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.