Bats Ready, but Bonds May Not Need Them

By JACK CURRY
Published: April 17, 2008

The New York Times - If Barry Bonds is going to play baseball this season, it'll likely be for either the Tigers, Blue Jays or Mariners, according to the New York Times.

He would need to sign on with a team that needs a designated hitter, and all three of the aforementioned teams have been without one due to injury this season.

The legendary slugger has repeatedly said on his personal web site that he has continued to work out and remains in good shape


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/sports/baseball/17bonds.html?_r=2&ref=baseball&oref=slogin&oref=slogin



My thoughts: If Sheffield got injured and were to need season ending surgery, and we needed somebody to fill the void. I'd say what the hell, bring in Barry.

Well, if that happened, fortunately for Bonds, Detroit fans (except for us) aren't known to be assholes, so it's not like we'd make his life hell if he just came here and did what he's supposed to do (get on base) without any problems.*

*a bunch of crazy demands.

Far too many roid/tar using cheaters on the Tigers for any of us to morally object to Barry Bonds.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/sports/baseball/17bonds.html?_r=2&ref=baseball&oref=slogin&oref=slogin



My thoughts: If Sheffield got injured and were to need season ending surgery, and we needed somebody to fill the void. I'd say what the hell, bring in Barry.
Or we could move Cabrera to first and give Inge his spot back at third, if he keeps batting the way he is. Let Guillen DH.

Far too many roid/tar using cheaters on the Tigers for any of us to morally object to Barry Bonds.
Yep, Sheffield and Pudge for starters.

Yep, Sheffield and Pudge for starters.


Pudge has never been accused. He wasn't in the Mitchell Report.

People think that everything in Jose Canseco's first book was proven true in the M-Report. Well it didn't. For one, in his book he named Pudge & Juan Gonzalez. Both weren't in the Mitchell Report.

Yes, and Pudge mysteriously lost 30 pounds of Muscle due to "dietary changes".

Bonds to the Tigers was kicked around on "First take of Cold Pizza" or whatever that show is called......I just don't see that happening as long as Sheff is on this squad

Bonds to the Tigers was kicked around on "First take of Cold Pizza" or whatever that show is called......I just don't see that happening as long as Sheff is on this squad


I'm not going to lie, I'm intrigued by the thought of that happening. Of course, the only way it would even be slightly considered is if Sheff gets bought out or has a season ending surgery.

If we keep losing though, it will certainly be out of the question...

Check this batting order...

Granderson, CF
Polanco, 2B
Bonds, DH
Ordonez, RF
Cabrera, 1B
Guillen, 3B
Renteria, SS
Rodriguez, C
Joyce/Thames/Raburn or whoever the hell plays LF


short right field porch, on top of the fact it would be an incentive-heavy minor league deal...Dombrowski, make that call

Maybe that's why they are trying Sheff in LF?

If he plays well out there, Bonds could step into that DH role.

I'm guessing that they'd go to Sheff, first, to make sure he would play nice.

I don't know, we already have so many guys that could be a DH already.

I see no way this happens with Sheff and Bonds. If Sheff were to get hurt, or suck it up so bad that he has to be released, or whatever, then Bonds might get the call.

Something needs to happen to shake things up. Things can't get worse. Can they?

http://www.funnyhub.com/pictures/img/barry-bonds-in-drag.jpg

Still want Bonds here?

Still want Bonds here?

Would we lose more?

Yeah, we'd lose and be a media circus.

He's better than sheffield, but yea the real problem for you guys is pitching. So probably dont need him.

lil' bump

Why? Because we all forgot who he was?

No kidding. It ain't happening nor should it.

Perhaps it's a bump because Maggs is on the DL and Cabrera left the game the other night. Just a thought.

Perhaps it's a bump because Maggs is on the DL and Cabrera left the game the other night. Just a thought.

Bingo.

If the offense continues to get pillaged by injuries and you've got a guy sitting at home with his credientials (and a good relationship with Leyland) than you have to at least think that it a possibility.

What about when the players come back? Do you really think Barry Bonds will sit on the bench "for the good of the team?"

What about when the players come back? Do you really think Barry Bonds will sit on the bench "for the good of the team?"

I suppose that could be a problem, but hopefully it's a good problem to have during a playoff chase and not a "what if?" that you ask while in a distant 3rd place.

Also, I'm not sure if that last post made sense or not.

Oh well.

What about when the players come back? Do you really think Barry Bonds will sit on the bench "for the good of the team?"

Who's to say that would even happen? Let's say hypothetically they sign Bonds and he hits .380 in June with a 1.260 OPS. He doesn't sit for anybody. He continues to play, cutting into the PT of whoever is coming back. Thames plays 1st, DH or RF. Sheff plays RF or DH. Maggs, when he returns, probably takes it easy. Cabrera can play the occasional other position, though I imagine they would stick with 1B or DH.

Now, say they sign him and he hits .255. He sits a bit but gets the same opportunities a Thames gets. It's Leyland's problem to work it out. Again, a problem he would gladly have. I doubt Leyland would sit a guy just because he wasn't on the opening day roster or a part of the clubs long-term plans. Leyland puts lineups out there because it's the best mix of "Let's win this game" and "Let's get some rest for these particular guys" that he can think of. Bonds would be a piece in that puzzle that I think he would take over Clete Thomas, Mike Holliman, or Matt Joyce.

I like the optimism, but I still think that the answer "it's a good problem to have" is untrue. Barry's last 10 years contain nothing but controversy, and I would expect it to continue. There's really only one position he can play anymore - DH. So that means he would be fighting Sheff for playing time. One of those two are going to be annoyed considering they were both signed to do the same thing. I don't think a 39 year old or a 44 year old are really good fits for Left Field in the American League.

I've also heard the point of view that the Barry circus takes a lot of pressure off of other guys on the team.
Some think it's a chemistry nightmare, others say it's an opportunity for guys like Cabrera to quit pressing so much.

Also, while Barry has had controversy, he's had numbers. I'll take that deal. You bring in your controversy and the fact that you produced in spite of never having more than Jeff Kent in the lineup with you and I'll take your production and forget about the controversy 10 years from now when I'm wearing my old 2008 World Series t-shirt to wash my car.

Chemistry's overrated. Half this board wanted to trade Inge away for nothing because he was supposedly ruining chemistry. If Bonds can still throw a .900 OPS up there, I'll take it.

As far as PT when everybody's healthy, there'd be Maggs, Bonds, Thames, Sheff and Cabrera to split time at 1st, Left, Right and DH. That's 5 guys for 4 slots. That's a day off a week for each of those guys, which they probably need and seem to have been getting anyways. Whether we need Bonds or not, I don't think PT's the deciding factor. The main concern, I guess, would be fewer "Half-Days" for Guillen in the DH role.

DIVERSIFY YO BONDS

As far as PT when everybody's healthy, there'd be Maggs, Bonds, Thames, Sheff and Cabrera to split time at 1st, Left, Right and DH. That's 5 guys for 4 slots. That's a day off a week for each of those guys, which they probably need and seem to have been getting anyways.
Not exactly how that works, since Sheff and Bonds wouldn't be playing in the field and Cabrera will only be at first....

Sheff has played a few games in LF already this year, and played both LF and RF last year. Cabrera has played all 4 positions this year. Remember that Bonds comes from the NL, where - outside of interleague play - every game he played he was in the OF.

I'll give you that these guys are by no means outstanding outfielders defensively (neither is Thames, though he's improving) but they're all adequate enough to justify PT as long as they're producing at the plate as well.

Not exactly how that works, since Sheff and Bonds wouldn't be playing in the field and Cabrera will only be at first....

I hope this terribly inaccurate post was only a test my lord.

Zekyl works in mysterious ways.

It was indeed a test of faith.

Are they really going to throw Sheff back out in the field after he had those problems the first time?

I hope to god if someone signs Barry they don't expect him to have to play any defense. I wouldn't want to see him in anything but a DH role.

Cabrera could be at 1st, DH, and if needed 3B, but when and why would we stick him in the outfield?

Who said anything about putting Cabrera in the outfield, though he has played there? Sheff certainly wasn't worse than Thames in the field, and Bonds' bat more than makes up for any defensive deficiencies. Noone's proposing putting them all out there at once. You could have Bonds DH every time, put Sheff in Left, Thames at first, Cabrera at third, etc, etc. It'd be real easy, fitting them in is the least of our worries. The only question should be whether or not he'd create too much of a circus, not whether we had room for him.

That defensive lineup you just put out there is putrid, though, Vin.

Bond's bat should make up for his liabilities in the field. But didn't we say the same thing about Cabrera at third? We're running out of places to hide bad defensive players.

I wasn't suggesting that as a proposed lineup, I was saying those are all different individual moves you could make to fit everyone in and give everyone a day off here and there.

It'd be one at a time though, that's what I'm saying. It wouldn't be Sheff, Bonds, Thames and Cabs all in the field at once, that's not even possible (ok, yes, I know it's possible, just not smart...). It'd be Sheff OR Bonds instead of Thames, with one of the other 2 at DH. Or Sheff in right, Thames in Left, Maggs or Bonds DHing. Or Cabrera at DH, Maggs in Right, Thames at first, Sheff in left. Etc, Etc. One would always have the day off and one would always be DHing so it would really only potentially displace one position in the field, sometimes none.

I don't mean to be negative here, because I see what you're saying. However, don't players like it when they have a pretty normal spot in the lineup and on the field. All the mixing and matching there seems to piss off players.

(I don't mean to sound nitpicky - I just figured I would bring that up)

I'm with MoTown on both accounts. He pretty much sums up what I was going for in #38

Well, Leyland mixes and matches like crazy. Do you think current players are happy that Clete Thomas, Ryan Raburn, Mike Holliman, Matt Joyce, and Dane Sardinah (sp?) are getting AB's? Of course, part of it is due to injuries, but not all.

It's doubtful that Renteria and Thames were begging to have the night off last night, but the rookies that played in their spot helped key a victory - and they're thrilled they won. Earlier in the year people defended Raburn and the scrub comment because Raburn won the game for them. If you're getting AB's in 4 out of 5 games, you're getting rest so you're healthy, and the team is winning - you have a tendency to shut your trap.

Hideki Matsui's setback forces Yankees to consider Barry Bonds
BY MARK FEINSAND
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Wednesday, July 16th 2008, 12:43 AM

Will Hideki Matsui's bum knee cause the Yankees to hit the Bonds market?

Should Matsui require surgery and be lost for the year - a realistic possibility after he suffered a setback Tuesday - the Yankees would almost certainly need to bring in another bat for the DH spot.

Richie Sexson remains available as a free agent, and although the big first baseman was having a terrible year before being released by the Mariners, general manager Brian Cashman wouldn't say whether the Yankees were interested.

Barry Bonds is also a free agent, although his agent, Jeff Borris, said Monday that "prospects look bleak" for the all-time home run king to land with a big-league team this season. The Yankees could certainly use Bonds' powerful bat in their struggling lineup, but Cashman isn't ready to discuss such a possibility.

"Any rampant speculation on us regarding a player of that magnitude would be extremely premature," Cashman said. "I would caution everybody to not misunderstand, that because I'm not saying no to it means that it might be happening down the line. It's not something we're focused on at this point."

Cashman said that Matsui's current situation will not push him to acquire an outfielder, although he left open the possibility that the Yankees could be in the market for a DH down the line.

"We're still concentrating on trying to get Matsui going," the GM said. "If not, I'd like to turn to within first and at the same time keep my ears and eyes open at any opportunity that might be available out there."

Matsui suffered a setback with his injured left knee yesterday, developing more swelling that resulted in him being shut down from baseball activity. Matsui will visit team physician Dr. Stuart Hershon on Friday, at which time the Yankees hope to have a better idea of his condition.

"I've been pessimistic, then I got optimistic in the last week before today," Cashman said. "Today, that's different. I'm less optimistic now that we're going to get Hideki back, but that doesn't mean that we won't."

Matsui underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee during the offseason, giving him a late start in spring training. Should the 34-year-old require surgery to correct his current problem, he would miss the remainder of the season.

"We're treating the patient and the patient's not responding to the treatment," Cashman said. "If at some point you've tried everything in your bag of tricks and none of them work, you'll be forced to the final option, which is surgery. I can't tell you we're there yet, but we're getting close."

Matsui has been rehabbing in Tampa, taking batting practice last week for the first time since going on the DL on June 27. Yesterday, the Yanks' optimism turned into pessimism, as the setback brings the option of surgery to the forefront.

Well, if the Tigers aren't going to sign him, then I want this to happen.

Tampa would be a pretty good fit for Barry, IMO.

I don't think they'd want to screw with their chemistry by bringing in a headcase like him.

I don't think they'd want to screw with their chemistry by bringing in a headcase like him.

It wouldn't be that big of deal. They'd just use him until Longoria is back to provide some power they'll be missing.

I don't think they'd want to screw with their chemistry by bringing in a headcase like him.
If they want to win badly enough, I think they'll get over the drama.

And Bonds is going to have something to prove, so I would expect that he would be on his best behavior.

If they want to win badly enough, I think they'll get over the drama.

And Bonds is going to have something to prove, so I would expect that he would be on his best behavior.
http://www.shayan.org/Shayan/Images/NoNeedleBig.gif

That's old news, Zek.

Half the league was juicing.

I'm not here to talk about the past.

I'm here to be positive.