Padres Announcers Saying Their Prayers

Get over it. Steroid use affects each and EVERY team in MLB today, including your beloved Padres. Hello? Records set in the past have not always been squeaky clean. If Bonds were a Padre right now, you would be singing a very different song. You are not a great announcer and you have just confirmed it yourself with your idiotic remarks. Great baseball announcers don't just "do their jobs." They have a deep love for all of baseball...the good along with the bad.

Reply

Padres announcers should bite their tongues and just accept Barry Bonds either tying or breaking Hank Aaron's home run and say "Eyewitness to history."

Reply

Just ANNOUNCE the facts...period. Media all want to be commentators today. People can make their own judgments.

Reply

The game and the players are the thing. Who really cares what the press or the announcers say?

Reply

I am not a fan of Bonds, more specifically his personality an lack of class. But I do not understand wwhy our "Great" American Sports writers and critiques do not mention or inform the public of the rampant use of amphetamines during the so-called old era. It still exists across the board, Why is this completely unmentioned in this "great controversely> Hyprocrates!

Reply

Did anyone see Chris Rock on Bob Costas' HBO Sports Show? The issue is not if Bonds used performance enhancing substances. That seems pretty obvious to me. As Chris Rock put it, "Can you arrest a guy today for speeding last week?" Whatever Bonds used apparently wasn't against the rules when he used it. So, is he going to get hung for breaking a rule that didn't exist? Doesn't seem fair to me. I personally don't care one way or the other. I don't particularly like Bonds, but I don't hate him either. It's a moot point anyway - ARod's going break the record again in about four years or so.

Reply

Ted lietner? WHO? ted listen up (small "t"on purpose), no one cares what an annoucer have to think, your only job is to announce the talent and sweat of professional atheletes. If Barry Bonds pasted all of the tests and was found not guilty, what are you not getting, test negative means-test negative. So please, just do your job and announce the talents of other people and not your personal thoughts.

Reply

Dude-you are thinking that your comments matter. They do not. You are not a part of history. I doubt your call will be a matter of record. the Giant's broadcaster's will. Nobody cares what you have to say. Probably not even Padre fans.

Reply

You want to talk about hypocrites...you guys (San Diego Fans) love Shawn Merriman (who tested positive for steroids) but hate Barry Bonds (who never tested positive for steroids). I think you hate Barry Bonds because its the popular thing to do (according to the media). Sixty years from now sports people will think we were stupid for not appreciating the importance of this historic chase.

Reply

I was a sports photographer in San Diego when Leitner first came to town. His style of broadcasting then was small time and small thinking... but he attitude was going to be one of the BIG Boys in sports media. Well, 30 some years later he is still in San Diego, still small time, still small thinking, and its obvious he ain't one of the BIG Boys! I think its time Leitner either grows up, or gives up!

Reply

First, to the idiot broadcaster for the Padres, how did you announce the MVP award for the Padre third baseman who died of steroids? Now everyone else. I am a born and bread Pittsburger. Many of us hated barry because he seemed to be so mean. Now, I understand why. Barry was a hall of famer before he even left Pittsburgh. People have been hating on him even then. Being a former baseball player, I'm tired of little migets like Bob Costas and that self richous idiot on the ESPN sports reporters talking about sports and the good of the game. They probably couldn't qualify to even be cheerleaders. What they should say is baseball is a joke. Today, pitchers make millions of dollars for throwing one pitch. Families can no longer afford to even go to a game.Quite frankly, the "hall of fame" will always be the "hall of shame" as long Pete Rose is denied. Finally, I'm a Black man who feels Henry Aaron needs to get over it. He wasn't ever the best at anything baseball during his career, He just played forever.

Reply

Baseball is what its all about right? I dont like Bonds at all, in fact I think most of the time he is more into himself than his team. But its still history in the making. He is about to do something wonderful. If I was in the stands not only would I want to see it I would love to catch the baseball itself as I am sure you would. Any comment to the contrary makes you hypocritical. To not want to announce it not only shows a lack of professionalism but distinguishes you from the greats like Jack who lived and breathed the game and made the fans feel more attached to what was happening. When the strike hit baseball the sport was taking a moral hit almost as bad as hockey and Mark Maguire eliminated all that talk but letting everyone be a part of a very exciting race with Sosa that would stop people in there tracks just to get a glimpse of greatness in the making. It was attitudes like yours that kept people picking him apart afterwards and trying to discredit the acomplishment. I hate the breaking of the rules in sports and agree that it gives any sport a bad rep when a professional player does it. But whats worse than the act itself is the people surrounding the sport that continue to bash it,not let it go, make it stay in the headlines forever as to ensure that all the young kids out there forget about the great part of the sport and have nothing but constant knowledge of the corruption. If you work in baseball shouldnt you be more concerned about being a part of the positive aspects instead of always focusing on the negative? Just my opinion.

Reply

Bonds will not go to the hall of fame....
remember you heard it here. He is a nasty, drug using cheater, but besides that, he has to much dirt in his career.Cooperstown does not want to attatch itself to that and ruin the image of the greatest sport in the world

Reply

To forgive Bonds for steroid use doesn't say much for our children. I used to look up to atheletes as a child. It's a shame that Bonds didn't set a better example as an athlete.

Reply

NEVER tested positive......mmmmmmmm. Why is it no one questions why pitchers win games into their forties (Clemens)........was it legal to throw spitballs through the years? How about Ty Cobb sharpening his spikes, on and on. This game has been about cheating since day one. Barry's been accused, but never proven. I think he can be an arrogant ass too. However, watching him hit one into McCovey Cove is a thing of beauty, I've seen it. I believe this is something special, I hope my son does too.

Reply

YOU NEED TO SHUT-UP & DO YOUR DAMM JOB !!!!!!!!
THAT IS A FACT NOT THE BULL YOU ARE SAYING... YOU NEED PROOF IN THE U.S.A. BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH & SAY THINGS YOU ARE SAYING.. SO JUST DO YOUR JOB & GIVE BARRY BONDSHIS DUE.. THE MAN IS GREAT IT IS NOT HIS FAULT THAT NO-ONE ON YOUR TEAM CAN HOLD A DAMM CANDLE TO HIM..GIVE HIM HELL BARRY !!!!!

Reply

The Media is actually the biggest disappointment in the whole steroid scandal. Think about it.

The Media eats, sleeps, and travels everyday with the baseball players. The Media are at the games, they are at the practices, and they are in the locker rooms.

How could the Media not have known about steroids in baseball from the beginning? They did know and chose to remain silent, instead they wrote articles about baseballs being wound to tight.

Once the fans realized what was happening, the Media went from protecting the players to attacking them and acting like they had no idea any of this was going on for years.

Now to convict a guy who never tested positive for anything is just wrong. If Barry is dirty, make him sit down right now and let the record stand. If not, let him play and let the record go with all rights and privileges that go with the record.

Lesson learned; The Media who are criticizing Barry, are the one's who let the fans down the most.

Reply

The ball doesn't know or care if it was hit by someone who did steroids or not. The bat doesn't know or care if it was swung by someone who used steroids. All the drugs in the world will not help the eye see the ball or the coordination to hit the ball properly. These facts cannot be denied. Talent is talent regardless of enhancements. I am not a fan of Mr. Bonds but his accomplishments are that of a great player. Steroids did not help him set the walk record!!!.

Being a San Diegan, we all think Mr. Leitner is a big mouthed baffoon, and yes he should just do his job. Ken Caminiti was his hero when he was the MVP and Ted never mentioned his steroid use.

How come noone ever mentions that some of the balls Barry Bonds has hit over the fence have been pitched by pitchers that used steroids???

Reply

Congratulations to A-Rod on hitting his 500th home run... he is certainly a credit to his team. And to major league baseball. It's a pity you can't same for Barry Bonds, but if he hits 2 more home runs, he will have the career home run record and regardless of whether you like him or not, he will be the new all time home run champ until somebody (like A-Rod)comes along and breaks his. Bonds may very well reach or go over 760 before this season is over and if he does, watch out for A-Rod. This may be Bonds' last season, but A-Rod has a lot of baseball left to go. It bothered me when Roger Maris hit 61 because he had more at bats than Babe Ruth and more games in his season than the Babe had, but a season is a season and for a long time, Maris rightfully held the season record.
Bonds has the season home run record 73, and is close to owning the career record. Hank Aaron currently holds the career record of 755 home runs but he never came close to the season record, the most he hit in one season was 44.
Babe Ruth was not only the best home run hitter of all time but he was the best all around baseball player of all time. Could Bonds or Aaron pitch and win 20 games in a season or pitch 29 2/3rds shutout innings in the world series and STILL hit over 700 home runs??? Could any baseball player today pitch 14 innings and win the game by one run? Babe Ruth was the only one that I've heard of who ever accomplished such a feat. Give Bonds his due when he breaks the record, but I don't think he will hold it longer than Ruth did. Or even Hank Aaron. How long did McGwire's 70 home runs hold up before Bonds shattered it? After Bonds is done, keep an eye on A-Rod! He seems to be getting better every year he is with the Yankees.
And to the broadcast announcers who cannot find it within themselves to be enthusiastic about the prospect of Bonds breaking Aaron's record...Tell me, how thrilled and overjoyed are you about the fact that Ty Cobb... a known murderer (he shot his father) and all around thug on the playing field (he purposely spiked and injured a lot of players)...still holds the lifetime batting average record of .367? Should we discount his record because a lot of those hits that Cobb got in his day would have been scored as errors today? Or because he was the most unpopular player of his time because he played "dirty!"??? Explain to me how this guy was the first one who got voted into the Hall of Fame, but you would hesitate about picking Bonds because he used...steroids??? Did all that alcohol (most of which was illegal at that time) that Babe consumed give him an unfair advantage of hitting 714 career home runs, or 60 home runs in one season??

Reply

American sports are businesses, plain and simple. Businesses, to survive must be profitable. Go back to 1994, player strike, owner lockout, fans who felt betrayed and unappreciated. Bud Selig, Commissioner, Team owner, saw a loss of fans as the Commissioner but also saw a loss of profit as an owner. Secret meeting? "Hey guys this strike is making us all losers, we need to get the fans back. We need excitement, more than just a pennant race, something unique and historical, how about a run at the homerun records, season and career, any takers?" Enter Mark Maguire and Sammy Sosa, a few good "almost there" years and then WOW! 70 homeruns, national coverage... "We interupt this broadcast to take you to St. Louis, slugger Mark Maguire has just broken the single season homerun record long held by Roger Maris." Fans are back, owners are making money and more money! Bud Selig actually the catalyst for the history? It's possible. Bottom line, we Americans love our Sports and there is absolutely nothing better than sitting in the stands at your Team's stadium watching a Baseball game. Barry will break the record, we can't stop it, A-Rod may break it in 5 or 6 good healthy years. By then the controversy will subside, Then we can have a run at the 56 game hitting streak!

Reply