SFist: It's All-Star Time

masterdave

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 22:20:30 -0800

I think any booing of Barry has more to do with his attitude towards the fans over anything else. McGwire may have been a roided up freak just the same as Barry may be a roided up freak, but at least Big Mac was willing to play the nice guy when the cameras were on and appreciate that the fans existed and that millions of dollars kinda sorta makes you obligated to the fans that contribute to your paycheck. Same goes for Jason Giambi who by all accounts and his own admission was plenty juiced. However, again since he was generally seen as a nice guy who appreciated the fans... the negative things aren't necessarily as bad. Most people don't see the same sort of fan service from Barry, and so everything negative about him is amplified. Justified or not, he's said plenty of pretty crappy things over the years and all the attitude about "it's a job" and not caring about baseball for baseball blah blah blah just wastes anything good most people can say about him. Giants fans are and always will be apologists for him, but the rest of the country has no incentive to like a guy who by all accounts doesn't like them. He may be the best baseball player of all time (perhaps debatable, but I think it's justified if anyone wants to claim it) but he's been a pretty shitty person to most people who follow the game. Boos are appropriate to someone who disrespects the game as much as he has I think.

aj

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 21:10:05 -0800

I was at the derby - I think it was BETTER without Barry. More about baseball, less about one dude.

guest

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 16:43:32 -0800

I don't know, from a baseball perspective it makes perfect sense for Barry to sit it out; and from a Barry-being-Barry perspective it does too. First, the dude's 43(?) years old. That's old. Have you ever tried to rip 25 balls straight 400 feet? It's not easy, and it's not easy on your body. Especially if you're old. Dudes don't go to the All-Star Game looking to get injured... and Barry's got a record to pursue. I bet he's just hedging his likelihood of injury and is looking to take it easy over the break. Second, this way everybody will be talking about Barry without him having to be there to choke it all down. People will be talking about how he's not there, versus people talking exclusively about how "controversial" he is and how he "took steroids." People who hate Barry are friggin' racists, by the way.

Akit

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 16:22:38 -0800

Upper deck seats cost $100 for the derby! What a rip-off! The prospects & celeb game had premium field club seats for just $125, and I was there (and on TV)! I tagged a few pictures of Saturday's game on flickr for sfist, but it has not showed up on the tag search yet. But here, look: http://flickr.com/photos/agentakit/

suckafree

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 15:40:05 -0800

i have to agree with pete. the fans that put him into the game over soriano at the last minute certainly wanted to see him in the derby. shame on you barry.