I must temper my excitement at the thought of Bonds in the A’s lineup next year. The news comes out of the rumor mill but the mere thought of it makes me excited. The DH couldn’t come at a better time for Barry as he looks to pad his HR mark. Clearly, Bonds in left field is just as ridiculous as David Ortiz playing first base.
Welcome to the American League where there’s always a spot for an aging slugger. Welcome to Oakland where you can follow in the footsteps of those great aging sluggers before you: Ron Gant, David Justice, Frank Thomas, Mike Piazza, and now you (hopefully) Mr. Bonds.
The haters (ESPN) will speak and point out that he’s on trial. Oops, how could I forget?
“You can’t let those baseball players get away with lying about cheating while playing a game!”
Billy Beane knows just how ridiculous the whole trial is and he’s smart enough look past the nonsense and hire the services of the game’s all time HR king. From a baseball standpoint it’s a perfect match. Bonds’ batting philosophy mirrors that of popularized Moneyball approach which Billy Beane started.
Forty-something or not, Bonds can still get on base and I’m interested to see how he’d fit in a lineup in which patience at the plate is not only practiced but it’s preached. Aside from Bonds, none of the other Giants ever took pitches or thought about drawing a walk.
Most importantly, Barry’s famed recliner and big screen TV will be welcomed in the Oakland clubhouse.
-bB
eh I’m warming up to the idea and it makes sense (DH and bay area) but the ‘roids thing bugs me about Bonds. I don’t like or trust the guy. If we sign him and he plays well, I might feel better about it, but I can see this being a bad thing for the A’s PR-wise in ’08 if/when Bonds gets charged with perjury and obstruction.
- Freddie Footballer
756* Barry Bonds is a circus, and welcoming him into your park would mean welcoming in the clowns and the loud music too. With Bonds playing for your team, its got to be nearly impossible to “look past the nonsense”, if thats what you call taking hard core steroids, lying about it, yelling at America repeatedly about it, lying about it some more, tainting the pages of history, and then having the audacity to strut around like he belongs there. Barry is obviously a discustingly talented individual. But is it worth all the mayhem and distraction? I, for one, would give that a resounding hell no.
Yes it’s inevitable that Yes it’s inevitable that Barry’s going to come to the AL (which, ironically is about the only reason I think the AL should drop the DH… but I digress). Actually WANTING him on your team? I’m surprised that would easily roll off anyones tongue. A “cancer” is a strong term, but I’d say signing Barry can at least be compared to getting herpes from a Vegas hooker. Sure it seemed like an okay idea while you were sitting at the bar 14 beers deep, and for a brief period it was fun, but ultimately your locker room and entire fan base are left with an annoying chronic problem, and nothing but regrets.
He’s an aging, often-injured media relations mess and I don’t understand why any team would want to put up with him. Before paying him I’d rather err on the side of reason and donate money to OJ to help with his mounting legal fees. Now that 756 (accurately described above as 756*) is over, the draw to see the Barry Show is dwindling and will burn out sooner than later. I don’t think the court fiasco is a joke, I think these latter years of Barry’s career are the real joke, and many true fans of baseball won’t turn a blind eye to the fact that he cheated, in so many ways, the game we love.
You can try to Valtrex the hell out of the Barry situation with good public relations, and sure HR’s and RBI’s do a lot to satiate fans and the realization that Barry is a dbag, but I still think having him on your team is a flare-up waiting to happen.
I think Beane would pull the trigger Beane has inquired about Barry before and if he’s in the camp that Barry did not commit perjury, then there’s a chance we could see Barry in green and gold in ’08, provided Barry takes a significant pay cut. Beane’s shown he is willing to take a chance on an aging slugger (e.g. Piazza, Frank Thomas, etc) and I’m sure some fans would welcome Barry, but I’m sure we can find someone else who can fit the bill without signing a player synonymous with steroids and lying.
- Freddie Footballer