If you're looking for someone on ESPN to say something stupid, well then look no further than Steve Phillips. Everyone knows that it would be much better for everyone involved if Bonds was to break the record in San Fran and Steve Phillips is amongst the masses on this point. However, Phillips pushes this to another level. He is currently advocating that when Barry Bonds is set to break the record that he only play home games. That the Giants bench him on the road for the betterment of major league baseball.His belief has a few key points. First of all is the basic point that he will get booed and there could possibly be an ugly scene at a road stadium. He even brought up a possibility of someone running onto the field in attempt to attack him, which is a bit far fetched. Secondly, he believes that the lasting image of Bonds hitting a homer and not getting cheered would be so bad for baseball that it is worth the Giants in essence throwing the B squad on the field daily on the road.
So I just have a few questions Steve for your poor opinion. First do you not want Barry Bonds to tie the record at home too, or just not to break it? What is really the difference? Secondly, say he hits the tieing homerun on the road in the first inning, are you saying that the Giants should then immediately take Barry out of the game? Seriously? Finally you really believe that the lasting image of Barry Bonds will be that singular home run, you don't think people will already have a lasting image of Bonds as a cheater. You truly believe that if he hits the homer in San Fran and the crowd is cheering that in 10 years we will remember Bonds breaking the record in a good light? That is highly doubtful if not completely delusional.
Furthermore do you not think Steve that it is completely unfair to the baseball world for the Giants to, in essence, send out a diminished team every road game. What you're saying is that you are fine with playing with the integrity of the game all for the lasting image of a single home run. So if he's working on breaking the record in September and the Padres and Dodgers are in a dead heat, you would be fine if he say played all 4 games at home vs. the Dodgers but sat a road series against the Padres? That wouldn't sacrifice too much integrity of the game and stir up more controversy than there already is?Lastly don't you think that with all that has gone done with major league baseball, the players union, ignorance towards steroids, and Bonds cheating that they deserve the 50/50 chance of humiliation. If Bonds was clean and not a complete douche than this wouldn't be an issue. I personally believe it is only fair if he plays all the time and there is a 50/50 chance that he gets booed vigorously after breaking the record. The MLB and Bonds himself would deserve it.
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