Bonds Will Walk Again

He is baseball's all time leader in walks and while he may never play another game in the major leagues, Bonds will add at least one more to his total.
He'll get a pass on all charges levied by a grand jury this week.
Bonds was charged with four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction by federal prosecutors at a California District Court in San Francisco.
Each of the perjury charges carries a jail sentence of up to five years, while the obstruction charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.

This all boils down to Barry's statement before the grand jury:"I have never knowingly taken steroids".
This won't be about proving he took them.
Most of us have no problem believing that to be a fact.
This won't be completely about how the samples of his positive test were collected.
That, like the O.J. case, won't be pretty.
This won't even be about whether he really DID know he was taking steroids.
It will be about proving his statement untrue.
PROVE that he didn't know.
How are they going to do that ?

When asked in court about the papers that clearly showed his positive test, Bonds responded by saying:"I've never seen that report before".
So, what has changed since Barry made that statement ?
Who is ready to testify to the contrary ?
His buddy and former personal trainer Greg Anderson was coincidentally released from prison the same day that the indictment came down.
He spent a year in prison rather than give Barry up.
The government seems to think they now have enough information or the right canary to make their case now.

We were told in the Michael Vick case that the feds would never go forward unless they had the goods.
That it's a rare time that when they do move in that they don't get a conviction.
This isn't the Los Angeles district attorney's office.
Johnny Cochrane has passed on.
I'm not a lawyer.
I don't even play one on TV.
But if I was, I think I might have an easier time defending him than prosecuting.
Regardless of my opinion of that jerk !

This blog was reprinted from my regular baseball column at mcn sports.
Have a look at the columns and the baseball shows taped this summer at:
http://www.mcnsports.com/

Naming These Things Is The Toughest Part

Look, this all about me.
It's my blog and I'll cry if I want to.

ENOUGH !!
How many games do the Oakland Raiders have to lose before they finally allow Jamarcus Russell to do what he should be doing.
Despite spending too much time on the field, the Oakland Defense has allowed an average of less than 20 points a game and lost all 5.
Giddy-UP !!!

GO HAWKS GO !!!
I believe.
There is a future after all.
That so many were confused with last year's amatuer draft.
Oh, there isn't a true number one.
The kid's too small.
Patrick Kane is going to be just fine and along with Jonathan Toews and the passing of Bill Wirtz, there is hope once again in Chicago.

ALS I'VE GOT TO SAY
Why are we shocked that the Als are not moving on because they twice couldn't gain a single bloody yard.
It happened in the first game of the season and the last game of the year.
It's a shame that so many will suffer at the hands of so few.
This one's on the G.M.
You can't blame people for not doing what they clearly can't do.
We already knew the O-Line was trouble.
Never blame players who play to their ability, blame the guy who put them in that position.
Jim Popp was not a great coach this season but he let down the coach with his previously stellar work as G.M.

OH THE HUMANITY
Defense apparently only wins championships, it just doesn't get respect.
Ryan Braun as rookie of the year over Troy Tulowitzki ?
It's not best rookie hitter of the year.
Braun may have been the worst fielding thirdbaseman in all of baseball last year.
Tulowitzki is as good a fielding shortstop as there is in the game already.
Why doesn't it all add up ?

HABS SO MUCH BETTER
Everyone is entitled to their mistakes.
I called for the Canadiens to miss the playoffs this season and I was wrong.
Here's why:
The Goaltending's better.
The defense is better.
Kovalev is better.
Komisarek is better.
The coach is better.
It's not like they'll win the Stanley Cup.
But they're better.
And how much better do they have to be ?
I think they CAN be 2 points better.

Dynasties

I think it's kind of funny that folks have started comparing the 2007 champion Red Sox to the Boston group that won four years ago.
The fact of the matter is, this edition more resembles the 1975 Beantown version, even if those guys never won another pennant or even a single world series.
Unlike the 2004 team, this one is built for the future.
That they didn't win again gives you an idea of what can go wrong when all looks so rosy in the today.
The starting line up included 23 year old Fred Lynn and 22 year old Jim Rice.
They finished one-two in rookie of the year balloting and amazingly one and three in MVP voting that season.
Also in the starting line up:
23 year old outfielder Dwight Evans, 24 year old shortstop Rick Burleson and 25 year old DH Cecil Cooper.
23 year old Butch Hobson was waiting for a chance.
The only young pitcher of note, 25 year old Roger (Rogelio) Moret never came close to another 14-3 season.He went 6-9 the rest of his career.
The 2007 world series champions have a fine group 23 and under with pitching prospects to match.
Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury are both 23, so is game 4 winner Jon Lester.
Phenom Clay Buchholz is 22.Jonathon Papelbon and Daisuke Matzuzaka are only 26.
The ace of them all right now, Josh Beckett just 27.
With the money this team has and the way the game is played right now,it'll be hard to bet against these guys for some time to come.


As for the Yankees:
This is a very different situation that Joe Girardi walks into than the one that greeted Joe Torre.
The Yanks had been a wild card team the previous season under Buck Showalter.
The team's first playoff appearance in 14 years.
They hadn't won it all in 18 seasons.
Girardi inherits the job that now demands world series or bust.
The problem is that they will start his regime as a weak sister to the new dynasty.
Just another team in the battle for a playoff spot.
Fighting to retain free agents, saddled with aging veterans and inexperienced though promising young pitchers.
Girardi must also deal with Torre's shadow and the very real world series flags that fly in the soon to be distant past.