Initial thoughts regarding Barry Bonds and the Giants.
I understand that the San Francisco Giants have announced that they will not bring Barry Bonds back for 2008. Of course, this gins up the rumour mill, as baseball fans love nothing more [well, besides actually WATCHING baseball] than talking and speculating about baseball. And now, too, blogging about it :-)
Barry is not the player he used to be. His knees are pretty much gone for whatever the reason. He still has a good eye and discipline at the plate, but the power numbers are dwindling, he "clogs the basepaths" when he gets on, and he's atrocious in the field. Not to mention, a cancer in the clubhouse.
As far as the Yanks are concerned, they do not need him. Bombers are insisting that youth be served, and have already rid themselves of one aging slugger/clubhouse cancer/player under question of using illegal performance enhancers. Shed the Sheff, and better off for it. Notice what Detroit has accomplished since adding him?
Yanks already have Jason Giambi, who pretty much fits my description of Bonds above, although at times he comes up big at first base, and he's a good teammate. Salaries are such that they would not move Jason to get Barry. To move Jason, the Yanks would have to pick up a huge portion of his salary, and to replace him with a pretty much identical player, older, with a far worse attitude would not only not make sense, but would be damaging to the franchise.
I do not like Barry Bonds. I have always been skeptical of kids of stars, although I have been getting better about it. I think I did not care for how folks raved about Pete Rose's son, who frankly was not that good a ballplayer. That, and the fact that Bonds came up with Pittsburgh and I liked Atlanta, well, I started off not liking Bonds. I'm not going to list lowlights here - Google it if ya like, but as far as I am concerned, Barry is an arrogant, egotistical jerk. I've forgiven Jason Giambi for the performance enhancing thing. Jason apologized, and he's a likeable fellow. And no, it's not a racial thing. I cheered on Henry Aaron and Willie McCovey. I boo Barry Bonds. I respect Hank and Willie.
So, what team will ante up and go after Barry Bonds? A good question, and a good indication that times are indeed changing. I project that some team will be desperate enough to wave money at Bonds. Contrast that with 1987. Coming off a year in which he hit 35 dingers with 97 ribbies, Dave Kingman found himself cast adrift by Oakland and no other team came a-calling. 35/97 in one's last year HAS to be some sort of record. Of course, Big Dave also hit .210 with only 33 walks that year. I forget who described what to do with Kong that year, but it involved giving him a free boat, a tank of gas, and a map of the Bermuda Triangle. I think Barry is bad for baseball, and I hope that is what he is offered. I suspect the offer will be far more lucrative for him.
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4 comments:
hey bud.. i know what you mean. i do not like the way the whole bonds thing has been handled. i think he should have worked something out with the giants to retire as a giant and that would have gone a long way. i just don't like any of it.. the accusations are just that.. i want the proof and i don't like the hangman going to work without justice. lot of mixed feelings here as you may have guessed.
I agree - I think the Giants have managed to come out a loser in this, I guess you can call it a passion play of sorts. I don't see any winners, really, and that's sad.
There comes a time in every player's career when its time to hang it up.
Barry has a stench about him, and while there is no concrete proof of him using steriods, his body transformation - his growing hat size - all tend to scream that he is a user.
He also has a federal charge pending, and if the feds decide to push it, he could end up facing some jail time. Would YOU sign such a player? I wouldn't. Its too big a chance on him not being there for when you need him.
If any team does sign him, which unfortunately I think there will be, it will most likely be AL, not NL. I would suspect the Angels might go after him for additional batting power with Vlad.
The only remote thought of the Yankees signing him, and I hope and pray they don't even think of it, is if A-Rod opts out and goes elsewhere. Then the Yankees might think of bringing him in because of the loss. With Giambi as DH, the need isn't there. Bonds is not liked. He wouldn't be welcomed in Yankee Stadium, and he is a liability in terms of losing fans over any (if there is such a thing) gains he brings.
Thanks, OG - whether we see Barry in the AL or not, bringing him to the Bronx just wouldn't make any sense.
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