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"I misremember everything"

WCK
San Francisco, CA
Male 27 years old

About Me:
I'm not what you think I am. By which I mean I am. Wait, what?

You Won't Find Much Of Bonds' Legacy In San Francisco Anymore
by 100%InjuryRate 100%InjuryRate | >7 days ago4 Comment Comments »

You Won't Find Much Of Bonds' Legacy In San Francisco Anymore Photo Whether people want to admit it or not, Barry Bonds has been an integral part of San Francisco Giants' history. In a Giants uniform he set the single-season home run record, passed Willie Mays, and he became the all-time home run king.

He also, for the most part, never habitually fought with the front office. Only once in Bonds' term here do I remember him threatening to leave because of contract issues. The simple fact is that while Bonds was paid a handsome wage here in SF, he never bitched and moaned about the team that they surrounded him with. And there were some pretty atrocious teams they assembled around him.

My point is that as bad a guy as Bonds is/was, he still was loyal to the Giants above everything else. And the team used him to consistently sell out the stadium.

But that's all changed now. Giants president Peter Magowan said yesterday the team will not reconsider a decision to part ways with Bonds. There's nothing surprising about this. Bonds can barely move in the outfield anymore. But what is somewhat surprising is that the left field wall no longer bears an image of Bonds chasing Aaron for the home run crown, nor elsewhere is the number of Bonds' home runs in relation to Aaron posted. A team spokeswoman said the Giants would put up a plaque to note where he had hit his last homer, but that's it.

Basically, the Giants are doing everything they can to forget about Bonds.

My problem with this is that it's blatantly hypocritical. The Giants rode Bonds' coattails to division titles and a national league pennant they never would have won without him. They looked the other way as he took steroids, and they profited immensely from the resulting power boost Bonds got out of it. Don't think that Bonds was the sole culprit in the steroid scandal, the Giants were equally as bad as Bonds, and in some ways, were even more responsible for letting the steroid era flourish than Bonds was.

Don't let anyone fool you, the only reason the Giants let Bonds hang around last year was to make money off of his chase of the home run record. The team sucked, but asses were still in the seats to see Bonds pass Aaron - which is what the Giants wanted.

I'm not saying they need to build a monument to Bonds, like they have for Mays, but the complete disassociation from Bonds I actually think gives this organization more of a black eye. How can you ignore a monster you helped create?

Hilariously, the Giants seem to think they're going to draw as many people now without Bonds. Magowan said the team still expects to sell three million tickets in 2008.

"If we miss, we are not going to miss by much," he said.

 

Yeah Peter, I can't wait to go out and watch a major league team that can't even beat its Triple-A squad.

Even though I'm a Giants fan, this team deserves whatever it gets this year. And don't worry, it's going to be one horrible year.

Read Related:  MLB
Teams:  San Francisco Giants
Players:  Barry Bonds
Tagged as:  Hypocrisy  |  Capitalism at work
  
4 Comments | Sorted by Most Recent First

Vote for your favorite comments. Fans decide the Top Comment (3+ votes) and also hide poor quality comments (4+ votes).
#1 | 50 days ago

+1 thumbs up

You sir are correct. Whether or not he was a jerk or not (I learn toward jerk) you just don't completely erase all evidence of him. He made that franchise a boat load of cash and helped that team to a number of post season appearances and they treat him like that. Even if Barry did dough nuts on Magowan's lawn, made a pass at his wife and stole his credit card and charged up a ton of crap from QVC you still show the a modicum respect. The man lifted up the franchise even before the "flax seed oil" kicked in. Again I am no fan of Bonds and I feel he did use PED's, but so were a lot of other guys. Right now the Giants are poking Karma right in the eye with a stick. As we speak the "Hackman" Jeffery Leonard is giving the Giants Front Office one flap down along with a one finger salute.

#2 | 50 days ago

+2 thumbs up

Can I just ask a question here?  Why would the Giants continue to post images of something that has already occurred, and of a player who has since gone?  Wouldn't it just be stupid to keep a likeness of Bonds chasing Aaron up on the left-field wall and a tally of his homers since the chase is over and he is no longer a member of the team?  I mean they are going to give him a plaque and I would all but guarantee they will retire his number.  That's the same treatment Ted Williams got in Boston except it was a red seat and not a plaque.

 

I am one of the few people, not in the bay area, that truly loved Bonds as a ballplayer.  The Giants will give him his due.  This just seems like shining up the ballpark for the new season.

#3 | 50 days ago

I personaly dont like Barry Bonds he he cheteed and made a fool out of the MLB and for that they shoudnt allow him to be inducted into the hall of fame.

 

#4 | 45 days ago

I have to agree with Buttons on this one. The chase is over and Bonds is no longer on the team, so his image does not need to be exploited for this year's Giants team. But as far as history goes, there is absolutely no denying Bonds' impact on the team and with MLB history.



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