Bonds bids 'Frisco farewell
Last night, Barry Bonds played his final game as a San Francisco Giant -- maybe his last game ever in the major leagues. As you read the account of Bonds' farewell in his home ballpark, it's hard not to be reminded of Cal Ripken's famous trot around Camden Yards.
The fans in San Francisco were every bit as adoring.The player who was the focus of their adulation was exceedingly gracious. Opposing players clapped respectfully. He went 0-for-3 in a Giants loss to the Padres, but it mattered not.
And yet we all recognize -- at least those of us outside the self-delusional confines of the Bay Area -- the gulf that separates a Ripken from a Bonds. It is so evident, I won't belabor it. But it is discouraging to be reminded that, for hometown fans, basking in the reflected glory of a local athlete seems to make up for everything.
There are a lot of takes on Bonds on the Internet. This one seems to combine/contrast how San Francisco sees him as opposed to the rest of the baseball world.
