THE BOOK--Playing The Percentages In Baseball

Monday, June 23, 2008

Rosie Bonds and Mike Gimbel

I love the Mike and Mad Dog line…

Rosie Bonds and Mike Gimbel to speak at the Baseball Heritage Museum to call for public protest against the blacklisting of Barry Bonds.

The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) will be holding its annual national conference in Cleveland from June 26-29th, 2008.  At the last minute, with assistance from SABR, a forum calling for public protest of the blacklisting of Barry Bonds, has been scheduled for Friday, June 27th at 5 PM at the Baseball Heritage Museum, located at 530 Euclid Avenue in Cleveland.

Dave Zirin (Edge of Sports):  I endorse this forum wholeheartedly!  “And what is a “performance enhancer”? That’s not even a legal or medical term; it’s sports radio shorthand. The cortisone shot into Curt Schilling ankle in the 2005 playoffs was a performance enhancer. The Viagra coursing through Bob Dole’s veins is a performance enhancer. Whatever keeps that smile glued to Laura Bush’s face is a performance enhancer. It’s a colloquial phrase tells us nothing. It only raises the question whether the indictment was written by Mike or the Mad Dog.”
“…The timing that’s important here is … the ascension your brand spanking new Attorney General, Mike Mukasey, and his desire for a cheap hit…The fact is that Bonds is under attack from a collection of torture-loving, Habeas Corpus shredding, illegal wire tapping, political operatives. The idea that a Barry Bonds indictment becomes the first act of Mike Mukasey’s Justice Department only exposes Sens. Diane Feinstein and Chuck Schumer, and the other Democratic pols who backed his confirmation.” (Indicted! Barry Bonds Busted by a Broken System, Edge of Sports)
Anthony McClean, Editor In Chief, Black Athlete Sports Network (BASN) endorses this forum stating:  “The continued and racially charged scrutiny heaped upon Barry Lamar Bonds during his home run chase in 2007 was arguably one of the most stained moments in sports history. Not because of the person, but firstly because Major League Baseball and mainstream media failed to totally embrace the moment and secondly, both entities continued its longtime history of treating African-Americans and non-Whites on and off the field as mere subservients to the game.”

Dr. Boyce Watkins, CNN/ESPN Analyst endorses this forum stating: “I feel that Barry Bonds has every right to have his remarkable career recognized by baseball fans everywhere.  While other prominent athletes in major sports have been viewed with suspicion, only Barry Bonds and Marion Jones have received such public disdain.  It is my opinion that Barry Bonds’ records are remarkable and he has made a remarkable contribution to baseball.  The presence of illegal substances in the league is not only pervasive, but others in positions of true authority did nothing to stop it.  In the end, they created an environment that forced athletes to make tough decisions in order to remain competitive.

Also, if Barry Bonds has an asterisk next to his records for the accusations thrust upon him, then any athlete who played during the era of black exclusion should have an asterisk as well.  Barry Bonds deserves as much respect as any other athlete in his sport.”

Eric Walker, former consultant to major-league baseball clubs and current
webmaster of the steroids-and-baseball.com web site endorses this forum stating: “As an experienced baseball analyst, I am appalled at the lack of understanding the charges show; as a citizen--as a human being--I am shocked by this train wreck of a witch hunt, and the gross abuse of authority that it constitutes.

The patent absurdity of the legal position I will leave to others to elaborate.  Confining myself to such baseball expertise as I may have, I can say emphatically that there is zero evidence of anything amiss in Mr. Bonds’ illustrious career; moreover, I do not know of one single veteran analyst who thinks otherwise.  These disastrous proceedings should anger--and shame--the American public, which pays the salary of the egotists pursuing them, for they demonstrate authority run amok, unwilling and unable to abandon a vendetta whose folly and baselessness is increasingly obvious to anyone acquainted with the facts.”

Rosie Bonds is the Aunt of Barry Bonds and the sister of Bobby Bonds.  Rosie Bonds was a participant in the 1964 Olympics in the women’s 80 meter hurdles. 1n 1963 Rosie won the 80 meter hurdles at the Outdoor Championships held in Dayton, Ohio. Rosie was the only American female hurdler to make it to the finals at the Tokyo Olympic games. Rosie had also qualified for the 1964 Olympics in the 100-meter sprints at the Olympic trials when she ran a photo finish 11.5 seconds against Wyomia Tyus, who won the 100-meters at the Tokyo Olympics.

Here’s Rosie’s statement:  “My name is Rosie Bonds-Kreidler.  Born in Riverside, California and attended college at University of California @Riverside with a political science and science major. American Record Holder in 80 meter hurdles, and voted California’s Most Outstanding Woman Track Athlete of the Year 64-67.  Family of famous siblings with Bobby Bonds (brother) play and coached the San Francisco Giants and Cleveland Indians.  Brother Robert Bonds professional football recruitee. David E. Bonds member of U.S. Airforce and served in Korea.  Son Bryon a professional umpire, Daughter Dayna social justice activist, mother, and animal rights activitist.  Nephew Barry Bonds, home run king and professional baseball player throughout his younger years with Pittsburgh Pirates and ending his career with San Francisco Giants.  Barry has many awards, records, and a foundation to help disadvantaged children.  Family of three children. His father is deceased (Bobby) and mother Pat living.  The Bonds family has suffered through three unfortunate cancer deaths:  Mr. Robert Bonds (father,Bobby and David).
I have been a social justice and hope advocate for years and I now pursue a project for homeless, disabled, senior, and low income women called “Dolls for Life and Dignity.  Presently, I am disabled after a terrible Fed-Ex rig truck accident which disabled me and ruined my career as a trauma nurse. Became homeless with continued health care.  I have been around the world representing the US. as a good-will ambassador for several years.
Now presently I fight against social injustice, racism, domestic violence, homelessness, poverty, hunger, etc.  Through God’s we will eradicate these many misfortunes.”
With all the advocacy work, and the constant attempt to eradicate homelessness, hunger, social injustices, poverty, domestic violence, and many other issues, it has impressed me more that Patricia Bonds, wife to Bobby Bonds, and mother of Barry, Rickey, and Bobby Bonds II, can stand tall with grace and class amidst this demonic effort to blacklist her son.  I have known Pat most of her life, and God is with her.  She is a GREAT LADY that has endured the journey of Job. Yet Pat Bonds Has maintained a caring, giving,and dedicated protection in the preservation of her family.  She will not allow the press or any deceptive entity to weasel their evils into her home.  You see, to be a person with a son as great as Barry, mother of the year would be an insult.to place on a woman of her stature.  She has set standards a true loving mother will endure for her children.  For this Pat, we all love you and pray for your strength.  You recognize that God commanded us to “love thy neighbor as thyself, and to NOT bare false witness against thy neighbor.  God bless you and keep the faith, we all love you and Barry and no one can change that.

Mike Gimbel is a former Consultant on Player Evaluation for the Boston Red Sox and the Montreal Expos.  He is currently an elected delegate from his union, The Civil Service Technical Guild, Local 375, AFSCME to the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO.  His union represents 6,700 technical and professional employees of the City of New York.  It was members of Local 375 that ran the cleanup of “Ground Zero” after 9/11 as well as the rebuilding of the #1 & #9 subway line that ran under the World Trade Center. He is a former Chapter President and former Public Relations Chairperson and Labor & Political Activities Chairperson in the union.  He recently retired after over 37 years of service in the NYC Department of Environmental Protection.