe. Quite a nasty site as bad as anything I have ever seen at a hockey game.
Shoot. I forgot about Barry. I sat in the right field seats on opening day at dodger stadium one year and the guy must have hit the ball a good 20 rows behind me. It was unbelievable.
Such a shame. As much as I dislike him, Barry was great before ever touching a needle. The talent was unquestionable. But the jealousy bug got him, he just couldn’t stand seeing players he considered inferior surpassing him (McGwire). That season where he hit .370 and a ton of home runs was amazing, not for the counting stats but because he walked almost every at bat, rarely swung, but when he did it was “perfect/perfect”. That isn’t just roids.
.370 46 hr 110 rbi. 47 strikeouts. 198 BB!!!
He just made the perfect villain though, especially if you’re a dodger fan. He was incredibly good, he didn’t hesitate to tell you how good he was, he was a cheater, he broke several sacred records, and did I mention that he was really good. The crazy thing is I believe he could’ve have done all of it without the steroids. Unfortunately we’ll never know. But it was still amazing to see what the guy could do on a baseball field.
I personally do not see the players who did roids as cheaters, If you do then consider all those players in the 50's 60's and 70's cheaters, as they took what is known in baseball as GREENIES, and George Brett pine tar and any other player that use anything to get some kind of an advantage, some we will never know about. With roids it was ignore from baseball top officials including the Commissioner. They knew it was going on and nothing was enforced or in the rules what they could take or not, The True Roid cheater is Arod who got caught after rules were in place. Bonds was never found guilty and a lot of the player were never found guilty of any of it but yeah we know or assume they were all on it. It is a shame by baseball who ignored it and did nothing about it. I do think Bonds, Clemens should be in the Hall of Fame. Cheating was not a big deal pre 1994. The strike changed baseball and MLB lost a lot of fans and fans started coming back because of McGwire Sosa and Bonds and all the other players hitting HR like they were after 94. Baseball would not be what it is today without the Roids in the late 90's. Baseball was looking to get rid of teams such as the Brewers, Twins to name a few in the late 90's.
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@vox_pestis said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
An odd thought I’ve always had about Barry Bonds...
He has Michael Jordan”s personality and a 13 year old valley girl’s voice. Very strange.
Michael Jordan was excellent with reporters. Probably the best ever. Bonds was one of the worst in that regard..
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My wife was at Dodger Stadium for Dennis Martinez’s perfect game. I saw Griffey Jr. and ARod as Mariners.
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@mjfc_363 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@ilvmyjeep said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@MathMan5072 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@vox_pestis said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@MathMan5072 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@nflman2033 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
As much as I hate his guys, statistically speaking, the answer is Barry Bonds, both as a Pirate and a Giant.
Ignoring Bonds, I would say Ken Griffey Jr., but by the time he got to Cincinnati, he was a shell of his former self. I may have to go with Tony Gwynn, at least in the early 90s he was still great. Saw Glavine and Smoltz, but never got to see Maddux or the big unit live.
Best game I went to, well most memorable, I was at the brawl between the Reds and Cardinals, where Molina and Phillips had words at the plate right in the bottom of the first, Cueto kicked LaRue I believe. Quite a nasty site as bad as anything I have ever seen at a hockey game.
Shoot. I forgot about Barry. I sat in the right field seats on opening day at dodger stadium one year and the guy must have hit the ball a good 20 rows behind me. It was unbelievable.
Such a shame. As much as I dislike him, Barry was great before ever touching a needle. The talent was unquestionable. But the jealousy bug got him, he just couldn’t stand seeing players he considered inferior surpassing him (McGwire). That season where he hit .370 and a ton of home runs was amazing, not for the counting stats but because he walked almost every at bat, rarely swung, but when he did it was “perfect/perfect”. That isn’t just roids.
.370 46 hr 110 rbi. 47 strikeouts. 198 BB!!!
He just made the perfect villain though, especially if you’re a dodger fan. He was incredibly good, he didn’t hesitate to tell you how good he was, he was a cheater, he broke several sacred records, and did I mention that he was really good. The crazy thing is I believe he could’ve have done all of it without the steroids. Unfortunately we’ll never know. But it was still amazing to see what the guy could do on a baseball field.
The thing with Barry though is that he’s just as much a victim as he is a villain. Barry Bonds was Mike Trout before anyone even looked at WAR. He was a victim of being under appreciated and his talent was evaluated differently in the era he played. Counting stats were what got the attention. If Bonds had been evaluated then in the way we view Trout now, the narrative around him would be different and perhaps he never would’ve sought the attention he craved because his greatness would’ve been appreciated and recognized at the time.
He may not have been the most likeable personality, but his prickly relationship with the media also stemmed from his frustrations in his lack of recognition as the best player in the game. In 1996, Barry put up a 40/40 season worth 9.7 WAR and finished 5th in the NL MVP vote. Two years later, Sammy Sosa won the NL MVP with 66hrs and a 6.5 WAR. That same season, Mark McGwire hit 70hrs and posted a 7.5 WAR, finishing 2nd in NL MVP voting. Barry Bonds that season? His 37hrs were barely half as many as McGwire’s. Barry finished 8th in NL MVP voting despite posting an NL best 8.1 WAR for position players. They were different times and different metrics were used to measure these guys.
I’m not a live or die by WAR kind of guy, but it’s so easy to see how under appreciated he was in his time, and easy to see how it could motivate him to do what he thought was necessary to receive the recognition he thought he deserved.
These are excellent points sir!!! Truth be told I hated Barry growing up. Now that I’ve learned so much of what was really going on (the owners knew they were doing roids and never stopped it cuz it was necessary to “save baseball”) I 100% back him for the Hall. He’s the best hitter of all time and it’s not even close!!
I absolutely agree, I was in my early 20's when it all unfolded. I always stuck behind those players, cause they saved baseball. The strike in 94 sucked, and the EXPOS had a chance to win it all. Gwynn was on the verge to hit .400 so many good things were happening in 94 and then the strike came.
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Arenado, Trevor. Best game was I had my Arenado Jersey on, he hit a dinger, jumped and cheered. Later in the game Trevor hit a tater, I took off my Arenado Jersey to reveal a Trevor Story T-Shirt jersey and the people behind us found it absolutely hilarious.
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In April 2017 cubs vs brewers. Cubs scored 1 in the bottom of the 8th and 4 in the bottom of the 9th including an Addison Russell walk off homer.
And I was at the Yankees/ Twins game last year where Aaron Hicks made that crazy [censored] catch to end the Game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceSHhHI8PxA
This game was absolutely insane. As a neutral fan at this game it was amazing to watch can’t imagine how Twins fans felt when he made that catch. If he missed it it was a walk off win
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Thank you all for the great stories and memories of the game
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Game 2 1999 world series, all century team was on field, first time Pete Rose had been back in a ball park. To see all those legends together, outstanding
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@dbarmonstar said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
Thank you all for the great stories and memories of the game
Unfortunately for me I've yet to see a truly great game. Some 15 or so Rockies game and I've been dubbed "The Curse" in the family cause every game we lose when I go. Funny enough every White Sox game I've been to, they've won.
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I've been to hundreds of MLB games and visited over half of the stadiums in my life so far, and the best game I've ever seen live was the 2014 Wild Card Match up. Royals were down 4 runs to the A's (Jon Lester) after 5th or 6th (?). Royals scored 4 in the 8th and 9th to send it to extras. The A's scored a run in the top of 12th. The royals proceeded to score 2 in the bottom of the 12th with the winning run being scored by a single down the 3rd base line by Salvador Perez with 2 outs. The atmosphere was ridiculous and nobody left that stadium for 30 minutes after that game. It seemed like nobody wanted that night to end. It still gives me goose bumps when I See the highlights of the game winning hit and I remember what it was like being there.
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@BIGHOOV2713 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@PhatWhiteOwl said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
I was in Cleveland's Municipal Stadium in the 90's. Saw Carlos Baerga hit two home runs, one from the left the other from the right side of the plate.... In the same inning!!!
I’ve been wanting a Carlos Baerga in game (the more switch hitters the better!). I remember watching him hit and wondering why it took him like 17 steps to get out of the batter’s box. Haha
Would love a Baerga card.
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I was at the Montreal Expos game in 1989 when it went 22 innings. Ended with a home run that game the Dodgers a 1-0 victory. Also was the only game a mascot got kicked out of a game.
[censored]....I hate the Dodgers.......
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Yaz, Rice, Evans,Fisk & Lynn from the Fenway bleachers mid 70's to 80's
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@Walton02351 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
Yaz, Rice, Evans,Fisk & Lynn from the Fenway bleachers mid 70's to 80's
I have a friend I met while in the Military who is related to Yaz.
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@dbarmonstar said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@mjfc_363 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@ilvmyjeep said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@MathMan5072 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@vox_pestis said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@MathMan5072 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@nflman2033 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
As much as I hate his guys, statistically speaking, the answer is Barry Bonds, both as a Pirate and a Giant.
Ignoring Bonds, I would say Ken Griffey Jr., but by the time he got to Cincinnati, he was a shell of his former self. I may have to go with Tony Gwynn, at least in the early 90s he was still great. Saw Glavine and Smoltz, but never got to see Maddux or the big unit live.
Best game I went to, well most memorable, I was at the brawl between the Reds and Cardinals, where Molina and Phillips had words at the plate right in the bottom of the first, Cueto kicked LaRue I believe. Quite a nasty site as bad as anything I have ever seen at a hockey game.
Shoot. I forgot about Barry. I sat in the right field seats on opening day at dodger stadium one year and the guy must have hit the ball a good 20 rows behind me. It was unbelievable.
Such a shame. As much as I dislike him, Barry was great before ever touching a needle. The talent was unquestionable. But the jealousy bug got him, he just couldn’t stand seeing players he considered inferior surpassing him (McGwire). That season where he hit .370 and a ton of home runs was amazing, not for the counting stats but because he walked almost every at bat, rarely swung, but when he did it was “perfect/perfect”. That isn’t just roids.
.370 46 hr 110 rbi. 47 strikeouts. 198 BB!!!
He just made the perfect villain though, especially if you’re a dodger fan. He was incredibly good, he didn’t hesitate to tell you how good he was, he was a cheater, he broke several sacred records, and did I mention that he was really good. The crazy thing is I believe he could’ve have done all of it without the steroids. Unfortunately we’ll never know. But it was still amazing to see what the guy could do on a baseball field.
The thing with Barry though is that he’s just as much a victim as he is a villain. Barry Bonds was Mike Trout before anyone even looked at WAR. He was a victim of being under appreciated and his talent was evaluated differently in the era he played. Counting stats were what got the attention. If Bonds had been evaluated then in the way we view Trout now, the narrative around him would be different and perhaps he never would’ve sought the attention he craved because his greatness would’ve been appreciated and recognized at the time.
He may not have been the most likeable personality, but his prickly relationship with the media also stemmed from his frustrations in his lack of recognition as the best player in the game. In 1996, Barry put up a 40/40 season worth 9.7 WAR and finished 5th in the NL MVP vote. Two years later, Sammy Sosa won the NL MVP with 66hrs and a 6.5 WAR. That same season, Mark McGwire hit 70hrs and posted a 7.5 WAR, finishing 2nd in NL MVP voting. Barry Bonds that season? His 37hrs were barely half as many as McGwire’s. Barry finished 8th in NL MVP voting despite posting an NL best 8.1 WAR for position players. They were different times and different metrics were used to measure these guys.
I’m not a live or die by WAR kind of guy, but it’s so easy to see how under appreciated he was in his time, and easy to see how it could motivate him to do what he thought was necessary to receive the recognition he thought he deserved.
These are excellent points sir!!! Truth be told I hated Barry growing up. Now that I’ve learned so much of what was really going on (the owners knew they were doing roids and never stopped it cuz it was necessary to “save baseball”) I 100% back him for the Hall. He’s the best hitter of all time and it’s not even close!!
I absolutely agree, I was in my early 20's when it all unfolded. I always stuck behind those players, cause they saved baseball. The strike in 94 sucked, and the EXPOS had a chance to win it all. Gwynn was on the verge to hit .400 so many good things were happening in 94 and then the strike came.
1994 was crazy.
Matt Williams was on pace to hit 61hr with 43hr in 115 games. And there were several guys right behind him including Junior.
Knoblauch, Biggio and Walker had 45/44/44 doubles and one of them could have broken the doubles record.
For anyone who only knows Greg Maddux from the garbage card he gets in MLBTS, check the 1994 stats. 16-6 with a 1.56 era. Had a shot at the best season since dead ball era. Followed up next year with 19-2 1.63 era .811 WHIP.
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I watched chipper Jones go 3-4 with a double and 2 rbi in his final season at 40 years old. He also made a diving stop at 3rd.
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@vox_pestis said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@dbarmonstar said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@mjfc_363 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@ilvmyjeep said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@MathMan5072 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@vox_pestis said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@MathMan5072 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@nflman2033 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
As much as I hate his guys, statistically speaking, the answer is Barry Bonds, both as a Pirate and a Giant.
Ignoring Bonds, I would say Ken Griffey Jr., but by the time he got to Cincinnati, he was a shell of his former self. I may have to go with Tony Gwynn, at least in the early 90s he was still great. Saw Glavine and Smoltz, but never got to see Maddux or the big unit live.
Best game I went to, well most memorable, I was at the brawl between the Reds and Cardinals, where Molina and Phillips had words at the plate right in the bottom of the first, Cueto kicked LaRue I believe. Quite a nasty site as bad as anything I have ever seen at a hockey game.
Shoot. I forgot about Barry. I sat in the right field seats on opening day at dodger stadium one year and the guy must have hit the ball a good 20 rows behind me. It was unbelievable.
Such a shame. As much as I dislike him, Barry was great before ever touching a needle. The talent was unquestionable. But the jealousy bug got him, he just couldn’t stand seeing players he considered inferior surpassing him (McGwire). That season where he hit .370 and a ton of home runs was amazing, not for the counting stats but because he walked almost every at bat, rarely swung, but when he did it was “perfect/perfect”. That isn’t just roids.
.370 46 hr 110 rbi. 47 strikeouts. 198 BB!!!
He just made the perfect villain though, especially if you’re a dodger fan. He was incredibly good, he didn’t hesitate to tell you how good he was, he was a cheater, he broke several sacred records, and did I mention that he was really good. The crazy thing is I believe he could’ve have done all of it without the steroids. Unfortunately we’ll never know. But it was still amazing to see what the guy could do on a baseball field.
The thing with Barry though is that he’s just as much a victim as he is a villain. Barry Bonds was Mike Trout before anyone even looked at WAR. He was a victim of being under appreciated and his talent was evaluated differently in the era he played. Counting stats were what got the attention. If Bonds had been evaluated then in the way we view Trout now, the narrative around him would be different and perhaps he never would’ve sought the attention he craved because his greatness would’ve been appreciated and recognized at the time.
He may not have been the most likeable personality, but his prickly relationship with the media also stemmed from his frustrations in his lack of recognition as the best player in the game. In 1996, Barry put up a 40/40 season worth 9.7 WAR and finished 5th in the NL MVP vote. Two years later, Sammy Sosa won the NL MVP with 66hrs and a 6.5 WAR. That same season, Mark McGwire hit 70hrs and posted a 7.5 WAR, finishing 2nd in NL MVP voting. Barry Bonds that season? His 37hrs were barely half as many as McGwire’s. Barry finished 8th in NL MVP voting despite posting an NL best 8.1 WAR for position players. They were different times and different metrics were used to measure these guys.
I’m not a live or die by WAR kind of guy, but it’s so easy to see how under appreciated he was in his time, and easy to see how it could motivate him to do what he thought was necessary to receive the recognition he thought he deserved.
These are excellent points sir!!! Truth be told I hated Barry growing up. Now that I’ve learned so much of what was really going on (the owners knew they were doing roids and never stopped it cuz it was necessary to “save baseball”) I 100% back him for the Hall. He’s the best hitter of all time and it’s not even close!!
I absolutely agree, I was in my early 20's when it all unfolded. I always stuck behind those players, cause they saved baseball. The strike in 94 sucked, and the EXPOS had a chance to win it all. Gwynn was on the verge to hit .400 so many good things were happening in 94 and then the strike came.
1994 was crazy.
Matt Williams was on pace to hit 61hr with 43hr in 115 games. And there were several guys right behind him including Junior.
Knoblauch, Biggio and Walker had 45/44/44 doubles and one of them could have broken the doubles record.
For anyone who only knows Greg Maddux from the garbage card he gets in MLBTS, check the 1994 stats. 16-6 with a 1.56 era. Had a shot at the best season since dead ball era. Followed up next year with 19-2 1.63 era .811 WHIP.
It was crazy, So many players on the verge of breaking records.
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I played in the Dodgers organization for a few years released in 2018, I got to see Trout from the bullpen during spring training.. He is unreal... Pitched against Tatis Jr, Vlad Jr, Bichette, Jo Adell all studs. I had Vlad 1 ball 2 strikes and tried to get a fastball in by him. I threw it at 94 and he hit a double an inch down the left field line with a 114 mph exit velo. His swing through the zone sounded like a lightsaber one of the moments I will always remember haha
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@dbarmonstar said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@vox_pestis said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@dbarmonstar said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@mjfc_363 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@ilvmyjeep said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@MathMan5072 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@vox_pestis said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@MathMan5072 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
@nflman2033 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
As much as I hate his guys, statistically speaking, the answer is Barry Bonds, both as a Pirate and a Giant.
Ignoring Bonds, I would say Ken Griffey Jr., but by the time he got to Cincinnati, he was a shell of his former self. I may have to go with Tony Gwynn, at least in the early 90s he was still great. Saw Glavine and Smoltz, but never got to see Maddux or the big unit live.
Best game I went to, well most memorable, I was at the brawl between the Reds and Cardinals, where Molina and Phillips had words at the plate right in the bottom of the first, Cueto kicked LaRue I believe. Quite a nasty site as bad as anything I have ever seen at a hockey game.
Shoot. I forgot about Barry. I sat in the right field seats on opening day at dodger stadium one year and the guy must have hit the ball a good 20 rows behind me. It was unbelievable.
Such a shame. As much as I dislike him, Barry was great before ever touching a needle. The talent was unquestionable. But the jealousy bug got him, he just couldn’t stand seeing players he considered inferior surpassing him (McGwire). That season where he hit .370 and a ton of home runs was amazing, not for the counting stats but because he walked almost every at bat, rarely swung, but when he did it was “perfect/perfect”. That isn’t just roids.
.370 46 hr 110 rbi. 47 strikeouts. 198 BB!!!
He just made the perfect villain though, especially if you’re a dodger fan. He was incredibly good, he didn’t hesitate to tell you how good he was, he was a cheater, he broke several sacred records, and did I mention that he was really good. The crazy thing is I believe he could’ve have done all of it without the steroids. Unfortunately we’ll never know. But it was still amazing to see what the guy could do on a baseball field.
The thing with Barry though is that he’s just as much a victim as he is a villain. Barry Bonds was Mike Trout before anyone even looked at WAR. He was a victim of being under appreciated and his talent was evaluated differently in the era he played. Counting stats were what got the attention. If Bonds had been evaluated then in the way we view Trout now, the narrative around him would be different and perhaps he never would’ve sought the attention he craved because his greatness would’ve been appreciated and recognized at the time.
He may not have been the most likeable personality, but his prickly relationship with the media also stemmed from his frustrations in his lack of recognition as the best player in the game. In 1996, Barry put up a 40/40 season worth 9.7 WAR and finished 5th in the NL MVP vote. Two years later, Sammy Sosa won the NL MVP with 66hrs and a 6.5 WAR. That same season, Mark McGwire hit 70hrs and posted a 7.5 WAR, finishing 2nd in NL MVP voting. Barry Bonds that season? His 37hrs were barely half as many as McGwire’s. Barry finished 8th in NL MVP voting despite posting an NL best 8.1 WAR for position players. They were different times and different metrics were used to measure these guys.
I’m not a live or die by WAR kind of guy, but it’s so easy to see how under appreciated he was in his time, and easy to see how it could motivate him to do what he thought was necessary to receive the recognition he thought he deserved.
These are excellent points sir!!! Truth be told I hated Barry growing up. Now that I’ve learned so much of what was really going on (the owners knew they were doing roids and never stopped it cuz it was necessary to “save baseball”) I 100% back him for the Hall. He’s the best hitter of all time and it’s not even close!!
I absolutely agree, I was in my early 20's when it all unfolded. I always stuck behind those players, cause they saved baseball. The strike in 94 sucked, and the EXPOS had a chance to win it all. Gwynn was on the verge to hit .400 so many good things were happening in 94 and then the strike came.
1994 was crazy.
Matt Williams was on pace to hit 61hr with 43hr in 115 games. And there were several guys right behind him including Junior.
Knoblauch, Biggio and Walker had 45/44/44 doubles and one of them could have broken the doubles record.
For anyone who only knows Greg Maddux from the garbage card he gets in MLBTS, check the 1994 stats. 16-6 with a 1.56 era. Had a shot at the best season since dead ball era. Followed up next year with 19-2 1.63 era .811 WHIP.
It was crazy, So many players on the verge of breaking records.
Plus the expos were 74-40 on pace for 115 plus wins. In my opinion I think that may have been one of the best teams ever assembled and after the strike they lost a lot of good players.
Walker - Colorado
Grissom - Atlanta
Wettland - New York Yankees
Ken Hill - St Louis -
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@nflman2033 said in Best player you seen play live and or best game you seen live at the stadium.:
As much as I hate his guys, statistically speaking, the answer is Barry Bonds, both as a Pirate and a Giant.
Ignoring Bonds, I would say Ken Griffey Jr., but by the time he got to Cincinnati, he was a shell of his former self. I may have to go with Tony Gwynn, at least in the early 90s he was still great. Saw Glavine and Smoltz, but never got to see Maddux or the big unit live.
Best game I went to, well most memorable, I was at the brawl between the Reds and Cardinals, where Molina and Phillips had words at the plate right in the bottom of the first, Cueto kicked LaRue I believe. Quite a nasty site as bad as anything I have ever seen at a hockey game.
Shoot. I forgot about Barry. I sat in the right field seats on opening day at dodger stadium one year and the guy must have hit the ball a good 20 rows behind me. It was unbelievable.
Such a shame. As much as I dislike him, Barry was great before ever touching a needle. The talent was unquestionable. But the jealousy bug got him, he just couldn’t stand seeing players he considered inferior surpassing him (McGwire). That season where he hit .370 and a ton of home runs was amazing, not for the counting stats but because he walked almost every at bat, rarely swung, but when he did it was “perfect/perfect”. That isn’t just roids.
.370 46 hr 110 rbi. 47 strikeouts. 198 BB!!!
He just made the perfect villain though, especially if you’re a dodger fan. He was incredibly good, he didn’t hesitate to tell you how good he was, he was a cheater, he broke several sacred records, and did I mention that he was really good. The crazy thing is I believe he could’ve have done all of it without the steroids. Unfortunately we’ll never know. But it was still amazing to see what the guy could do on a baseball field.
The thing with Barry though is that he’s just as much a victim as he is a villain. Barry Bonds was Mike Trout before anyone even looked at WAR. He was a victim of being under appreciated and his talent was evaluated differently in the era he played. Counting stats were what got the attention. If Bonds had been evaluated then in the way we view Trout now, the narrative around him would be different and perhaps he never would’ve sought the attention he craved because his greatness would’ve been appreciated and recognized at the time.
He may not have been the most likeable personality, but his prickly relationship with the media also stemmed from his frustrations in his lack of recognition as the best player in the game. In 1996, Barry put up a 40/40 season worth 9.7 WAR and finished 5th in the NL MVP vote. Two years later, Sammy Sosa won the NL MVP with 66hrs and a 6.5 WAR. That same season, Mark McGwire hit 70hrs and posted a 7.5 WAR, finishing 2nd in NL MVP voting. Barry Bonds that season? His 37hrs were barely half as many as McGwire’s. Barry finished 8th in NL MVP voting despite posting an NL best 8.1 WAR for position players. They were different times and different metrics were used to measure these guys.
I’m not a live or die by WAR kind of guy, but it’s so easy to see how under appreciated he was in his time, and easy to see how it could motivate him to do what he thought was necessary to receive the recognition he thought he deserved.
These are excellent points sir!!! Truth be told I hated Barry growing up. Now that I’ve learned so much of what was really going on (the owners knew they were doing roids and never stopped it cuz it was necessary to “save baseball”) I 100% back him for the Hall. He’s the best hitter of all time and it’s not even close!!
I absolutely agree, I was in my early 20's when it all unfolded. I always stuck behind those players, cause they saved baseball. The strike in 94 sucked, and the EXPOS had a chance to win it all. Gwynn was on the verge to hit .400 so many good things were happening in 94 and then the strike came.
1994 was crazy.
Matt Williams was on pace to hit 61hr with 43hr in 115 games. And there were several guys right behind him including Junior.
Knoblauch, Biggio and Walker had 45/44/44 doubles and one of them could have broken the doubles record.
For anyone who only knows Greg Maddux from the garbage card he gets in MLBTS, check the 1994 stats. 16-6 with a 1.56 era. Had a shot at the best season since dead ball era. Followed up next year with 19-2 1.63 era .811 WHIP.
It was crazy, So many players on the verge of breaking records.
Plus the expos were 74-40 on pace for 115 plus wins. In my opinion I think that may have been one of the best teams ever assembled and after the strike they lost a lot of good players.
Walker - Colorado
Grissom - Atlanta
Wettland - New York Yankees
Ken Hill - St LouisI agree but the team with Dawson and Carter in early 80's that was a good EXPOS team to.
