The Zo Zone

Three stories that tire me more than Barry Bonds:

1.
2.
3.

Can't think of any, but I will update once I do. Bonds, who's in town this weekend to play the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, is going to break Hank Aaron's career home run record. He's nine away from matching Aaron's 755, and although his pace has slowed I'm pretty sure he will stick around long enough to surpass it. It's inevitable. As a native Milwaukeean, where Aaron is revered, this bums me out. But after hearing the Bonds-related outrage for the past several years, I've become indifferent. Let him break it. Fine. Baseball created this mess. Now they have to live with it.

I'm more anxious to see what kind of banners will be at the Bank tonight.

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Bord Ford weighs on on Bonds' arrival.

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The Florida Marlins acquired Armando Benitez from the San Francisco Giants for Randy Messenger. Seems like a nice pick up for Florida -- maybe the Marlins catch lightning in a bottle -- where Benitez will be a setup man. Not sure if the Phillies inquired about Benitez, but even if they did I'm not sure they would have had the piece to make a deal. Messenger isn't a stud, but do the Phillies have a comparable arm in their bullpen? I can't see the Phillies trading Geoff Geary or Ryan Madson to get Benitez.

The Phillies just have to hope Troy Percival joins them.

I'm betting against that.

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I had a short mention in Thursday's Phillies notes about the Phillies maintaining their current alcohol policy in the home and visitors clubhouses. The Phillies serve beer only in plastic cups in the home clubhouse. They serve bottled beer only in the visitors clubhouse. Some teams have banned alcohol in clubhouses after Josh Hancock's death, but I find that more than a little disingenuous.

First, players don't sit around the clubhouse anymore and drink long after games. If they want to drink, they go out. To bars. Where there is alcohol. Second, how can teams ban alcohol in the clubhouse, and with a straight face say it's because they worry about the safety of their players, and then sell beer by the fistfuls to fans in the stands? And then let them drive home? Totally asinine. In other words, it's good to see the Phillies not cave in to pressure and be so hypocritical. But, hey, that's just me.

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I got a chance to visit Sports Radio 950's 700 Level Sports Fanatics last night at Tony Luke's. Check out the podcast here. Had a great time, and this time I even exercised some self control and didn't eat a roast pork.