I Guess I Don't Hate Barry Bonds

I’ve lived in the Washington DC area for over seven years. For the first four of those years, there was no major league baseball team here. But in 2005, the Montreal Expos became the Washington Nationals and for the first time in over 30 years, our nation’s capital enjoyed our national pastime.

I grew up a SF Giants fan. The first Major League game I attended was in 1969, the Giants vs. the Dodgers (one of the great all-time rivalries) and featured Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, and (I believe) Bobby Bonds. I’m grateful to Pa Wanders for taking me. I can even remember some of it.

Moving to Washington left me aching for Major League Baseball. I’d try to follow the Giants from the East Coast, especially when Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs in a single season. I still wanted to call myself a Giants fan, but they were just too hard to stay up late for. And when they came to play in D.C. they just seemed so darn boring.

This weekend I went to two games at RFK to watch the Giants play the Nationals. The first night, I took the entire family and I wore my SF cap and rooted for the Giants. Barry didn’t play so I didn’t have to put up with all the jeering for Barry Bonds that follows him all over the country. Still, it just wasn’t fun. Even though SF won, it wasn’t fun to cheer for them. They're a pretty dour team these days.

So the second night, I came with Number Two as a Nationals fan. We had a blast. Not to mention it was Teddy Roosevelt Bobblehead day! The Nats have developed some great traditions in just three seasons, and the best is probably the Presidents Race during the fourth inning. All the Mt. Rushmore Presidents race across the field. The costumes are hilarious. And Teddy Roosevelt has never won. Many thought he might win last night judging by the number of “Let Teddy Win” signs I saw. Almost as many as “Barry cheated” signs.

I can’t boo Barry Bonds, though. I’ve liked him for too long. I’ve always felt that of all the players who were cheating and using steroids, he was the best. And if he didn’t use steroids, he’d be even better.

So for me, Barry Bonds has become a nearly irrelevant enigma. I let Barry be Barry. I cheer for him when he comes to bat, and I cheer even louder when he ends the game by flying out to left field and the fireworks go off at RFK stadium, and the kids wave their Teddy Roosevelt bobbleheads, and the Nationals break their seven-game losing streak to move half a game ahead of the last place Florida Marlins.

Speed Racer in the Movies

I know I just blogged about Speed Racer, but here's a fun piece on the movie that's being filmed in Germany. Do you see why I'm so excited? Of course you don't.