Tuesday Curveball

I hate Barry Bonds with the fire of a thousand suns. And going into this season, I didn’t want him anywhere near the team… But the OPS he brings to the table is almost unparalleled. So I am tempted.

Okay, I’ll elaborate.

While his OPS is tempting, you know what else is? SATAN.

While he’s a complete asshole, we have to think objectively about this– Sox as BUSINESS. Rings are good, but they aren’t guaranteed even with Bonds. So even with a huge potential payoff, there is sizeable risk involved, and I’m not sure it’s a situation that John, Larry and Tom want to be put in.

He’d be a PR nightmare not just because he’s a huge jerk, but because the Sox, like it or not, aren’t the most beloved team on the planet right now, and keeping our noses as clean as possible would be a good thing. No need to have any more indictments against our team members than necessary.

OPS is great, and sorely needed, but there are other ways in which from a business perspective, he’d be a bad investment– it’s all about risk v. benefit, my friends.

And they might get him and it all works out hunky-dory– I don’t think it’s the end of the world either way.

Additionally– consider what a contract for him would look like, and think about what else that money could be spent on. Just something to ponder.

PS– CAN WE TALK ABOUT THIS RED SOX NASCAR THING? BECAUSE IT REALLY AGGRAVATES ME. REALLY REALLY. I’d be more comfortable with signing Bonds than having that ridiculous little side project. NOT A GOOD USE OF MY TICKET REVENUES, YOU JERKS.

NO, NO, NOOOOOO!

This is from one who is also a SF Giants fan (can’t help it…my hometown).

He’s a prima-donna, whiner, clubhouse cancer. He had clubhouse demands like multiple lockers, big screen TV, etc. He’s selfish, has legal troubles looming, and has crap for knees. He’d HAVE to hit homeruns because he can’t run the bases well. He certainly can’t play LF anymore–dude can’t run.

Can he hit? Yes (well at least he used to). But is it worth it? NO!

I’d rather wait for Big Papi to get well (loved to see him in BP) and get Manny’s head straightened out. If that means losing, so be it. No Bonds.

AND…if the worse case scenario does happen and Theo loses his mind and brings Bonds to Boston, and they win, I’ll still stand by my position. Mark it.

My husband wouldn’t go to see the Giants with Bonds on the team, he’d just DIE to see him in his beloved Sox uniform.

I don’t think Bonds is going to be worth bringing on, especially for the price tag he’ll probably ask for (I’d expect he’ll be looking 7-digits for the second half of the year). He only takes things off the table if he plays defensively and I cannot see the Sox playing Bonds over Ortiz, both from a talent standpoint (given the current states of their careers) and the fact that they would never sit the face of their franchise for a controversial star.

So who do you sit for Bonds? Assuming Ortiz is the DH when healthy, Bonds would have to play outfield. Sitting Manny or Drew is ridiculous as they are the Top 2 in Home Runs and rank in the Top 4 in OPS (with Lowell and Youk), not to mention sitting either player would waste money (as both are highly paid) and might cause some bruised egos, particularly with Manny being a bit volatile lately.

As for center field, a position Bonds hasn’t played since 1996, to sit either Ellsbury or Crisp is a big hit to team speed. Although he used to be quick, Bonds does not have the quickness to steal bases anymore – Ellsbury has more steals so far this year than Bonds recorded between 2002 and 2007 combined. It’s already difficult enough with a healthy team to get Crisp decent playing time (although moving Ramirez to DH during Ortiz’s injury has given him a chance) and when he’s active, he’s been effective.

In short, Bonds is going to ask for too much money to justify having him as a fifth outfielder or pinch hitter and I can’t see the Sox playing him over Ortiz at DH, nor sitting any of the current outfielders to get him time.

I’m gonna say NO WAY. Besides his legal issues, He’s clubhouse poison. Papi will return, Manny will get out of his funk. We have plenty of bats, some of them just need to get thier stuff together. The money he’ll want would be better spent somewhere else. I think Theo is smarter than that…at least I hope he is

plus…..can’t you see him disturbing the peacful and joyous world of Papi…we just can’t let that happen

NO

Oh, I didn’t realize he’d play for league minimum. But would be willing to go into a backup role when Ortiz comes back? I get the sense that if you’re a potential Hall of Famer, you probably don’t want to sit around all day and not play much. He’d obviously be a great addition from a talent standpoint, but I still feel like he’ll bring a media circus and I think he’d rather play on a team that gives him more playing time.

He wouldn’t fit in. Literally and figuratively. The Sox clubhouse is not big enough for his private suite and all the amenities he would require not to mention the monkeywrench he would throw into the clubhouse atmosphere. The Manny-Youk incident aside, these guys seem to genuinely like and pull for one another.

Management and ownership seem to distance themselves from emotion when making business decisions but I can’t see them wanting to take on all that baggage even if Papi can’t come back at 100% this year. I would hope that they would consider fan reaction to this move as most fans regard him as an arrogant whining, cheating prima donna.

Well, I was also thinking about opportunity cost in non-monetary terms: time and effort spent on PR, for example, skill lost in putting him in the lineup, etc.

However, I do like what David and DC have had to say what with how to make the clubhouse work and under what conditions: OF issues, etc., “no comment” (and actually following through).

With VERY VERY few exceptions, cultural issues really don’t convince me, since that is a) for the players to work out, b) not necessarily what is best for the team, and c) based mostly on public perception of athlete personalities, which can be quite different from reality. While it is ideal to have a clubhouse where everyone is chummy and huggy and all, it cannot be forced on any group of people, and it is not the job of the ballclub to seek out compatible playmates for its players.

Is clubhouse chemistry important? Absolutely.

But if I found out Theo was making these decisions based on an abstract concept of how the players would feel about it, I’d be pissed. If we have players who allow one man to influence clubhouse chemistry so much that they do not play to their fullest potential… I’d say we have some other problems on our hands than that one man.

Me, I trust Theo. He’s shown himself willing to step where others would not or did not (trading Nomar, anyone?) in order to make a better team, even at the sacrifice of the clubhouse (Mirabelli’s release). If he doesn’t think we need Bonds or doesn’t think Bonds is worth it in very concrete terms, he won’t bite. Otherwise…

And a final thought— just to play kindergarten teacher here— consider being fair to Bonds. Yep, he didn’t play fair, all that, but seriously, why is it we can’t focus on what happens on the field? Let’s begin with the fact that he has yet to be convicted, by the way. I’d bet he’s heard it loud and clear this season and maybe would sing a different tune to a team willing to take a chance on him. The league minimum is a start. Like him or not, its clear that baseball means something to him, and that’s something the Red Sox have in common with him. Now, he could show up and be a total dick and humiliate us– but he might not. And to have an immediate and immovable opinion about him as a person… I dunno, it strikes me as pretty unfair. I mean, you’d actually feel dirty rooting against the team? Really? Without giving him a chance?

If you were him–
and how you feel about steroids aside, remember that it’s more complicated than just good guys and bad guys–
and even assuming you were guilty and under a world of shit legally–
would you want someone to take a risk with you? To be able to do what you’ve devoted your life to?

I dunno. Usually the Golden Rule is clear-cut– I don’t think it is here, but I think there’s an opportunity to take the high road here…

Sorry to preach, but I couldn’t help thinking about this while reading the vitriol.

Francona was just on “Jim Rome Is Burning,” claiming that all this talk is no more than rumor!

There have been no workouts or any such thing..
so no worries!

I say no no no nooooo, for all the reasons that others have described above. I consider Bonds to be beyond despicable, and I don’t want him on “my” team, period.