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  • Barry Bonds Rumors

    I am against the signing of Bonds or any other player who is strongly
    suspected of lieing about drug use. The Rays management deny there is
    any substance to the rumor.
    All of that said, here is what Buster Olneys column on Espn has to say
    re the rumor. Food for thought.

    posted: Monday, February 25, 2008 | Feedback | Print Entry
    filed under: MLB

    The Rays are weighing the possibility of pursuing Barry Bonds, writes Marc Topkin.

    He does make a whole lot of sense for Tampa Bay, in so many ways; wrote about this last fall, and at that time, was told that the Rays probably wouldn't want Bonds as the centerpiece presence in a clubhouse loaded with young players.

    But here's why you could understand how this might happen:

    1. At this point, Bonds might be willing to play for far less than he played for last year, when he earned a base salary of about $17 million -- and he would be a natural attendance draw for the Rays.

    2. Bonds's patience at the plate is something that the young and developing Rays' hitters could learn from over a long season.

    3. In a new place, on a new team, and in a short-term situation, Bonds's allegedly stifling clubhouse presence (read between the lines in the quotes from the Giants' players last week) might not be any kind of problem at all.

    4. Most importantly: A lineup with Bonds, who racked up a .480 on-base percentage last year, makes the Rays a better team.

    A scout mentioned to me on Sunday, without knowledge of the possible interest in Bonds, that he thinks the Rays are going to win 81 games this year, with their improved pitching, their developing lineup. Think of how strong Tampa Bay's lineup could look with Bonds by midsummer:

    1. 2B Akinori Iwamura
    2. LF Carl Crawford
    3. CF B.J. Upton
    4. DH Barry Bonds
    5. 1B Carlos Pena
    6. RF Rocco Baldelli/Cliff Floyd
    7. 3B Evan Longoria
    8. C Dioner Navarro
    9. SS Jason Bartlett

    Not bad. And when you ask about the Rays' young pitching -- guys who might be a factor in the second half -- you hear nothing but rave reviews. Look, Tampa Bay is not going to win the AL East this year, but the Rays are going to have a whole lot to say about who does win the division; you could argue that they might be the reason why only one team might make the playoffs out of the deep AL East. A lineup with Bonds in the middle would make them that much tougher. It makes absolute sense for them to add him, at the right price.

    Some folks will say that signing Bonds, while he's under indictment for perjury related to testimony about his alleged steroid use, is sending the wrong message. Well, it's fairly apparent that major league baseball teams are willing to overlook possible PED connections, in the cases of Jose Guillen and Miguel Tejada to many, many others. Bonds should not be treated under a different standard than any other player touched by this issue.
    A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz. ~Humphrey Bogart

  • #2
    I also think it's counterproductive. There's no guarantee that he can hold up physically for the whole year. Plus counting "the kids can learn from his plate patience" as a reason to do it is just plain silly. That is what the hitting coach is for.
    :cap:

    Comment


    • #3
      Bonds not worth the grief

      Originally posted by Silver Blaze View Post
      I also think it's counterproductive. There's no guarantee that he can hold up physically for the whole year. Plus counting "the kids can learn from his plate patience" as a reason to do it is just plain silly. That is what the hitting coach is for.
      I concur 100 % ...He would be more trouble than he's worth
      and I can't see him holding up..I could be wrong..

      On the flip, SEEMS that NO team is really interested in Barry...Even his olde mgr, Jim Leyland, had no interest in bringing him to the Tigers..

      Sosa might be a better fit..if you're in the market, for aging sluggers

      Comment


      • #4
        We just got rid of two clubhouse cancers in Dukes and Delmon Young...Bonds? no thanks
        Please visit http://sportsfeedia.com/ for the latest RSS feed updates on all your favorite sports and teams (my son created it and is the owner )

        Comment


        • #5
          It's hard to see any team committing money to him with the trial being up in the air. Then it has to be a AL team, and one with relatively deep pockets. It's not going to be the Yankees, who (as usual) are tripping over all the DH types they have. Red Sox are set. A smaller payroll team like Cleveland are also set, but there's no way they will disrupt the clubhouse in this manner when they are trying to regain the chemistry that got them to within a game of the Series.

          Do you see any contenders out there?
          :cap:

          Comment


          • #6
            Wow, it's unanimous. The position he'd play (DH/RF) already has the most competition on the team, so it doesn't make much sense in a baseball way.

            Also, this team doesn't need the distractions caused by the Barry Bonds circus. A couple years ago when they weren't going anywhere, I woulda said yes. But not now - they're too close to breaking out for a publicity stunt like this.

            One issue I haven't heard brought up in this rumor is whether or not BB is still juicing. If not, he'd just be an old, broken down, surly, overpaid bench warmer / pinch hitter. Don't need 'em, don't want 'em.

            Comment


            • #7
              The word from the Giants spring training is it feels like a big weight has been lifted since Barry left. Now they are finally The San Francisco Giants and not Barry Bonds and the Giants. Now they can concentrate on winning.

              Comment

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