Will Bonds Play In 2008?

I can't believe there are teams out there that are actually interested in signing Barry Bonds. The Rays admitted they were interested and at least one late-night talkshow host thinks he'd be a good fit with the Mets.

Bonds in Tampa Bay sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Bonds in Flushing sounds like World War III.

The Tampa Bay Rays are a team on the come. With pitchers like Scott Kazmir and James Shields, along with other up-and-coming young players, I think they'll have a better record than Baltimore this season. Barry Bonds would only be a distraction to them.

That late-night talkshow host was Gordon Damer, and he thinks the Mets need Bonds because there are question marks in their lineup. The question marks may very well be there and he probably could help the Mets. But then there's the New York Media. For me, Barry Bonds and the New York Media add up to nothing but trouble.

In fact, Barry Bonds and any city's media add up to nothing but trouble. Even if he ends up playing in Kansas City, you can rest assured that all the major media outlets will suddenly have beat reporters in Kansas City.

The best thing for Bonds is to retire, so we can all say, "Bye, bye, Barry!"

The Lady

Two Stars Going In Opposite Directions

Barry Bonds is going down, as fast as a juiced-up water balloon. Alex Rodriguez is going up, as fast as his private jet will allow him to. Two men whose names will be forever linked to home-run chases could not have had days more different from each other yesterday.

Bonds has been the victim of a witch hunt, but I could care less. He brought it on himself. Barry, this is what happens to you when you have the attitude you have. People don't like you and they'll do anything and everything to bring you down. You're a modern day Al Capone. They couldn't get Capone on racketeering but they got him on tax evasion. They couldn't indict you on steroids use but they did indict you on perjury and obstruction. So there.

The best thing Alex Rodriguez did this week was crawl back to the Yankees. The Yankees and their stage are the best place to break the all-time career home run record. Assuming that he'll stay healthy, he'll definitely break it in a Yankee uniform.

In other postseason news:

• The Yankees are apparently also looking to sign 2007 World Series MVP Mike Lowell. The experts are saying this is a bad move and I agree. Lowell is a Fenway Park hitter, and you have to stop and wonder why the Red Sox aren't willing to pay Lowell as much as the Yankees would pay him. What do they know that the Yankees don't? Is this Johnny Damon all over again?
• Does the Yankee Captain owe back taxes? The New York State Division of Taxation and Finance is arguing that Derek Jeter had a residence in the state during 2001-03 and, as such, should have paid taxes. He's fighting it, of course. This news comes out now, when no one is likely to notice it? Wow, what a charmed life that guy leads.

The Lady

Summer Saturday Ladybugs #8

As Summer winds down and my work schedule continues to get more and more hectic, I've decided that it is time to end this Saturday Ladybugs Series. For those of you who have enjoyed reading it, thank you. Here are my final ladybugs for the year:

In San Francisco this week, Barry Bonds was given the Key To The City. Congratulations Barry (I guess). Too bad that key doesn't unlock the solution to the steriod mess.


New Era and MLB have agreed to pull caps linked to gang symbols from stores. I'm not surprised they were there in the first place. These are the same people who whose commercial has players waiting in line for caps as if they were rock concert tickets. I'm still embarrassed for Robinson Cano.


Vote for Mr Met! The adorable Shea Stadium mascot is one of six candidates trying to get into the Mascot Hall of Fame. Vote here!

I knew some team would take a chance on David Wells. He is a lefthander, afterall. Wells is in New York this weekend with the Dodgers, who are playing the Mets. When reporters asked him if there was any possibility he'd have signed with the Yankees, Wells said, "...I knew they wouldn't be calling." Yes, Boomer, the Yankee Youth Movement is in full swing.

Enjoy the weekend!

The Lady

Bonds Might Sue Schilling?

An article in today's New York Daily News says that Barry Bonds has put together a new legal team to explore the possibility of defamation suits against several individuals including Curt "I Care So Much" Schilling. John Burris, one of the lawyers, said, "There's no guarantee any action will be taken. The most important thing to communicate is that Barry's silence up until now is not an admission of anything."

Since when are lawyers PR reps? I mean, that's all this whole thing is, after all. If Bonds really felt that the things being said about him were lies, he'd have his lawyers go after the authors of the book, Game of Shadows, which many people believe is based on cold hard facts. But no, instead he has his lawyers tell everyone that he's thinking of suing someone who loves to hear himself talk. Nice going, Barry.

The Lady

Aaron & Selig on Bonds's 756th

When I woke up this morning to the news that Barry Bonds had hit his 756th home run, my reaction was, "It's finally over." This travesty can finally be put behind us and we can look to the future, a future many people think will include lots of cheers for Alex Rodriguez who should, if he stays healthy, break Bonds's record.

I saw that the post-home run ceremonies included a pre-recorded message from Hank Aaron, congratulating Bonds. Well, that's just the same as him actually being there, in my opinion. I had a lot of respect for Aaron until I heard about that video. He was sticking to his principles. Good for him! But why did he feel he had to make a video? Sure, it was classy, but it waters down his stance somewhat. He looks a bit like a waffler.

Selig was at it again last night. He continues trying to distance himself from the entire steroid issue, desperately wanting people to believe he was an innocent bystander. His latest comments included these words: "While the issues which have swirled around this record will continue to work themselves toward resolution, today is a day for congratulations on a truly remarkable achievement." Enough already, Bud!

Again, I'm glad this is finally over. I'll be very happy if I hear or see nothing else about Barry Bonds breaking the all-time home run record.

I have a feeling my happiness will be hard to come by.

The Lady

[Photo: Eric Risberg/AP]

Summer Saturday Ladybugs #5

It's Hall Of Fame Induction Weekend and I'm worried about Tony Gwynn. Everytime I see pictures of him I can't help but think of Kirby Puckett, who essentially ate himself to an early death at age 44. I hope someone who's associated with Gwynn has thought the same thing and has spoken with Gwynn. It would be a shame if Mr Padre ended up the same way.

The Big Unit, Randy Johnson, is having season-ending back surgery. How do the D-Backs feel right about now? My guess is they feel the same way the Yankees feel right now about Johnny Damon: like they got sold a bill of goods.

So Barry Bonds called Bob Costas a midget this week. Now he says his issue is with Costas's reporting, not his height. Costas claims not to be offended. On Thursday he said: "As anyone can plainly see, I'm 5-6½ and a strapping 150, and unlike some people, I came by all of it naturally." Zing!

Bonds had things to say about A-Rod this week, as well. When asked how good a player Alex Rodriguez is, Bonds said, "Is he as good as me? Hell, no. He's better than me now because he's younger than me. But, hell no." Wow. I didn't know 'roids affected the mind, too.

On a personal note, I'm celebrating this weekend because my other blog, The Glamorous Bee, turns a year old tomorrow! I'm giving away some cool skincare products to three lucky readers. (They're unisex, guys, so don't be afraid!) Pop on over for all the details!

Enjoy the weekend!

The Lady

One More Time: Bud Must Go

The SF Giants will be in Bud Selig's hometown of Milwaukee this weekend for a three-game series against the Brewers. As we all know, Barry Bonds now needs two home-runs to tie the all-time record and Selig still has not said whether he'll be in the ballpark when the record is broken.

I can't stand Bonds and I'm really upset that he's the one that's going to break this hallowed record. However, as I've said in the past, there's nothing anyone, not even Selig, can do about it. No one spoke up about steroids a decade ago and this is the price everyone has to pay.

If Selig hasn't made up his mind by now whether or not he'll be in the ballpark, Bonds might make it up for him if he hits homers 754 and 755 before the series ends. Not being in his hometown ballpark at that point would make Selig look like a foolish child. Bonds is well-rested going into this series. Looks like your weekend plans include a trip to Miller Park, Bud.

The Lady

[Illustration: Daniel Adell/SI]

Summer's Here: Let The Fun Begin

I thought Summer was supposed to be fun. The first day of Summer was everything but fun for me.

First, I go downtown to run some errands. If you're familiar with the transit system in New York City, you know that off-peak hours are when the City chooses to do repairs on the 103 year-old system. I made it downtown without any problems, but on the way back the "fun" started. The No. 4 train I was on decided to go out of service at 149th St, Grand Concourse, one stop before Yankee Stadium. So I waited on the platform with hundreds of other people for the next train and, what happens? The next train is also out of service. I was livid. I dragged all my packages upstairs and out onto the street to flag down a gypsy cab. Those cabs are so easy to find when you don't want one, always honking their horns at you, or otherwise just slowing down and peeking out at you when they see you standing on the street minding your business. Today I wanted one and had to look high and low.

Second, the Yankees lost to the Rockies 4-3. That completed a 3-game sweep by Colorado. Joe Torre told the YES Network after the game, "We didn't expect not to score runs." The Yankees are now 10 1/2 games out of first place and 6 1/2 out of the Wild Card.

Third, Jason Giambi is going to cooperate in the Mitchell Investigation. He's only going to talk about himself, not name names. This has to be the biggest waste of time and money to date so far this year.

Fourth, Kei Igawa gets the start for the Yankees against the Giants tomorrow in San Francisco. Need I say more?

This day just can't end fast enough for me.

The Lady

Bud Must Go

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig still hasn't revealed if he'll be in the ballpark or not when Barry Bonds breaks the all-time home run record this season. Anyone who was born yesterday knows he doesn't want to go. But will he?

Everyone seems to have an opinion one way or the other. It's become such a hot topic that you can even bet on it. According to BetUS Sportsbook, the odds are +500 that he will go and -1000 that he will not go. I'm not about to use my hard-earned money to place any bets and I have no idea where Selig will be when Bonds breaks the record. I do know where he should be, however. He should be at the ballpark when Barry Bonds hits his 756 home run.

Selig not being in the ballpark would be like passing the buck. It would be like not accepting part of the blame for the steroids mess, and MLB should accept part of the blame. They were the ones who turned a deaf ear and covered their eyes back in 1998 when McGwire and Sosa were chasing baseball history. Now Selig is acting like MLB is totally innocent. He's acting as if there was a steroid policy in place long before this year, even long before '98. It's just wrong. It's time for Bud to step up to the plate and accept some responsibility. He needs to be at the ballpark.

The Lady

You Callin' Me A Liar?

Yesterday was finger-pointing day in Major League Baseball. The participants included the usual suspects:

• Curt "I care so much" Schilling appeared on Boston's WEEI yesterday and was asked about Barry Bonds. Schilling, sounding like he'd just gotten out of bed, said Bonds admitted that he "...cheated on his wife, cheated on his taxes and cheated the game."


• Responding to David Wells' comments about his family clause, Roger Clemens said Wells should "look in the mirror." When they were both Yankee teammates, Clemens often called Wells "Eli." When asked why, Clemens said, "Because when he's talking, he's lying."[Lo Hud Yankees Blog]


• Astros Manager Phil Garner appeared on ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike In The Morning, and when asked about how his players handled Clemens' family clause, he said they were okay with it until they saw him on TV playing in a celebrity golf tournament on one of the days he was supposed to be spending time with his family. Randy Hendricks, one of Clemens' agents saw the segment, called in and said it was entirely untrue. Clemens did play in the Bob Hope Classic, but it was before he actually signed with the Astros.

Hendricks, by the way, also mentioned that the family clause is actually only a handshake agreement. It is not physically in the contract. Wait, there's more: As I'm writing this, I'm hearing on Mike & Mike, courtesy of Jayson Stark, that the Astros were the ones who actually came up with the family clause idea in the first place, just to entice Clemens to come out of retirement.

As The Diamond Turns...

The Lady

Aaron Saying A Lot Without Saying Much

Hank Aaron was interviewed on ESPN's Cold Pizza yesterday, and said he is very proud of the way he broke Babe Ruth's home run record. He's proud of the fact that he did it on a consistent basis, over a long period of time, never hitting more than 44 home runs in a single season. As for Barry Bonds breaking his record, he claimed he doesn't keep up with what the Giants slugger is trying to do.

Aaron told Dana Jacobson that, if and when Bonds breaks the record, he'll be on the golf course, or touring Europe with his wife. Though he does think Bonds should be given the benefit of the doubt until any proof of steroid use is uncovered, it's very obvious to anyone that was born yesterday that, were it not for this cloud of suspicion over him, Hank Aaron would be cheering just as much (if not more) than anyone for Barry Bonds to break the all-time home run record.

I really feel for Aaron, having to watch all of this unfold. This is a man who came from the segregated south and left home while still a teenager to play in the Negro Leagues. His consistent play in the Majors was met with hate mail and death threats, not because he was an arrogant son-of-a-bitch like Bonds, but because he was a black man trying to make a living playing baseball.

I remember seeing a photograph of a teenaged Aaron, taken shortly after he left home to join the Negro Leagues. In it he looks wide-eyed and a bit overwhelmed. I'm sure the boy in that picture simply wanted to make enough money to be able to sit down in a retaurant and order pork chops. Years later he smiled when he said that pork chops were the only things he could think of to order at that age!

You can watch the complete interview here.

The Lady

Waiting For Nothing: Barry Bonds & The HR Record

This week finds me on jury duty here in the Bronx. I started yesterday, making my trek down to the Bronx County Courthouse, which is just a few blocks from Yankee Stadium. If you know anything about jury duty you know it's all about waiting. Waiting, in most cases, for nothing. You sit in a huge room full of strangers. You may or may not get your name called to be considered for a seat on a jury. If you get called, you sit in a courtroom and, you may or may not get your name called to sit in a jury box. After all that, you may or may not be accepted as a juror. If you are accepted, and you're on a civil case, the parties may settle before any evidence is even presented. If you're on a criminal case, the defendant may plead guilty before any opening statements are made. Hence, you have done a lot of waiting for nothing.

Well I obviously had way too much time on my hands yesterday, because my mind wandered around until it come up with an analogy about all of this to Barry Bonds. Next month the wait begins. We'll all start waiting for Bonds to break Hank Aaron's all-time home run record. At some point this season he'll do it, and it will be like waiting for nothing. That's because we're all sitting around like jurors, hoping to be able to find him guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs. We drink up stories about his increased jersey size, his big head and his huge feet. We listen as he says that death threats are the reason he acts like an arrogant son-of-a-bitch all of the time (Yeah, right.). We shrug our shoulders and think about something else when a few people talk about the government's Barry Bonds Witch Hunt. We don't care about that. We just care about the waiting. The waiting is not the hardest part when it comes to Barry Bonds. The hardest part will be when he breaks the record and when the witch hunt ends, because it will end eventually, and Barry Bonds will throw his head back in laughter and drag his fat, arrogant ass around the bases for the 756th time. Hence, we'll have done a lot of waiting for nothing.

The Lady