AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2007 > January > 04
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Just wait till Barry’s on ballot
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you think there’s controversy over Mark McGwire’s candidacy for the Hall of Fame _ and he obviously isn’t going to get in anytime soon _ can you even begin to imagine six or seven years from now, when Barry Bonds’ cranium … er, when Barry Bonds becomes eligible for election to Cooperstown five years after he retires?
Oh, Lawd. Please let something happen between then and now to make the central issues of that debate more clear-cut. For I cannot bear to hear one side pontificate on how Bonds never tested positive and the other side talk about what a jerk he was and blah blah blah.
On an entirely unrelated matter (wink) perhaps they’ll soon have an accurate test for human growth hormone or THG (“The Clear”), not that I suspect any current baseball or NFL players are using (wink) anything like that.
Anyway, I’ve stated my view on Big Mac _ I have a Hall of Fame vote, but AJC and several other major papers have policies that prohibit beat writers (and at some papers, all writers) from voting _ and that is, I wouldn’t vote for him, certainly not in the first few years and probably not ever.
He was not a great all-around player, basically one-dimensional, with that one dimension enhanced by his admitted used of Androstenedione and god knows what else (not that many, many others weren’t using the same things, but they’re not up for the Hall, and didn’t make fools of themselves in front of a Congressional committee, or hit 70 homers in a season.)
And I’ve also stated my stance on Barry _ don’t like him, think he’s bad for baseball, don’t want him to break Hank’s record, but if I could use my Hall vote when he became eligible, I’d vote for him. And please don’t start telling me that’s hypocritical or inconsistent.
I’m convinced he used a variety of steroids and that his home-run records are fraudulent.
However, I’d vote for Barry because he already had Hall of Fame numbers BEFORE his biceps, chest and head grew alarmingly and significantly in a span of several months when he was closer to 40 years old than 30 (yeah, that’s normal, Bonds supporters keep telling yourselves that).
His career with Pittsburgh and at the beginning in San Francisco was phenomenal, back when he was under 190 pounds _ remember he actually hit leadoff early on with Pittsburgh _ and he was the game’s best all-around player in my view, a Gold Glover and a guy who could have gone 30-30 or even 40-40 for 10 years if he’d wanted to instead of deciding he needed to become the biggest (literally) power-hitter the game has seen.
By the same token, I’ve said for the 13 years I’ve covered baseball that Pete Rose absolutely belongs in the Hall. Not in the game of baseball, managing or whatever; I agree he should be banned for life for betting on the game.
But he belongs in the Hall of Fame, because the Hall is recognition of what a player did on the field during his playing career, not what he later did with bookies when he was a manager.
Seriously, if he robbed a bank and was sent to prison, long as it occurred after his playing career, I don’t think it should keep him out of the Hall. Put a line or an asterisk at the bottom of his plaque noting that he screwed up, gambled, broke the law, etc., but that doesn’t negate what he did ON THE FIELD, where he piled up more hits than anyone before or since and busted his butt at all times, the very definition of a scrappy, blue-collar, hard-nosed player.
OK, enough Hall talk. Now, about the Braves.
Haven’t done anything this week. Or the week before.
Folks, I think most of you are probably starting to believe this is basically the roster the Braves are taking to spring training. Me, too. It wouldn’t shock me if they made another move, but I’m not expecting it. Nothing major, at least.
And that’s a good thing, in my view, at least in terms of not trading Adam LaRoche.
If they could get, say, Chone Figgins from the Angels to bat leadoff and play second base, along with Angels 1B prospect Casey Kotchman and maybe even another arm for the bullpen, in exchange for LaRoche, I’d do it.
Otherwise, shouldn’t trade LaRoche to add a piece to the bullpen or to add just a guy to the lineup who’s not going to approach LaRoche’s likely 30-40 homers and 100-plus RBIs.
They’ve tested the waters, mission accomplished. The Braves now know there’s big demand for LaRoche, and know they can trade him for plenty next winter if he’s going to be too expensive to keep for 2008. Or if they were to fall out of the race this summer, trade him in July, though I don’t at all envision the Braves being out of contention in July.
I get the distinct impression the Braves want Kelly Johnson to nail down the second base/leadoff job this spring, after talking to Bobby Cox a couple nights ago. He didn’t say that specifically, but that’s what I took from the conversation.
And the fact that Baltimore is talking about a contract extension for 2B Brian Roberts is yet another indication that earlier talks between the O’s and Braves involving LaRoche and Roberts are probably dead altogether.
Also, with free agent Mark Loretta off the market, there’s really no experienced, affordable free-agent options available, not that the Braves were apparently ever looking seriously at going that route anyway (free agency, for now, seems a foreign concept to the budget-restrained Braves, notwithstanding the signing of reliever Tanyon Sturtze and INF Chris Woodward).
By the way, to reiterate, the Braves got Woodward to be a utility man, not a starter. Some don’t want to believe that, but it’s true. Johnson and Martin Prado would probably have to fall on their faces this spring for Woodward to get consideration for the 2B job, and Willy Aybar might also get consideration before Woodward, though the Braves continue to say Aybar is tentatively slated for backup 3B/2B work….
In other news, if you Atlanta-area blog denizens want to see some good, free live music, get thee to Ella Guru record store, in the Toco Hill (don’t know why they don’t use plural on that, drives me crazy) Shopping Center on Tuesday at 6 p.m. A really good band from Lexington called Scourge of the Sea is playing in-store at 6 p.m.
Good stuff. I got their CD last week after listening on one of those Paste Magazine listening stations. And if Ohio State beats Florida, please give Don, the Ella Guru store owner, lots of grief. He attended that football and diploma factory down in Gainesville…
Noticed a couple of outstanding shows coming up at Smith’s Olde Bar, including Five-Eight on Saturday and Ron Sexsmith, the stellar and criminally underappreciated Canadian singer-songwriter, on Jan. 20. If you guys go, try the Fox Bros. barbecue from the bar downstairs.
This week’s can’t-miss, clear-the-dust, long-lost, long-overlooked, guarantee-you’ll-love-it CD recommendation: John Hiatt’s “Bring The Family” from 1987. If you don’t own it, I beg of you to purchase it, download it, steal it from your old man, etc.
“Your Dad Did,” by John Hiatt
Well the sun comes up and you stare your cup of coffee, yup/Right through the kitchen floor
You feel like hell so you might as well get out and sell/Your smart ass door to door
And the mrs. wears her robe slightly undone/As your daughter dumps her oatmeal on your son
And you keep it hid/Just like your did
So you go to work just to watch some jerk/Pick up the perks/You were in line to get
And the guy that hired you just got fired,/Your job’s expired/They just ain’t told you yet
So you go and buy a brand new set of wheels/To show your family just how great you feel
Acting like a kid/Just like your dad did
(Bridge)
You’re a chip off the old block/Why does it come as such a shock/That every road up which you rock/Your dad already did
Yeah you’ve seen the old man’s ghost/Come back as creamed chipped beef on toast/Now if you don’t get your slice of the roast/You’re gonna flip your lid
Just like your dad did… just like your dad did
Well the day was long now, supper’s on/The thrill is gone/But something’s taking place
Yeah the food is cold and your wife feels old/But all hands fold/As the two-year-old says grace
She says help the starving children to get well/But let my brother’s hamster burn in hell
You love your wife and kids/Just like your dad did
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