Home Forums Skybox Sports Bar Around the Horn Is baseball becoming a pansy sport ?

Let's face it, baseball is wimping out anymore. The much ballyhooed event with Estes vs Clemens was a complete joke.<p>The umpires knew what was going on but yet they decided to issue a warning after the first pitch to Clemens. Give me a break.<p>Secondly Estes why doesn't he just zap Roger with the next pitch. Nope he doesn't stand up for his team, he is afraid of getting tossed. Spare me.<p>Now Frank Robinson wants to fine estes $750 for almost hitting Roger?? What kind of joke is that.<p>Then you have barry going to the mound and pointing fingers cause a guy pitches inside. I like Bonds have followed him since his Pirates days, but let's be realistic. In the modern era of baseball pitching inside was part of the game, getting brushed off the plate was part of the game, getting plunked on your ass or in the back, was part of the game.<p>Anytime someone hit a HR and made a spectacle the next guy at bat paid. That was baseball, not this watered down cry me a riverfest we have now.<p>Don't get me wrong I love baseball, die for it in the winter, but it has gone cheap lately.<p>Did I mention that you have to pay $14.95 to hear delayed broadcasts on the internet. Jeez what happened to the great American pastime. It is very nearly now the great American joke.<p>Thoughts.....<p>Positive and negative.. let's get a discussion going here.

I hear you man. Tell me it isn't like that in most of the major sports. One of the main reasons I love hockey so much is that there aren't any timeouts...if you hit someone, you get hit a few minutes later. I'm old school for sure and these days between the high paid players and the media who makes everything into a big deal it really does make me want to throw up at times.<p>This whole thing with Clemens/Piazza and the Mets. Come on...just nail the guy already. If I was Estes I would have nailed him with the first pitch...umpire gives the warning and then you go right back at him again. Thing is, this was 2 years ago that Clemens first hit him....yawn! And Bonds? Give me a break...sure, you are the home run king and all that, but you are going to get brushed back and thrown at...you aren't bigger than the game, give it a rest and sit down and shut up. After that at bat, i would have thrown right at him again the next at bat! haha [img]images/icons/shocked.gif" border="0[/img] <p>Baseball has really come a long way since the strike in the 90s...some great World Series matchups, home run records and chases, etc. Lets not fuck it all up with labor disputes and big egos.<p>SeaVike [img]images/icons/cool.gif" border="0[/img]

Well, I will say this, if they go on strike, which I think they will. The fan base will go down further than last strike. They don't have pretty boy Ripken to save them this time. Bonds couldn't do it, he would need at best 3 years to catch Aaron. The strike would also lower his chances to break it. The game may come to a halt but mother nature and time still take their toll.<p>Your right in the NHl you get hit or take a cheap shot, you get yours later for certain. In baseball the only thing going up is the cost of things, whether it be seats, concessions, parking or souveniers. Not to mention that the millionaires won't give out the autograph. I can understand them not signing for the vultures that will turn around and sell it on e-bay or something, but the kids are a little different. <p>I guess our society has gone money hungry, and the players get it while they can, too bad I can't find any company to offer me those outrageous 17 million deals for 1 year.

I can't believe these guys would go on strike with the more than enough money to spread around. How can it be justified? I do hear that the strike is imminent, which is mindboggling. The owners and players are all greedy bastards. In light of 9/11, another MLB strike really is a kick in the nuts to all.

I always thought Baseball was the pansiest Sport of the Big 4. Basketball can be a tough game when you are pounding with some of the Big Men inside like Shaq for 40+ minutes a night. So Baseball gets the nod over Basketball for the pansiest North American professional team Sport.

I once felt confident saner minds would avoid a strike.<p>
They will have a work stoppage, because these 'pansies' don't have the guts to avoid it.<p>
The owners are going to take a stand.
The players sort of want more rights.
They're going to set a date.
They have so many issues, no way they'll get resolved.
Baseball will strike.<p>
And this country At War won't care.
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I am sure you guys probably heard or read about it... What about John Burkett saying if selected as an ALl Star he won't play because it is in MIL.<p>He figures he is helping Selig by taking part in his backyard. I can fully understand where he is coming from, but this game si for the fans, and would be robbing them of seeing one of this years better players.<p>As for the strike, now that the drug testing issue is there, you can forget it. If there was a prop somewhere, Will MLB strike before this season is over, I would pound the bet that it would.

If there was a prop, some players would pound 'Strike side' and collect their 'Salary Lost Reimbursement'.

I think they would be the only ones able to play a lot on that huge ML.<p>Too bad baseball has suffered the last few days with the loss of Jack Buck, and now today Darryl Kile. Maybe that will open some eyes to what is really important. It is sad to have those thoughts, but in the scope of life, baseball is meaningless if you aren't here to enjoy it.