Watching Moneyball

[WrongVerb]

The very first part of Moneyball when it shows the A's losing to the Yankees in the 2001 playoffs made me realize that I do not miss the bulky hulks blasting it out of the park. I am really glad that MLB has taken steps to cut down on PEDs. Yes, the game isn't as active now as it was then, but I LIKE that. It brings the focus back to skill and execution. I don't know about others, but I appreciate that.

[dougdirt]

PED's or not, it takes a whole lot of skill to even make decent contact with a baseball thrown by a professional pitcher. The skill and execution part were never missing from baseball.

[TSJ55]

PED's or not, it takes a whole lot of skill to even make decent contact with a baseball thrown by a professional pitcher. The skill and execution part were never missing from baseball.

This is what was so mind blowing about Bonds IMO. He was thrown minimal pitches in which to hit, but when he did get one, he squared it up. Seems like he NEVER missed a mistake. Crazy good hitter.

[reds1869]

This is what was so mind blowing about Bonds IMO. He was thrown minimal pitches in which to hit, but when he did get one, he squared it up. Seems like he NEVER missed a mistake. Crazy good hitter.

Bonds was the most incredible hitter I've ever seen. One of the saddest things about his association with PEDs is that many people can't appreciate how great he was. I watched him in Pittsburgh as a young player who clearly wasn't juicing yet; he was obviously a special talent. I've never seen his combination of plate discipline and bat skills.

[TOBTTReds]

PED's or not, it takes a whole lot of skill to even make decent contact with a baseball thrown by a professional pitcher. The skill and execution part were never missing from baseball.

Maybe not compared to average joes, but compared to non-juicers (or non freaks of nature/science), execution became much less important. The game was very different.

I just remember how annoying Mark McGwire's HR's were that had a hang time of what seemed like 10 seconds because he hit a pop up to LF, that turned into a HR.

[TOBTTReds]

One of the saddest things about his association with PEDs is that many people can't appreciate how great he was.

This is the saddest part for me too, except not because people don't appreciate how good he was before PED's, but because Bonds used PED's in the first place. We could totally be enjoying him being one of the greatest ever, instead he was pretty much the greatest ever and enough of that was because PED's that people won't enjoy that (including myself).

Had he stayed clean, and dominated, we'd be talking about how great he was instead of how big his head was (literally).

[WrongVerb]

This is what was so mind blowing about Bonds IMO. He was thrown minimal pitches in which to hit, but when he did get one, he squared it up. Seems like he NEVER missed a mistake. Crazy good hitter.

This game, I believe, is one of the most impressive hitting feats ever. Bonds took 5 swings in his 5 at bats. He fouled off one pitch, and hit 3 home runs and a double.

I, too, wish he'd never sullied his career with PEDs. He wouldn't have broken Aaron's record but he still would be appreciated as one of the game's greatest ever players.

[WrongVerb]

Maybe not compared to average joes, but compared to non-juicers (or non freaks of nature/science), execution became much less important. The game was very different.

I just remember how annoying Mark McGwire's HR's were that had a hang time of what seemed like 10 seconds because he hit a pop up to LF, that turned into a HR.

Exactly. When a routine fly ball can be turned into a HR, your execution doesn't have to be as exact. And there's more to baseball execution than just hitting. Fielding and throwing and running and decision making are there too. The game is boring when you're waiting for the 3-run HR.

[Bob Sheed]

This game, I believe, is one of the most impressive hitting feats ever. Bonds took 5 swings in his 5 at bats. He fouled off one pitch, and hit 3 home runs and a double.

I, too, wish he'd never sullied his career with PEDs. He wouldn't have broken Aaron's record but he still would be appreciated as one of the game's greatest ever players.

Says he struck out, so it would have to be more than 5 pitches wouldn't it?

[WrongVerb]

Says he struck out, so it would have to be more than 5 pitches wouldn't it?

Five swings over however many pitches it was.

[Bumstead]

Bonds was the most incredible hitter I've ever seen. One of the saddest things about his association with PEDs is that many people can't appreciate how great he was. I watched him in Pittsburgh as a young player who clearly wasn't juicing yet; he was obviously a special talent. I've never seen his combination of plate discipline and bat skills.

Surprisingly enough, I have never sat around enjoying the talent of cheating, a-holes in my entire life. Frankly, I think it's sad that people give guys like that any attention at all.

Bum

[reds44]

Watching Bonds in his steroid prime was absolutely glorious to watch. I don't care if the fact he was roided out of his mind ruined it for other people because I thought it was spactacular then and I still do.

[Rock of Truth]

Watching Bonds in his steroid prime was absolutely glorious to watch. I don't care if the fact he was roided out of his mind ruined it for other people because I thought it was spactacular then and I still do.

I used to think this way as well until this past Saturday. I was driving my 10 year old boy to a try-out. He asked me "Dad, at what age do you think people take steroids so they can hit home runs?" I immediately pulled the car over into the parking lot of a UDF and we had good talk. Names like Bonds and Sosa came up, so did the name Lyle Alzado. Simply stated, I told him Lyle Alzado died from steroids. We skipped the tryout and got a double dip cone. Shame on Bonds, Sosa and McGuire for leading my son to believe the only way he can be good is to juice.

[vaticanplum]

I used to think this way as well until this past Saturday. I was driving my 10 year old boy to a try-out. He asked me "Dad, at what age do you think people take steroids so they can hit home runs?" I immediately pulled the car over into the parking lot of a UDF and we had good talk. Names like Bonds and Sosa came up, so did the name Lyle Alzado. Simply stated, I told him Lyle Alzado died from steroids. We skipped the tryout and got a double dip cone. Shame on Bonds, Sosa and McGuire for leading my son to believe the only way he can be good is to juice.

It's not just the big leaguers. Steroids run rampant at the lower levels of sports and especially among gym rats in suburbs all across the country -- young and middle-aged guys who do "just a bit" here and there to bulk up. With MLB's crackdown, and the casual attitude taken toward steroids among the masses, I'd say at this point that poses a much bigger danger to kids.

[RadfordVA]

I used to think this way as well until this past Saturday. I was driving my 10 year old boy to a try-out. He asked me "Dad, at what age do you think people take steroids so they can hit home runs?" I immediately pulled the car over into the parking lot of a UDF and we had good talk. Names like Bonds and Sosa came up, so did the name Lyle Alzado. Simply stated, I told him Lyle Alzado died from steroids. We skipped the tryout and got a double dip cone. Shame on Bonds, Sosa and McGuire for leading my son to believe the only way he can be good is to juice.

Steroids are not a magical pill that makes someone strong. Those players still had to put in a lot of work to get things done at that level. The methods they chose just made it easier to get that work done sometimes. Explaining to sons that people have to weigh the consequences of their actions is a conversation that would have to take place regardless. If anything these players make for great examples. Yes those players achieved short term success but none seem to be thriving now compared to what could have been.

My sons know all about Bonds and his accomplishments. When he asks me who the greatest hitter I have ever seen is I say Bonds, but he knows the rest of the story. So if you ask who he would want to be like he would probably say Griffey or Votto.