Johnson vs. Bonds: Shouldn't the Big Unit get the same criticisms?

Arizona's Randy Johnson gave up three homers to the Brewers as Milwaukee took a 7-1 lead and hung on for an 8-6 triumph.

Johnson has lost six straight starts and is winless in eight.

So this begs the question: Why isn't anyone saying he should just retire? Just go away?

Why is no one saying The Big Unit is selfish, for continuing to pitch in order to chase a personal milestone? (Johnson is 12 wins shy of 300, and is adding to his strikeout totals.)

Wasn't he "selfish" for wanting out of Arizona after the '04 season? Johnson wanted to pitch for a contender, an AL club so that he would have a better chance to join the 300-win club.

And the Diamondbacks did him a favor by bringing him back for the 2007 season, after he'd flopped in the Big Apple (much like Kevin Brown).

The facts are there: The D-Backs, trying to win the NL West for the second straight season, started out on fire in 2008 but now are just a .500 team (42-42 after Tuesday's loss).

Johnson, having lost six straight, appears washed up. He has a 5.46 ERA this season. (Wasn't Shawn Chacon going to the bullpen anyway if he hadn't attacked Ed Wade, because he was slumping?)

In three of the last four starts, including Tuesday, Johnson gave up at least seven runs each time.

So, basically Johnson is taking up a spot in the rotation which could be given to a more effective pitcher out there.

Yet, again, I don't hear people saying he should do everyone a favor and just retire.

But with or without steroids, everyone was bashing Barry Bonds.

People pointed to Bonds' "low" home run total (28) from last year without realizing that the San Francisco Giants offered the home run king very little protection in the lineup. They all laughed at his "low" RBI total (66).

Bonds was thus walked a high number of times (132), so hitting 28 homers in 340 at-bats is actually an awesome feat.

So how could anyone say Bonds is washed up?

The home run king even hit for a .276 average.

(By the way, there's a clown out in Cincinnati who hit .277 with 30 homers last year, almost the same numbers as Bonds, but did so in 528 at-bats and slumped big time in the second half of 2007--yet that Red isn't scrutinized. Go figure.)

Okay, attitude.

Bonds, as most people will say, is a jerk. Selfish. Et cetera.

And Johnson isn't, for wanting out of Arizona because the D-Backs were a non-contender in the mid-2000s?

People will have you believe, Bonds is washed up with those "bad" stats.

And Johnson is having great numbers now?

Bonds is only interested in padding his stats, say the naysayers.

And Johnson isn't?

We've got a lot of hypocritical fans out there, for sure...

So, Johnson should be in the bigs. Oh, okay, I see. I guess if the D-Backs, who are just 2 1/2 games ahead of the sub-.500 Dodgers, miss the playoffs, then I'll appreciate this even more.