Art Spander of Real Clear Sports has an interesting column up concerning Barry Bonds’ recent seclusion. Sander feels that, over time, sports fans will learn to embrace the troubled slugger.
A cheater? A steroid user? A perjurer? Those are the claims against Bonds, and the reasons that, as his career wound down and the home run totals went up, Barry was booed virtually everywhere.
Except San Francisco.
Where this season, the fans have taken to booing Manny Ramirez, who has never been accused of anything similar to Bonds’ sins, but plays for the franchise that drives San Francisco partisans to frustration, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers, hailed and hated, came to San Francisco for a three-game series. Bonds came out of, well, it might not have been hiding – but he does spend his days down in Beverly Hills – to be a willing viewer and to be willingly viewed.
There was Barry, in the seat adjoining that of the individual in charge of the Giants, Bill Neukom, receiving a standing ovation. There was Manny on the diamond, receiving derision for no reason other than he’s Manny. And a Dodger.
Sander is dead on throughout his piece. As supporters of our favorite teams, it’s in our blood to despise rivals no matter what players are on the opposition. That’s why you never see trades or signings within the same division. As far as baseball is concerned, the last one I remember is when Johnny Damon was traded from Boston to New York. As expected, Damon gets booed every time he returns to Fenway.
Bonds spent the bulk of his career with the Giants and gave San Francisco dozens of historical moments that will not only live on in infamy within the city, but all of baseball. Any punishment he’s received has been deserved — Bonds even knows this. Still, he should be welcomed in San Francisco because of his performance playing the game for their team. Bonds didn’t taint the franchise — he tainted himself.
Of course, Spander broaches the subject of whether or not Bonds will play again. I agree with him in thinking it won’t happen. Nevertheless, I always thought it would be a kick in the pants to see Bonds play for a team like the Royals instead of the Yankees or Red Sox. The media circus would be less manic and Barry could help a team in serious need of power.
