Dodger ace defends Bonds and L.A. fans
Steve Kroner, Chronicle Staff Writers
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Penny: Bonds bashers 'classless'
Consider the Dodgers' Brad Penny firmly in Barry Bonds' corner.
"The people who boo him love him," Penny said of Bonds. "That's why they boo him, because he is who he is and he's done what he's done. Anyone who says anything bad about what he's done really doesn't know much about the game. Right now, I feel honored to play in the same era as the greatest home run hitter of all time, or he soon will be. I think it's a great thing, it's a great thing for baseball right now. I'm looking forward to seeing it; I just don't want it to be against me."
For those who dispute the validity of Bonds' achievements, Penny has this response:
"It's real. Until they catch him doing stuff he's not supposed to do -- and they haven't -- then it's real. And even then, to me, it's still real. He's a great hitter. Nothing's gonna help him make contact with that ball. ... He's a great player and for people to take away from it, I think it's classless."
Penny believes that L.A. fans boo Bonds more because he wears orange and black than because of him personally.
"I think a lot of it is because he's a Giant," Penny said. "Whoever's the superstar for the Giants, they're gonna boo. They're gonna boo loud and hard. That's part of the fun for the rivalry.
"And (Giants fans) boo us pretty hard, nothing like that because he's Barry Bonds. I think it makes it fun. I think, really deep down, those L.A. fans respect him and enjoy it.
"To me, watching him play, I become a fan sometimes. As long as I'm not on the mound, wow, I wonder how far he could hit this ball. It's an awesome thing."
Penny, by the way, plans to do some fishing during his two off days (Wednesday and Thursday) in the Bay Area before the Dodgers open a three-game series at China Basin on Friday night.
SOURCE: This article appeared on page D - 4 of the San Francisco Chronicle
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