SPORTSHYPE: Bonds Dropped By Giants - Good Riddance To Bad Rubbish!

Not all of us are Barry Bonds Supporters like the rest of the lemmings. Some of us don't appreciate a lack of hustle (especially in the 6th game of the world series) or the stories we hear about how Bonds used to have a leather La-Z-Boy in the middle of the team locker room.

At least one other person shares those views - to wit, Marc Ecko's suggestion to brand Bonds' 756th home run ball with an asterisk before giving it to the Hall of Fame (this writer supports that idea wholeheartedly). Bonds apparently didn't like that - Barry called Mr. Ecko "stupid" and "an idiot" among other things. Hey Barry - SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!


As further proof that good news comes in spurts, it's now been revealed that Barry Bonds will no longer be playing for the Giants next year. He was waived. Cut. Canned. Fired. Whacked. Let go. Axed. Pink-slipped. Terminated (with extreme prejudice, hopefully). Laid off. Downsized. Rightsized. Smartsized. Strategically re-aligned. Determined not economically viable. Made redundant. Deemed surplus to requirements. Eliminated. Uninstalled. Decruited. Destaffed. Deselected. Reduced in force.

Whichever euphemism you prefer (and here are some good ones for loosing a job), this is a good thing - it should have happened a lot earlier, and the Giants should have kept Will Clark instead of Bonds back in 1993. And if good news really does come in sets of three, maybe (hopefully) the last piece in this set will be a headline about Bonds being hit by a Muni Bus.

However, this may be a miscalculation on the part of the Giants owners - do they really think Pacbell Park will be sold out next season if the Giants are 19 games out of first at the bottom of the National League West?

Reuters has more:

Record Breaker Bonds to Leave Giants
(Copyright 2007 Reuters)

Home run record holder Barry Bonds, the biggest name in baseball, will leave the San Francisco Giants at the end of this season, the player said on Friday.
Bonds said on his personal website that the Giants had told him he would not be playing for them in 2008 but added he intended to continue in the game.

"Yesterday (Thursday), I was told by the Giants that they will not be bringing me back for the 2008 season. During the conversation with (Giants owner) Peter McGowan I was told that my play this year far exceeded any expectations the Giants had, but that the organization decided this year would be my last season in San Francisco," said Bonds, who has been with the Giants since 1993.

"Although I am disappointed, I've always said baseball is a business -- and I respect their decision. However, I am saddened and upset that I was not given an earlier opportunity to properly say goodbye to you, my fans, and celebrate with the city throughout the season as I truly believe this was not a last-minute decision by the Giants, but one that was made some time ago," he added.

Damn straight, Barry, they were only pimping you out to the fans until you broke that record (by hook or by crook). Now that you're done, you're outta here! Nobody likes prima donnas with fake tits, understand?

Bonds hit his 756th homer, beating Hank Aaron's Major League Baseball record, in the Giants' game against the Washington Nationals on August 7. However, the record has been surrounded by controversy because many baseball fans suspect Bonds, 43, may not have spoken truthfully when denying steroid use. Bonds remains under investigation as to whether he lied about past steroid use to the grand jury in the BALCO sports doping case.

The slugger said on Friday that he intended to continue in the game with another team. "I would have loved nothing more than to retire as a Giant in the place where I call home and have shared so many momentous moments with all of you, but there is more baseball in me and I plan on continuing my career. My quest for a World Series ring continues," he added.

Hey putz, maybe you could have had one in 2002 if you hadn't leisurely jogged over to the left-field foul line while watching an easily catchable ball drop in front of you! That would have pretty much been the end of Game 6, the Angels' Rally Monkey never would have appeared, and you'd have your precious ring. Never mind about how the team did, it's all about you, isn't it? If you can't be bothered to hustle in the World Series, when the hell can you be?

Bonds, who now has a career total of 762 home runs, played this season on a one-year contract which the Giants said was worth $15.8 million, with potential incentives of another $4 million.

Despite his contributions, the Giants have endured a difficult season and went into Friday's games bottom of the National League's West Division with a 67-86 record.

Once again, it's all about Barry Bonds. I'm reminded of the teamwork speech given by Al Capone/Robert De Niro in The Untouchables.

Good-bye, Barry Bonds, and thanks for nothing! Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out of town!