In defense of Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds, jaywalkers, and all the other scofflaws that make America great.

[Azazello1313]

a good read

[Rovers]

The difference remains... Bonds and all the streriod user MLB players who broke records made a mockery of Cooperstown and totally ruined a sport that was so stats and record based that at least for this former rabid baseball fan, the sport has been ruined and Babe Ruth had no part in that demise.

 

It's even more of a mockery to mention Bonds in the same paragraph. He. McGwire, Sosa and the rest of them killed my favorite sport forever. Babe Ruth and the other old timers in the HoF built a mansion, not a house, and in less than a decade, it was demolished by players like Bonds.

[Azazello1313]

It's even more of a mockery to mention Bonds in the same paragraph. He. McGwire, Sosa and the rest of them killed my favorite sport forever. Babe Ruth and the other old timers in the HoF built a mansion, not a house, and in less than a decade, it was demolished by players like Bonds.

 

I think your exasperated hyperbole misses james' point:

 

First of all, I have absolutely no doubt that, had steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs existed during Babe Ruth's career, Babe Ruth would not only have used them, he would have used more of them than Barry Bonds. I don't understand how anyone can be confused about this. The central theme of Babe Ruth's life, which is the fulcrum of virtually every anecdote and every event of his career, is that Babe Ruth firmly believed that the rules did not apply to Babe Ruth....I am not saying that we should not admire Babe Ruth, that we should not respect him, that we should not honor him. What I am trying to get people to face is the cast of mind that made Babe Ruth what he was. It was not very different from the cast of mind that made Barry Bonds who he was, or made Roger Clemens or Ted Williams who they were.

[delusions of grandeur]

I think your exasperated hyperbole misses james' point:

 

So Ruth should be lumped in with these guys, because he "would" have broken these laws/rules? Ummm, well, he didn't... If it had happened, then he would have an * next to his name, and could be prosecuted for breaking the law. So what's the point?

 

It doesn't excuse that these guys juiced their way into the record books. You can't control what people would have done in your shoes before you; You follow the rules or you pay the consequences.

 

Hank Aaron didn't have his record taken away by what Ruth "might" have done; He had it overtaken because of what Barry Bonds did. So you can understand why I'm a bit more peeved at the latter... I must ask then, what about Aaron? Should he just relax about the whole steroid thing, since Ruth would have juiced his way past him anyway? It changes nothing for a guy who, as far as we know, did it the right way.

 

 

If you want to blame anyone, blame the culture inside clubhouses, yes, but you can't tarnish Ruth's legacy, when he never broke the law or rules in place (as far as steroids go anyway). To lump him in with them just because there wasn't the same availability or rules is an extremely flawed argument, IMO...

 

 

(ETA: I'm sure nobody probably cares what the newb thinks, but I can't stand this steroid apologists crap)

Edited September 14, 2010 by delusions of granduer

[whomper]

(ETA: I'm sure nobody probably cares what the newb thinks, but I can't stand this steroid apologists crap)

 

 

We already like you better than Az

[piratesownninjas]

The difference remains... Bonds and all the streriod user MLB players who broke records made a mockery of Cooperstown and totally ruined a sport that was so stats and record based that at least for this former rabid baseball fan, the sport has been ruined and Babe Ruth had no part in that demise.

 

It's even more of a mockery to mention Bonds in the same paragraph. He. McGwire, Sosa and the rest of them killed my favorite sport forever. Babe Ruth and the other old timers in the HoF built a mansion, not a house, and in less than a decade, it was demolished by players like Bonds.

McGwire and Sosa also saved baseball. No one cared about how they did what the did at the time. Everyone was too busy praising them.

[delusions of grandeur]

McGwire and Sosa also saved baseball. No one cared about how they did what the did at the time. Everyone was too busy praising them.

 

Yeah, they temporarily revived baseball, just to kill it even further.. I for one love that it is transitioning back into a pitchers game, and if the MLB can start to attract more football-caliber athletes like Heyward, then you'll see a revival of the power/average hitters too.

 

True, baseball without steroids is still too slow paced for the average American attention-span, and steroids may be a large reason why I idolized these guys as a kid in the late 80's-early 90's, but it doesn't make it any more right when you find out that guys are continually shattering long-standing records because they took a needle in their ass. Anybody else remember when Barry Bonds was a 40-40 guy?

 

How did it "save" or improve the sport, when it's only gone on to cheapen the accomplishments and lose fans in its aftermath?

Edited September 15, 2010 by delusions of granduer

[Yukon Cornelius]

We already like you better than Az

[Ursa Majoris]

What I am trying to get people to face is the cast of mind that made Babe Ruth what he was. It was not very different from the cast of mind that made Barry Bonds who he was, or made Roger Clemens or Ted Williams who they were.

 

Why lump poor old Ted and his Frozen Head in with Bonds et al?

Edited September 15, 2010 by Ursa Majoris

[piratesownninjas]

How did it "save" or improve the sport, when it's only gone on to cheapen the accomplishments and lose fans in its aftermath?

IMO without that "magical" season MLB might have turned into the NHL. And while I look the game better the way it is today, it's clear that low scoring is hurting Baseball as far as ratings go.