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Faceoff
Should Barry Bonds retire?
By Times staff writers
Published March 5, 2006
ENJOY HIM WHILE YOU CAN
You don't like Barry Bonds. You hate Barry Bonds. You think Barry Bonds is everything that is wrong with sports today.
And that's okay.
But the man can hit home runs. The man can single-handedly turn a team into a contender. The man is the greatest hitter my generation has ever seen.
And you want him to retire?
Put your prejudices aside for a second and riddle me this: If your favorite team, be it the Red Sox or the Yankees or the Devil Rays, could sign Bonds for one last season, would you want it to?
At worst, the man can sell a few tickets and give a team some extra cash to put toward a player who really matters.
At best, he can give your lineup the most feared hitter in the last decade.
Keep in mind that before last season, Bonds had hit at least 40 homers in five straight seasons.
And in the 14 games he played last season, he hit five. Over the course of 162 games, that would be nearly 58 home runs.
Hate all you want, but Barry Bonds belongs in the big leagues. Not a Barcalounger.
- DAVID MURPHY
YES, FOR A MILLION REASONS
A million bucks is sitting on a table.
The following is asked: Did Barry Bonds take steroids?
Answer correctly, you collect.
Answer incorrectly, you get nothing.
Who in their right mind wouldn't answer yes?
Which is one of the reasons Barry Bonds answers no.
Besides not being in his right mind - do we really need to review the cockamamie things this guy has said? - he's on the verge of breaking the Holy Grail of sports records: the career major-league home run total.
He has 708. Ruth 714. Aaron 755.
But isn't it curious that Bonds, unlike Aaron and Ruth, got stronger as he got older?
Steroids? Anyone?
And isn't it curious that Bonds, unlike Aaron, talked about retiring before he had a chance to break the record?
Afraid of getting tested for steroids, Barry? Afraid of trying to play without steroids, Barry?
Do us all a favor, Barry, retire. You're still in the Hall.
Leave the records to men who didn't cheat to hit home runs.
- SCOTT PURKS
LAST WEEK
Which was the bigger disappointment -- U.S. hoops in '04 or Canadian hockey in '06? U.S. hoops
Purks (U.S. basketball): 385
Murphy (Canadian hockey): 184
Totals
Purks: 1,154
Murphy: 1,136
[Last modified March 5, 2006, 00:53:19]
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