Bonds' other little helper

[Lee50]

Ever wonder about Barry's body armor?

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003621797

[Transmogrified Tiger]

That's really interesting stuff, thanks for the link.

[Derwood]

that really is unfair. if he just wore it to get plunked, I wouldn't care (as he doesn't actually get plunked often), but if it corrects his mechanics and gives him an advantage in hitting, well that's BS and it's ludicrous the league allows it

[CubmanPi]

I think this provides excellent explanation for why other people on steroids haven't enjoyed the same success. I also really like the correlation between the first year of this newest model with his 73 HR season, as well as his absence in HR derbys. Really good stuff, thanks.

[NewUserName]

I like this a lot more than "he is on steriods, lets linch him". It is well explained and it is an advantage that numerous of other players are not getting to use.

 

The trouble with this as with the steriods is how much help did it give. I think it is too convenient to just throw out a number. So same as I thought before, He set a personal record and I still think Babe Ruth is the best power hitter of all time.

[MPrior]

That's fascinating stuff, and much of it seems to be valid. I hadn't thought about it all. Bonds is still obviously a fantastic hitter, with or without the brace, just as he is with or without the steroids, but it does seem to confer a pretty huge advantage - particularly the part about maintaining an identical straight swing every single time.

[jjgman21]

very good article, but just one thing I disagree with...

 

Thus situated, Bonds can handle the outside pitch (where most pitchers live) unusually well. This is unfair advantage enough, but no longer controversial.

 

not controversial? says who? I've seen no explanation for why the rules are different for Bonds or how any of those nonexistent explanations makes it not controversial. if I am not mistaken, the rule is that you have to prove a current injury. there is no grandfather clause or injury, thus Bonds shouldn't be allowed to wear the armor. he still wears it, thus it is controversial.

 

 

 

next article I would like to see, "How being allowed to call his own strikezone taints Bonds record."

[Jon]

Yeah. It's impossible to quantify how much it helped, but it's pretty interesting nonetheless.

[CDBears1259]

I have a much bigger problem with this than I do with the roids. I always thought the "armor" looked rather mechanical and less like padding, but didn't realize exactly how mechanical it was. I didn't read the entire article yet, but if what I did read is acurate (and I have no reason to doubt the author) this is a bigger problem than the roids IMO.

[CubinNY]

It's a completely bogus opinion piece.

 

I don't know why people feel the need to vilify Bonds. He does a pretty good job all by himself.

[sweetpeteman]

Hmm.

 

 

On one hand, we have a very well thought out piece detailing what the "guard" does to help Bonds.

 

 

On the other hand, we have a 6 word sentence dismissing the piece as "bogus."

 

 

 

Care to back up your statement in any way, shape or form? Or is one sentence good enough?

[CubinNY]

Hmm.

 

 

On one hand, we have a very well thought out piece detailing what the "guard" does to help Bonds.

 

 

On the other hand, we have a 6 word sentence dismissing the piece as "bogus."

 

 

 

Care to back up your statement in any way, shape or form? Or is one sentence good enough?

No, it's good enough. Unless the guard has a hydrolic ram in it and Bonds never ever hits a ground ball I see no real reason to believe this nonsense.

 

Anyway, I've heard Bonds actually started the Chicago Fire.

[treebird]

WHAT IS MORE LIKELY

 

barry bonds figured out a way to cheat in plain sight of major league baseball and no one stopped him and no other players picked up on it and mimicked it

 

some guy who hates barry bonds made up some stuff about an elbow pad and even had the bizarre audacity to claim to know, within a 25 hr range, how many more home runs barry hit with the pad than he would have hit without it

[Geech]

An expert opinion.

[sweetpeteman]

An expert opinion.

 

 

See, thats all I cared about.

 

 

I don't really care what the article was actually about, but the flat out six word dismissals piss me off.

[CubinNY]

An expert opinion.

 

Will Carrol is great

"The contortions people will go to in order to discredit Bonds makes me want to order one of these, to protect me when I beat my head against the wall in frustration.

[CubinNY]

An expert opinion.

 

 

See, thats all I cared about.

 

 

I don't really care what the article was actually about, but the flat out six word dismissals piss me off.

 

Then change your freaking pants.

 

The story is so bizzare it borders on "The Onion" territory. People want to belive that Bonds is the boogie man and eat this nonsense up.

[sweetpeteman]

You know, my other question is what the heck does baseball have to do with the newspaper industry, which this website/journal is supposedly covering?

[CubinNY]

You know, my other question is what the heck does baseball have to do with the newspaper industry, which this website/journal is supposedly covering?

That, and the guy is a freaking artist or something. Maybe he has a degree in phyisics, I don't know. But from judging the article I'd say I don't want him near a bridge or building.

[sweetpeteman]

You know, my other question is what the heck does baseball have to do with the newspaper industry, which this website/journal is supposedly covering?

That, and the guy is a freaking artist or something. Maybe he has a degree in phyisics, I don't know. But from judging the article I'd say I don't want him near a bridge or building.

 

 

Wait a minute... this guy has drawn "some sketches" about the action and has "consulted" on mechanics? Sounds like somebody paid him to do graphic design for a game and he has made it sound like he's an expert.

[Soul]

An expert opinion.

 

 

See, thats all I cared about.

 

 

I don't really care what the article was actually about, but the flat out six word dismissals piss me off.

 

Then change your freaking pants.

 

The story is so bizzare it borders on "The Onion" territory. People want to belive that Bonds is the boogie man and eat this nonsense up.

 

I don't like Bonds much, but this article is hilariously stupid. What the hell is a commentary on the newspaper industry doing talking sports anyway?

 

Dumb.

[ConstableRabbit]

The point about the hinge is an interesting one. I guess I never realized that it's not a standard armpad.

[soccer10k]

Hmm.

 

 

On one hand, we have a very well thought out piece detailing what the "guard" does to help Bonds.

 

 

On the other hand, we have a 6 word sentence dismissing the piece as "bogus."

 

 

 

Care to back up your statement in any way, shape or form? Or is one sentence good enough?

No, it's good enough. Unless the guard has a hydrolic ram in it and Bonds never ever hits a ground ball I see no real reason to believe this nonsense.

 

Anyway, I've heard Bonds actually started the Chicago Fire.

 

I didn't know Bonds started a soccer team.

[Bote McBoteface]

I dislike Bonds, and I've always thought that huge arm pad to "protect" an arm he injured years ago was quite ridiculous.

 

That said, the only advantage I see it providing is that he doesn't fear getting hit so he can stand right over top the plate.

[OleMissCub]

Joe Torre feels that Barry has an unfair advantage that players like Aaron didn't have because Barry doesn't have the fear of being hit. Knock-down pitches were a part of the game back in those days and weren't punished at all. Torre said that Barry can basically stand up there as if he's at batting practice because he knows that pitchers rarely pitch inside, much less hit batters very often these days.