There's no asterisk in baseball!

[EarlJam]

Yeah I know - baseball season is over and a few people have come out on this board to express their hatred or apathy over America's pasttime.

Still, I found this article and wanted to share. Barry Bonds says he will boycott all things Cooperstown if his ball goes into the Hall of Fame with an asterisk. A quote from the article:

"I don't think you can put an asterisk in the game of baseball, and I don't think that the Hall of Fame can accept an asterisk," Bonds said. "You cannot give people the freedom, the right to alter history. You can't do it. There's no such thing as an asterisk in baseball."

First of all, I'm not so certain he'd get voted in (though I, EarlJam, believe he should be). But man is he despised or what? Secondly, how amazing would it be to have a Baseball Hall of Fame that did not include:

1. The all-time hits leader (Rose) and
2. The all-time home run leader (Bonds)

That would just be odd. A link to the story:

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7400384

-EarlJam

[EarlJam]

Whoops. I meant to post this to the "Off Topic Board." Apologies.

[allenmurray]

Barry Bonds says he will boycott all things Cooperstown if his ball goes into the Hall of Fame with an asterisk. A quote from the article:

"I don't think you can put an asterisk in the game of baseball, and I don't think that the Hall of Fame can accept an asterisk," Bonds said. "You cannot give people the freedom, the right to alter history. You can't do it. There's no such thing as an asterisk in baseball."


-EarlJam

First, it is not his ball. It belongs to Mark Ecko.

Second, it is Ecko's to do with as he sees fit. If he wants to put an asterisk on it with permanant ink that is his right. Then if he wants to donate it to the Hall of Fame that is his right as well.

Third, once it belongs to the Hall of Fame they get to decide if they want to put it on display.

What Barry does or does not want is immaterial. The ball does not belong to him.

Finally, Bonds' statement is nonsense. No one would be altering history. Instead they would be showing how his accomplishments are precieved by the public. The fact that he is a controvesial figure within baseball fandom is as much a part of history as is the number of home runs that he hit. History is more than a collection of facts.

[hc5duke]

Barring a banishment like Rose, I can't imagine Bonds not being inducted into HoF

[cspan37421]

Baseball records are relative to an era, and I look forward to the end of the steroid era. I may not live to see it though.

[Bluedawg]

Barry Bonds says he will boycott all things Cooperstown if his ball goes into the Hall of Fame with an asterisk.

-EarlJam

Good, let him stay away. Marion jones gave back her medals, he should follow her lead.

Barring a banishment like Rose, I can't imagine Bonds not being inducted into HoF

Bud doesn't have the courage to do that, and the only "check and balance" that we have to bring justice is if the voters have the courage to say NO!

[Duvall]

Bonds had a Hall of Fame career before he reportedly started using steroids.

[hurleyfor3]

Yeah, I guess it was about time for us to have another Barry Bonds thread.

[feldspar]

First, it is not his ball. It belongs to Mark Ecko.

Second, it is Ecko's to do with as he sees fit. If he wants to put an asterisk on it with permanant ink that is his right. Then if he wants to donate it to the Hall of Fame that is his right as well.

Third, once it belongs to the Hall of Fame they get to decide if they want to put it on display.

What Barry does or does not want is immaterial. The ball does not belong to him.

Finally, Bonds' statement is nonsense. No one would be altering history. Instead they would be showing how his accomplishments are precieved by the public. The fact that he is a controvesial figure within baseball fandom is as much a part of history as is the number of home runs that he hit. History is more than a collection of facts.

And it's Barry's prerogative to boycott the Hall of Fame, and tell everyone about it. What's it to you?

[Bluedawg]

Bonds had a Hall of Fame career before he reportedly started using steroids.

His drive for the HR record came after using steroids and wouldn't have happened if he had not used them. It is tainted.

[allenmurray]

And it's Barry's prerogative to boycott the Hall of Fame, and tell everyone about it. What's it to you?

As for the first part of your post, you are absolutely correct, and nothing I said in any way contradicts that, nor would I care to. It is clearly Bonds' perogotive to boycott the HOF and tell everyone why.

As for the second part of your post, the lovely "What's it to you?", this is a discussion board. You see, Earljam started a thread on a topic and I responded. If no one responded to threads it would not be a discussion board, now would it? It would be a statement board.

[DukeDawg]

Barry Bonds is and will forever be a cheater

With that said, this side act by the fashion designer is a joke.

Him branding the ball all but guarantees that the HOF will not accept and/or display the ball.

He is trying to get as much publicity with this ball as possible and I got sick of it about 5 minutes after I heard of his pointless internet poll to decide what he should do with the ball

Get over yourself and just do whatever YOU want with the ball. You know as well as we that branding it excludes it from the HOF

The D-bag should just destroy it or hand it over to the HOF as it is

[hc5duke]

Barry Bonds is and will forever be a cheater

With that said, this side act by the fashion designer is a joke.

Him branding the ball all but guarantees that the HOF will not accept and/or display the ball.

He is trying to get as much publicity with this ball as possible and I got sick of it about 5 minutes after I heard of his pointless internet poll to decide what he should do with the ball

Get over yourself and just do whatever YOU want with the ball. You know as well as we that branding it excludes it from the HOF

The D-bag should just destroy it or hand it over to the HOF as it is

Actually I think HoF said they will accept and display the ball regardless of what he does with it.

here's an article:

Hall of Fame president Dale Petroskey said accepting the ball did not mean the Hall in Cooperstown, N.Y., endorses the viewpoint that Barry Bonds used drugs.

"This ball wouldn't be coming to Cooperstown if Marc hadn't bought it from the fan who caught it and then let the fans have their say," Petroskey told The Associated Press. "We're delighted to have the ball. It's a historic piece of baseball history."

Hall of Fame officials and Ecko are discussing how to affix the asterisk on the ball. It's not yet known when the ball will go on display.

[EarlJam]

Actually I think HoF said they will accept and display the ball regardless of what he does with it.

here's an article:

What if he pees on it?

-Kiss Kiss Bang EarlJam

[hc5duke]

What if he pees on it?

-Kiss Kiss Bang EarlJam

Then it becomes a personalized collector's edition

[EarlJam]

Then it becomes a personalized collector's edition

Good point. It could start a whole new trend, replacing the autograph.

"Nice game Mr. Ortiz. Will you pee on my glove?"

"Sure kid. If all of you could just hold out your gloves right next to each other, that would be great."

-EarlJam

[DukeDawg]

Actually I think HoF said they will accept and display the ball regardless of what he does with it.

here's an article:

The HOF will NEVER, EVER put it on display with a brand on it.

It won't happen.

[pfrduke]

The HOF will NEVER, EVER put it on display with a brand on it.

It won't happen.

Why not? The Hall has not hidden from baseball scandals past. To the best of my recollection, there are displays about the Black Sox. And asterisk or not, that ball is still the ball that broke the most famous record in sports. What else would you do with it - stick it in a back closet somewhere?

Of course, depending on how it's branded, the Hall could always set it up so that the asterisk is not viewable to the public, too.

[pfrduke]

His drive for the HR record came after using steroids and wouldn't have happened if he had not used them. It is tainted.

The post to which you were responding had nothing to do with the HR record. It instead noted (quite correctly), that Bonds had already amassed a HOF career before 73 and 756 ever happened.

[alteran]

...A quote from the article:

"I don't think you can put an asterisk in the game of baseball, and I don't think that the Hall of Fame can accept an asterisk," Bonds said. "You cannot give people the freedom, the right to alter history. You can't do it. There's no such thing as an asterisk in baseball."

Just as a matter of practicality, I wonder if Barry shouldn't have just kept his mouth shut and acted like he didn't give a hoot. Much more fitting with his personality, and my gawd, he's giving a LOT of satisfaction to those who really dislike him (like myself) by making it clear this is getting to him.

And talk about a hollow threat. "Hi, I'm the most despised person in sports. People hate me and steroid abuse. I DARE the HOF to do the popular thing by publically displaying something that condemns steroids and me while functionally ignoring the problem. Go on, I DARE you."

Heck, they should send him a thank you note.