Barry Bonds: Why not him
posted in Offseason speculation |First, notice, no question mark in the topic. It’s not a question, it’s a statement. Barry Bonds is not the guy.
It’s easy to be romanced by his numbers. Stats people are. I was. Recommendations have come from Baseball Prospectus and other places for the Tigers to make the big move and sign him. You probably love the numbers, too, if you don’t notice “Barry Bonds” at the top of them. And don’t even try to make a statistical argument against Bonds, because I’m not going to buy it. “An aging Barry Bonds” only got on bases 45% of the time, including 115 walks, slugged a .545 rate and hit 26 home runs. He played in 120 games, and there’s no DH in the NL, so he was standing over there in left field for the Giants. We would absolutely adore having a player like him on the Tigers, even as a 40-something. Don’t try to sell me that you wouldn’t.
But the problem is, the name at the top is Barry Bonds, no matter how you slice it, and his reputation and baggage come with him. And for that reason, we both don’t want to see him a Tiger, nor will we see him a Tiger.
The latest piece in the news coming out of the Bay Area said basically Barry played when he wanted, didn’t play if he didn’t want. (hat-tip Knuckle Curve). He’s the anti-Pudge, who you can’t get out of the lineup. Barry, if he didn’t want to, you couldn’t get in.
Sources said the Giants also want assurances that Bonds would conduct himself in a more professional manner than he did this past season.
According to sources inside and outside the Giants clubhouse, Bonds exasperated teammates and coaches several times last season when he chose to make himself unavailable in pinch-hitting situations.
It’s sad. This is absolutely the guy Detroit NEEDS. Lefty. Some power. Good eye. Good OBP to go with it. Puts fear into opposing managers. Maybe we could deal with some baggage for that. But you can’t risk that attitude. I suspect, and the beat writers (no links) have said the same, there is absolutely no way Dave Dombrowski will make Bonds a Tiger, even if Barry is a friend of Jim Leyland’s.
Sphere It
Even if Bonds were to come play in Detroit, I think I would have to continue rooting for him to get hit by a pitch in the small area of his body that is not armored. Seriously though, although he is a great hitter, he has been a prima donna his entire career. I don’t see him changing his ways at this stage of his career, nor do I see his current attitude playing in the Tigers clubhouse.
Of course, I was very against the Kenny Rogers signing when I heard about it….I’m just sayin’.
I’m a stat guy so I still like the idea of acquiring Bonds although I don’t see it happening. I think Jim Leyland was signed, in part, to manage difficult personalities. If Bonds were signed, I would expect him to deal with it and make the most of it. As a fan, I don’t worry about player personalities much because it’s hard to know what’s really going on off the field. Ivan Rodriguez has supposedly gone from dymanic team leader to clubhouse cancer to dynamic team leader in a span of 3 years. So, I just look at the stats and the skills and let DD and Leyland figure out whether the personalities will fit.
Oh man, tough call. He’s what Detroit needs from a numbers standpoint, and he’d certainly help sell more tickets. But if they’re going to spend the type of money that it’d take to get him, I’d prefer they spread it out over a few more years and get someone with a longer shelf-life.
If there is one man that could keep Bonds under on a short leash, it’s Leyland. I second the thought in that even though Bonds is the exact type of hitter the Tigers need, I doubt he’s worth both the money it would take and the headaches the circus he brings with him would cause.
A plus to signing him is the fact that it would cost just money, allowing them to not trade a pitcher. If Bonds would sign a reasonable contract, closer to what a part time, 100-110 games a year DH would actually deserve, I’d think long and hard about signing him. Even then, I don’t know if I could pull the trigger.
See, I still think that way. I actually thought most Tigers fans really didn’t want Bonds. (Maybe they don’t and didn’t respond!)
I just don’t know, can Leyland really keep Bonds’ attitude proper? Dmitri was gone quick, but he wasn’t one of Jimmy’s players, so maybe that case is different. But Barry is… Barry.
I’m at the 25%-75% stage. 25% of me wants Bonds, 75% says it probably wouldn’t be a good idea. Whatever happens, I trust the guy running the team and the guys in the clubhouse.
Bring the bat. This is what the Tigers need to be an intimidating force. When the Pistons brought Rasheed over, we one a Championship (should have been 2). By the time he is done we will have won a World Series or 2, Bonds will have the home run record and another player will have been redeemed in Detroit. Plus Gary and Kenny need a third player their age to play pinochle.