Soccer, Sports and Politics - Part Deux

Discussion in 'Politics & Current Events' started by argentine soccer fan, Feb 12, 2024.

  1. Khan

    Khan Member+

    Mar 16, 2000
    On the road
    Hall of famer before cheating, not a hall of fame after cheating, IMO.
     
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  2. yossarian

    yossarian Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 16, 1999
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I prefer Tony Gwynn. Yes, Bonds was very good. But the roids, plus all the body armor he wore so he could hang out over the plate and not worry about the pain of being hit....? M'eh, tainted.
     
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  3. soccernutter

    soccernutter Moderator
    Staff Member

    Tottenham Hotspur
    Aug 22, 2001
    Near the mountains.
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    To me, both Gwynn or Carew were better hitters. Bonds was still great as a hitter (I remember him and Bonilla for the Pirates back when still watched baseball), but yeah, his size and strength made seeing his hitting ability difficult if one had not seen him before San Fran.
     
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  4. yossarian

    yossarian Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 16, 1999
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Oh, I definitely watched him as a Pirate. I greatly enjoyed those two NLCSs in a row when the Braves knocked the Pirates out.

    Interesting stat. Maddux struck out Bonds 16 times, although Bonds still hit .262 against him, which is certainly decent.
    Gwynn hit .429 against Maddux and NEVER struck out. Crazy.
     
  5. rslfanboy

    rslfanboy Member+

    Jul 24, 2007
    Section 26
    No love for Ted Williams? I mean, as a baseball player.
     
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  6. Dr. Wankler

    Dr. Wankler Member+

    May 2, 2001
    The Electric City
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    #6181 Dr. Wankler, May 14, 2025
    Last edited: May 14, 2025
    Yeah, that body armor has a lot to do with me not respecting his output. Between the 'roids and taking a huge chunk of the strike zone out of play, I have a hard time not seeing his numbers as tainted.
     
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  7. Dr. Wankler

    Dr. Wankler Member+

    May 2, 2001
    The Electric City
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    I was waiting for Roby to weigh in on that one!
     
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  8. stanger

    stanger BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 29, 2008
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Watching the killer b’s get knocked out of the playoffs, Bonds and Bonilla, was always fun as a Reds fan.

    Ichiro and Gwynn were far and away the best hitters I have seen live. I agree with those saying the roids and armor takes away from Bonds’ legacy.
     
  9. Dr. Wankler

    Dr. Wankler Member+

    May 2, 2001
    The Electric City
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    A friend of mine lives in Bellingham, Washington, and he told me one of the greatest things he ever saw in sports was, while he was at a Mariners game sitting in the 2nd or 3rd row behind third base, he saw an opposing baserunner try to go from first to third on a single hit at Ichiro. What struck him was the throw: the ball never got more than 7 feet off the ground and hit the 3rd baseman's glove perfectly. The baserunner had just about started his headfirst slide when the 3rd baseman caught the ball.

    When you're a kid and you have to throw the ball a long way, you put a lot of height on it. Ichiro, needless to say, didn't need to do that.
     
  10. roby

    roby Member+

    SIRLOIN SALOON FC, PITTSFIELD MA
    Feb 27, 2005
    So Cal
    You guys type too fast for me. I can understand no one mentioned "The Splendid Splinter" or even "Jolting Joe" as they were gone before most of you were whelped. I was always awed just watching Thumper's routine in the batter's box. Belted one outta the park on his very last at bat! :)
     
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  11. roby

    roby Member+

    SIRLOIN SALOON FC, PITTSFIELD MA
    Feb 27, 2005
    So Cal
    If I remember correctly Rocky Colavito had that kind of arm in right field. In a pinch he was brought in as a pitcher and was quite effective. :)
     
  12. yossarian

    yossarian Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 16, 1999
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Andruw Jones had close (not quite) to that level of an arm. The crazy thing about him was how shallow he played center field because his ability to read the ball off the bat and his speed made it unlikely a ball would be hit over his head---unless it was leaving the park anyway. He took away so many of what would've been dinked singles by batters. Just a great (but underrated, IMO) defensive skill.
     
  13. ToMhIlL

    ToMhIlL Member+

    Feb 18, 1999
    Boxborough, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Roberto Clemente was the same way. It got to the point that no one ever attempted to go first-to-third on a sharply hit single to right.

    And one of the good things they did in Boston was to name the Ted Williams tunnel when he was still alive. I'm not sure it if he had already passed when they named the Joe DiMaggio highway in New York.
     
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  14. soccernutter

    soccernutter Moderator
    Staff Member

    Tottenham Hotspur
    Aug 22, 2001
    Near the mountains.
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I've seen a few of his throws and, to self-congratulate, they remind me of a throw I did when I was 12 on that LL All-start team. Opposing team player hit a long ball just into left-center. I played CF, but it was over my head. Ball bounced off the fence (chain-link in those days) and right into my bare hand. It was drilled into us that we were to hit the cut-off man, but I'm seeing the kid who hit the ball round second. So I'm thinking I'm gonna try and get him. I heaved the ball in, just over the cut-off man, right into the second baseman's glove. Easy tag out. Of course, when I think back to when I was 12 and compare my throw to somebody like Ichiro's, I laugh and go, "yeah, I was never gonna be a professional." I didn't even play high school baseball.
     
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  15. soccernutter

    soccernutter Moderator
    Staff Member

    Tottenham Hotspur
    Aug 22, 2001
    Near the mountains.
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    There were probably a lot of guys back then who were great with the bat. Williams, DiMaggio, probably Clemente, Banks maybe, Mays, Musial, etc. I know I'm missing a few as well.
     
  16. raza_rebel

    raza_rebel Member+

    Dec 11, 2000
    Club:
    Univ de Chile
    Greg Maddux once had an awesome Tony Gwynn quote

     
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  17. yossarian

    yossarian Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 16, 1999
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  18. superdave

    superdave Member+

    Jul 14, 1999
    VB, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If I were a voter, I’d vote in the guys who were going to make the Hall without steroids like Bonds and A Rod. I’d leave out the Rafael Palmeiros. Clemens would be a tough call because right before the ‘roids he was kinda mediocre and looked like his career might not make the length necessary.
     
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  19. superdave

    superdave Member+

    Jul 14, 1999
    VB, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He won 2 MVPs before the steroids, and came in 2nd another time.
     
  20. superdave

    superdave Member+

    Jul 14, 1999
    VB, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Guys, the point of hitting isn’t to make contact, it’s to score runs. Even before the steroids Bonds was better at it than those guys.
     
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  21. stanger

    stanger BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 29, 2008
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The point of hitting is to not make an out.

     
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  22. superdave

    superdave Member+

    Jul 14, 1999
    VB, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The people whose jobs and money are on the line disagree.

    It’s like saying the point of soccer is to pass the ball well. The point is to score goals.
     
  23. stanger

    stanger BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 29, 2008
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    So a guy that bats .300 but only hits a few out every year has no place in MLB?
     
  24. Cascarino's Pizzeria

    Apr 29, 2001
    New Jersey, USA
    He was head and shoulders above his contemporaries...:whistling:
     
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  25. Cascarino's Pizzeria

    Apr 29, 2001
    New Jersey, USA
    These two Midwestern-y announcers on friggin ludes for one of the greatest throws you'll ever see courtesy of Vlad Guerrero

     
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