MSNBC Calls It: Bonds Will Not Homer Tonight

[Dom Heffner]

If this isn't an example of sports journalism taking a running dive off a cliff, I don't know what is.

Their reasoning: Bonds has never homered off of Hendrickson in 8 career at bats and he has never homered with Lincecum on the mound for the Giants.

It starts off this way:

Odds are against Bonds' tying Aaron tonight
Giant hasn't homered off Hendrickson, or with teammate Lincecum on hill
Updated: 2:59 p.m. ET Aug 1, 2007
Barry Bonds has never homered against the next pitcher the San Francisco Giants face. He’s also never hit a home run with teammate Tim Lincecum on the mound.

Anybody want to take a stab at the logical fallacy presented in assertion #2?

Geesh, stuff like this gets me steamed. :)

Link to full article is here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20075480/

[Matt700wlw]

Bonds may not even PLAY tonight...

[RedFanAlways1966]

I wonder what MSNBC would have predicted on Opening Day 1974 when Hank Aaron was one HR behind Babe Ruth? The pitcher that day for the opposition was a guy named Jack Billingham. Jack had given up 1 HR to Hank in the 1969 season, 1 HR in the 1971 season, 1 HR in the 1972 season and 1 HR in the 1973 season.

Needless to say it didn't take long for Hank to get his 1 HR for the year against Billingham that day to tie the Babe. And it would be the last HR (and a monumental one!) he ever hit off of Jack Billingham.

Ahhhh... I like to throw in a Hank Aaron story when a certain name gets mentioned. :)