[jammin' jamey]

OfftheHook...

You're drinking way too much Kool-Aid dude. I respect your opinion, but purest who love the game of baseball are not loving Barry Bonds and his tainted home run chase.

To compare Cal Ripken with Barry Bonds is ridiculous. Ripken is a true gentlemen of the game - an ambassador with his youth league program and volunteers his time to help youth learn the game of baseball the proper way. Ripken is a winner in every since of the word.

If you really think that Cal Ripken and Nolan Ryan took steroids, then you need your head examined.

Yeah, Bonds is a jerk. So what - it's a free country. If he chooses to be a jerkoff his whole life, then fine, I have no problem with that. I don't care that Babe Ruth drank too much, that Hank Aaron may have smoked weed, A-Rod is from Mars or whatever else you claim because he didn't affect the integrity of the game. Beer, weed, whatever doesn't create better performance on the field. Crazy. You're argument has no base.

Mickey Mantle could out drank the entire town of Milwaukee, go to Boston and challenge the biggest local Irish red-man to a drink off and still win on the same day. Guess what - Mantle admitted at the end that he made mistakes, wanted to change things but knew it was too late. He spent his last days tell kids to not drink, smoke and chew. What a man! Don't see Bonds doing that in a few years, do you? That what seperates the Mantles' from the Bonds' - they respected the game.

BTW - Andy Van Slyke is a 1st base coach for the Detroit Tigers. Many former Pirates from their winning years in the early 90s are on the current Tigers staff. Don't look for Barry Bonds to receive any reunion long-time-no-see calls from the Motor City.