Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Let's Go Get Barry

I imagine some version of this post will make its way onto similar third-tier fan sites in 29 major league cities.

SI.com has an article today in which Barry Bonds' agent practically pleads for some team to make an offer - any offer - for his much maligned client. Apparently, not a single offer has been forthcoming. And although the agent states (correctly, I suppose) that "the minimum salary wouldn't be a bona fide offer for a player of his stature", the implication is clear that Barry wants to play and would do so for a salary significantly below his true worth.

The article ends with the following quote from an "ownership source": "There are a number of very rational reasons why teams wouldn't go for Barry Bonds". I have no doubt that JP would say that very thing, if asked, as would Godfrey (although it would take Godfrey 15 minutes and 10,000 words to say it). Dick Griffin made the same sort of point in his mailbag this week - the usual nonsense about how Barry would bring with him distractions, drug peddlers, reclining chairs, jugglers, X boxes, mariachi bands, etc.

All of this is a bit ridiculous, isn't it?

I thought winning was the only goal. So the only justification for not going after Bonds must be that the various concerns/distractions he carries around his neck like so much bling outweigh the value he represents on the field. I just don't think that case can be made. Everybody knows this already, but Barry's numbers are good. Absurdly so. Seriously, what sort of "distraction" would he have to create to outweigh the 1.045 OPS he put up last year?

We simply can't win with the lineup we've been trotting out there day after day. It's April goddamn 23rd, and I feel like the season is slipping away.

Perfectly timed interlude:

I just this second received the following email from our man Portnoy: Have you guys seen tonight's lineup? What the fuck is going on?

I have not, and frankly I'm scared to look. But I know one thing about tonight's lineup: it would look better with Barry Bonds in the middle of it. And the man can probably be had for $2 million or so. At this point, what do we have to lose?

3 comments:

Canate said...

The ole 3 catcher line-up. Sweet!

Is Rios hurt? Wasn't he out yesterday? I think he has the flu. Aside form injuries, we can not rest our hitters until Rolen and Lind are both up. Overbay, slump or not, is netter than Gibby.

Razzer, made this point, and I think it's time to address if Gibbons is somehow trying to show up JP. I don't get it.


Our lineup tonight is:

D. Eckstein ss
S. Stewart lf
A. Hill 2b
V. Wells cf
M. Stairs rf
R. Barajas 1b
G. Zaun c
R. Diaz dh
J. Inglett 3b

I can only make it worse (and follow logical player positioning) with the following chnages.


D. Eckstein ss
S. Stewart lf
J. MCDONALD 2b
V. Wells cf
M. SCUTARO rf
R. Barajas 1b
G. Zaun c
R. Diaz dh
J. Inglett 3b

Canate said...

Plus, WTF? Why do we need Stewart batting second?

Our line up should always starts with a combination of these four:

Hill
Stairs
Rios
Vernon

Dr. K said...

And really, how dispiriting must this be for Doc and the rest of the pitchers? Isn't the fact of putting out an utterly uncompetitive lineup a "distraction" to the team?