A Baseball Question that has been on my mind

[lavender]

 

[artful]

Reading Agent 99's thread, I remembered that I had been thinking of Cal Ripken recently.

Cal Ripken was kind of an asshole. Barry Bonds is kind of an asshole. Cal Ripken is a saint. People wish ill will on Barry Bonds and discredit much of what he has done as a player.

Why the inconsistency?

Think,..."Pete Rose".

 

[Guest]

 

[kotori]

I don't necessarily agree that either of them are assholes. They may be portrayed that way by the media, in part because they don't wish to be media-stars. Some people just aren't cut out to be "media darlings." Personally, I have more respect for the athlete who says, "I have nothing to say," than the ones who babble on endlessly answering mindless, inane questions with stock phrases like "we did what we had to do," or other drivel.

Now Ty Cobb, there was an asshole. Or so I've heard--I'm not that old.

 

[seXieleXie]

did cal ripken beat his wife?

 

[Guest]

This is a great question, actually.

And, what's a "wlak-off home run"?

 

[Guest]

 

[Guest]

Well.... a Walk-off home run is a homerun hit in the bottom of the last inning that wins a game.

Everyone walks off after they touch home plate because the game is over.

Ah, thank you! I see you can spell better than me as well!

 

[JazzManJim]

did cal ripken beat his wife?

So it was rumored. As far as I ever heard, it didn't turn out to be true.

Cal was most definitely not an asshole, though. He was involved in a gazillion local charities and always took time for the fans before and after games and in the offseason as well.

The answer, though, lavy, lies in how each of them approached the game, IMO. Baseball is odd in that team play is very much honored and even a superstar player is expected to perform for his team as opposed to himself. Barry's not thought of well because he's always been very ascerbic to reporters (which also earned strikeout ace Steve Carlton the same reputation), he's incredibly cocky (with reason, but that doesn't play well among baseball fans), and - for lack of a better word - he showboats.

Cal never had any of those problems. He's always been a team-oriented player, deals well with the press, and didn't do much, if any, showboating when he played. It didn't hurt that he nearly single-handedly saved baseball in the season where he broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive-game record.

 

[Liontamr]

Cal Ripken may be an asshole, but he was an asshole that showed up for work every single day despite dagging injuries and other such crap. And for the most part it was done with little fan fare and done without Cal constantly reminding everyone himself that he was an iron man.

Barry?? Dude has two good years and now all of a sudden he's the greatest ever?? Where in the hell was he in Pittsburgh?! Even tonight is a great example.. Yeah the guy can turn on a pitch and depost it in Oregon, but he doesn't make any kind of effort at all to break up two double plays in tonight's game.

Cal = Asshole who at least worked his balls off.

Barry = Asshole who has "androed" up his game in the last two years and not done jack squat of anything else.

 

[70/30]

I always hated Cal Ripken, completely overrated. The streak was detrimental to his team. Barry is intelligent, he listens to his mentors, he's ultrafit, and he just is playing way the fuck better than anyone the past 50years. The best answer I can come up with is, any athlete I respect expect the oldtymers to hate that athlete. I think jealousy is the correct word.

 

[Liontamr]

I always hated Cal Ripken, completely overrated.

I don't know about that...

Show up for work 2,632 times in a row solid. I don't care if you even get a few months break every year, that's still gotta be tough.

And over 3,100 hits, 400 HR's, a fielding percentage of .977 at short? Maybe late in his career the streak may have hurt the team a bit, but a coach wouldn't play a player that long a time without him being able to contribute.

 

[70/30]

I guess it is out of some people's realm to consider anyone with muscles is clean. That sort of attitude reminds me of Marjorie Knoller's in the Whipple dog mauling. BTW, even the accusations of steroids, andro, growth hormone, creatine etc were grounded, they aren't magic substances. Barry juiced up still must work harder to build and maintain than you would be able to imagine.

 

[70/30]

I don't know about that...

Show up for work 2,632 times in a row solid. I don't care if you even get a few months break every year, that's still gotta be tough.

And over 3,100 hits, 400 HR's, a fielding percentage of .977 at short? Maybe late in his career the streak may have hurt the team a bit, but a coach wouldn't play a player that long a time without him being able to contribute.

Cal's overrated. AROD is 5times the player as Cal, Barry is justly rated at or above AROD's level.

 

[teddybear4play]

Cal's overrated. AROD is 5times the player as Cal, Barry is justly rated at or above AROD's level.

Fine. But work ethic has to count for something. Shaquille O'Neal may be a better athlete than Larry Bird was, but Bird worked tirelessly at his game, while Shaq cuts rap albums, makes shitty movies, and still can't shoot a free throw to save his life.

Perhaps Cal was not as blessed athletically as A-Rod or Barry, but the man fucking earned his paycheck.

TB4p

 

[Backyard sweaty]

Reading Agent 99's thread, I remembered that I had been thinking of Cal Ripken recently.

Cal Ripken was kind of an asshole. Barry Bonds is kind of an asshole. Cal Ripken is a saint. People wish ill will on Barry Bonds and discredit much of what he has done as a player.

Why the inconsistency?

I don't put much stock in our sports journalism and I have never met either of them but that is the sports writers tells us. And there is room to believe that to succeed to their level sometimes one has to be a bit of an asshole.

However, I don't think anyone that truly knows baseball will discredit what Bonds has done. To get the hits, homers, rbi's, etc., that he has in as few of AB's that he has is unheard of. And I dare say most of your baseball experts probably agree with Joe Morgan when the but him at the top of the greatest list for the era that he has played in.

 

[Linedrive]

Cal Ripken was hardly an asshole. As previously mentioned he showed up for work, he acknowledged the fans, he carried out his career in a professional manner and was/is involved in numerous charities. I'd love to hear 1 person list how he is an asshole.

As for Barry Bonds, he is a dick. He puts himself above and beyond anyone else, fights with his teammates, he's a clubhouse cancer, his teams have never won shit, and he is a self center little bitch.

I loved seeing Bonds crying in an interview several years back, he was so emotional with his crocodile tears. This guy doesn't give a shit about anyone but himself. When baseball went on strike in 1994, he went to court to have his child support payments lowered. Poor baby couldn't afford that new BWM. Barry Bonds is a little bitch and I'd love to see one person provide proof that he is anything but that.

Comparing Ripken and Bonds is like comparing Mother Theresa to Adolf Hitler. Nice Try, thanks for coming.

 

[Backyard sweaty]

Comparing Ripken and Bonds is like comparing Mother Theresa to Adolf Hitler. Nice Try, thanks for coming.

To keep it in a baseball context:

Like comparing Ty Cobb - (stands for everything you don't want in a person but one of the greatest of his era) to Lou Gerhrig (who stands for all the good things one wants in a person and he was a better than average player).

While Bonds is undoubtedly an ass he will go down in baseball hx with along side of Mays, Dimaggio and the other greats of the game for his abilities.

 

[Linedrive]

While Bonds is undoubtedly an ass he will go down in baseball hx with along side of Mays, Dimaggio and the other greats of the game for his abilities.

I hate him....but I agree

 

[JazzManJim]

Perhaps Cal was not as blessed athletically as A-Rod or Barry, but the man fucking earned his paycheck.

And a world series, and a league MVP award, and an All-Star game MVP award...

 

[brokenbrainwave]

And a world series, and a league MVP award, and an All-Star game MVP award...

and a gopher ball in his last All Star game so he could go out with a bang...

 

[Linedrive]

And a world series, and a league MVP award, and an All-Star game MVP award...

2 MVP's actually and the Rookie of the Year in 1982?

 

[JazzManJim]

2 MVP's actually and the Rookie of the Year in 1982?

I keep forgetting the second MVP.

I know that he and Robin Yount were neck and neck for the RoY in 1982 and I keep wanting to think that Yount actually won it, but I could be wrong.

And there was, of course, the uber-dramatic homeruns he hit in the games where he tied and broke Gehrig's record. Those moments still give me shivers....

 

[Linedrive]

Cal Ripken's Awards:

1982 AL Rookie of the Year
1983 AL MVP
1991 AL MVP

.346 post-season avg
19 all-star appearances

 

[Myythrin]

Please Learn Your Facts

1. You don't become as loved as Cal is in the Baltimore area by being an asshole.
2. He signed more autographs and has done more for kids then you could ever imagine.
3. He has always lived a low keyed lifestyle and retired to spend more time with his kids.
4. He totally changed the shortstop position proving a big man could play there and not be an offensive detrement to the team up until that time shortstops were there for primarily defensive skills.
5. The streak was never planned and as he got closer to the record he had no choice but to play.
6. Orioles ownership has hurt the team...NOT Cal.
7. He did NOT beat his wife...The issue in ? happened (believe it or not) when he caught his wife in bed, in his house with Kevin Costner and kicked his Hollywood ass! He was arrested then released...the Orioles invented a light problem at Camden Yards and canceled the game to keep the streak alive.