Will Barry Bonds ever be honored in Pittsburgh?

[UnderPressure]

Surely, he deserves to be honored before a game in Pittsburgh, right? He meant a lot to that city during his career there. How do Pittsburgh fans feel about him now?

[chicagowhitesox1173]

I doubt he will be honored anytime soon for obvious reasons but I always thought he left Pittsburgh on pretty bad terms too. I don't think the fans were to fond of him his last year there.

[BigRon]

I'm from Western Pennsylvania and have lived here most of my life. I've attended hundreds of Pirates games, in Forbes Field, Three Rivers (ugh!), and PNC Park. Being one, I probably know Western Pennsylvanians and Pittsburghers as well as most.

There is zero chance that Barry Bonds will be honored in any way- certainly not in the next 20 years, and almost certainly never. Pittsburghers are a very parochial breed, and even with 4 decades of Steelers success, sporadic excellence by the Pirates, and recent success by the Penguins, there resides and remains a deep undercurrent of resentment, almost paranoia, among Pittsburghers, particularly among the working class that used to make up the majority of the city. Pittsburghers are with you until you leave them. Then they hate you. Particularly if you're a guy like Bonds. Racial resentment/distrust still was widespread in the region in the 80s/90s, especially in working towns. Bonds was a lightning rod in many ways, and he certainly didn't help his cause by his attitude and actions, e.g. his berating of Bill Virdon in the early 90s. Resentment of Bonds reached a fever pitch when Sid Bream beat Bonds' throw in game 7 of the 92 playoffs. Bonds is still excoriated today for that, though in reality his throw wasn't really a bad one- it just wasn't quite good enough. Then he LEFT! THe ultimate betrayal! Yrars of success in San Francisco sealed the deal- he was booed incessantly when he played in Pittsburgh.

Barry Bonds is one of the greatest players to play a significant number of years in Pittsburgh, but he probably is the most disliked player who ever donned a Pittsburgh uniform.
There is no chance that he will be honored in Pittsburgh.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Bonds was cheered in his last game in Pittsburgh. Weird.

http://lubbockonline.com/stories/081407/pro_081407066.shtml

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2007-08-14-3465532401_x.htm

3465532401_Giants_Pirates_Baseballx-large.jpg

[chicagowhitesox1173]

Bonds was cheered in his last game in Pittsburgh. Weird.

http://lubbockonline.com/stories/081407/pro_081407066.shtml

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2007-08-14-3465532401_x.htm

[ATTACH=CONFIG]112911[/ATTACH]

I would have to agree with BigRon especially since he lives there, This sign the fan has is probably what a very small majority feels about him.

Also it looks like the fan who is holding up the sign is wearing a Giants jersey.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

I would have to agree with BigRon especially since he lives there, This sign the fan has is probably what a very small majority feels about him.

Also it looks like the fan who is holding up the sign is wearing a Giants jersey.

For sure BigRon is way more knowledgeable about the Pirates fans. I saw this game on TV and I was shocked that Bonds was cheered.

[chicagowhitesox1173]

For sure BigRon is way more knowledgeable about the Pirates fans. I saw this game on TV and I was shocked that Bonds was cheered.

You gotta admit thats pretty low for that fan to do that. It makes me mad and I don't live anywhere near Pittsburgh. He's claiming a whole city still backs him but he's probably one in a million there that did.

[Blackout]

was Shaq cheered in Orlando?

[chicagowhitesox1173]

was Shaq cheered in Orlando?

They probably barely noticed he left.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

You gotta admit thats pretty low for that fan to do that. It makes me mad and I don't live anywhere near Pittsburgh. He's claiming a whole city still backs him but he's probably one in a million there that did.

According to the articles I posted Bonds was cheered by the most of the entire crowd. Perhaps they were just being polite knowing this was Bonds last game ever in Pittsburgh? Maybe BigRon can comment on this.

[9RoyHobbsRF]

I would like to see some proof that Bonds was almost universally disliked while he was winning MVPs and leading them to the playoffs those years

sounds like big time post sour grapes to me and revisionist history

[Buczilla]

If Bonds could have been brought back at anytime during all them years of sub .500 ball, the fans would have welcomed him back with open arms. He is despised because he became a bigger star elsewhere. It is the same reason Pittsburgh fans hate Jaromir Jagr so much, but drooled over the prospects of him coming back last season, only to hate him even more when he signed across state. It is why some players leave Pittsburgh for the money and nothing is said and others leave and they are labeled greedy, a jerk, etc.

What gets me the most though, everything that is used, whether it is by the fans or Andy Van Slyke described Bobby Bonilla, who was by far the most out spoken Pirate of that era. He even pulled the race card on not only the organization, but the fans as well. Nothing was gonna stop Bonds from going home to San Francisco. Bonds became the comfort blanket of an excuse for all those losing seasons, but forget how Al Martin was supposed to be the heir apparent.

[BigRon]

I never said that Bonds was almost universally disliked while with the Pirates. He was not, but he was not embraced by the public as much as someone like Van Slyke. And, as the years went by and his- real or perceived- issues grew, the fan base began to become more alienated from him. By the time it was clear that he would leave as a free agent, there was a fair amount of antipathy towards him. Then, when the Pirates lost and he made "The Throw", vitriol rained down.

But, I'll repeat- Bonds' greatest transgression, in the eyes of Pittsburgh fans, was leaving- deserting them.

[BeatEmBucs]

But, I'll repeat- Bonds' greatest transgression, in the eyes of Pittsburgh fans, was leaving- deserting them.

Exactly. And it's been exacerbated since the Bucs haven't had a winning season since.

But having said that, if the fans could welcome back Dave Parker with open arms and loud cheers, the same could happen to Bonds. It was a surprise to some that they did a scoreboard tribute to Bonds between games of the Bucs-Giants DH in '07 considering the bad terms. Considering 176 of the 762 were in a Bucco uniform, it wouldn't be right to not have a small tribute to him if he gets in the HOF, but it would likely be done when the Giants visit, and it wouldn't surprise me if Bonds no-showed any tribute.

[chicagowhitesox1173]

I would be surprised if he did a no show anywhere at this point. I think he's trying to be as perfect as he can be to get in the hof.