Barry to D-Backs?
Barry Bonds, facing eventual Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy, flied out to center fielder Brady Clark for the third out in the 6th inning of an 11-3 loss to the San Diego Padres. Seems pretty innocuous, considering the never ending list of accomplishments and accolades Bonds had compiled in his career.
But it was significant. The date was September 26, 2007, and it was the last at-bat of Barry Bonds’ baseball career. Or was it?
The Arizona Diamondbacks, who have received almost zero production from their left field position this year, are reportedly thinking about luring Barry Bonds’ out of his involuntary retirement. Regular left fielder Eric Byrnes is apparently out for the year with his hamstring troubles. They’ve tried Chris Burke, Alex Romero and Jeff Salazar there with no results. Conor Jackson has started 3 of the last 4 games in left, but seems more comfortable at first base.
So let the Bonds rumors swirl. He has obvious ties to the Valley, playing his college ball at Arizona State. He’s unemployed, reportedly in great shape, and eager to add to his record career home run total of 762. Signing Barry Bonds strictly from a baseball standpoint could be a positive move for the organization. He is, after all, the most feared hitter in baseball history, and his bat could add a little pop to a lineup desperately lacking pop.
Ultimately though, Bonds has more baggage than Samsonite. He’s got a healthy disdain for the media, and everyone knows that last November Bonds was indicted on four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice concerning the federal government’s investigation of BALCO. Most baseball fans would first equate Barry Bonds with alleged steroid abuse rather than his 7 MVPs, or single-season or career home run records.
Its not worth it. The Diamondbacks are a young baseball team. There’s only 6 players on the current roster over 30 years of age, and that includes Byrnes, who’s on the shelf. Why add that much age, especially when it comes with a cantankerous attitude, and possible legal baggage?
A lot of fans around baseball wondered how seemingly knowledgeable baseball fans in San Francisco could root for Bonds in his quest for Hank Aaron’s coveted all-time home run record. Bonds had been branded a colossal jerk, who allegedly cheated the game for the last decade of his career by using performance enhancing substances. There was an unspoken relief when the 2008 season got underway without Barry Bonds being included on a roster. His mere presence had cast a shadow over the sport, and with his absence that shadow had lifted.
As a baseball fan, I sincerely hope that Barry Bonds has swung a bat for the last time. As a baseball fan in Phoenix, I pray that the Diamondbacks are not the franchise that brings him back, allowing him to cast another shadow over this great sport. I’ve been critical of the lack of production posted by Diamondback left fielders this year, but I’d rather see them take the field with only 8 players in the field than see Barry Bonds put on the Sedona red.
Join the discussion at The Locker Room Forum. Arizona Sports 24/7.
Posted by Vince Marotta
Vince has been part of the Phoenix Sports scene in a few different capacities. First as a fan, Vince has been yelling at his tv during Suns and ASU games since the late 1970's. Vince also saw the media side of things as a radio talk show host from 1996 to 2002, and then again in 2007.
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So what if he’s old? He still had a huge 1.045 OPS last year. When he’s not playing then plug in the youngsters. Fact is the dbacks r in a tailspin after their hot start, they have a legitimate chance to go far after their nlcs birth last year. Not taking a flyer on barry bonds for just a half a season to see if they could go far is ignorant. And their is no legal baggage. His trial doesn’t start until next year.
Preach it brother. I’ve been very opposed to the thought of Bonds coming to Boston for the same reasons you are about him coming to Arizona.
This so called baggage that the media keeps referring to in regards to Barry Bonds is way over hyped. Barry Bonds brings the best bat in baseball. Barry Bonds is a steal at the moment because I truly believe he is more humble now then in the past. Bonds does have an ego, but for nearly 5 months fans have gone without hearing much about Bonds and in likelihood the charges against him will be taken care of after the baseball season or be dropped. The Diamond Backs are a young team that will be in awe of Bonds and thus any affect he would have on them wouldn’t be realized unless he spent a full season with the team. Also keep in mind Bonds wants a ring and he would be willing “play ball”. His signing will create press for about 2 days then the media will find someone else to dig their teeth into. I say give the guy a chance to play.
For the sake of the game, it would be nice if no one signed him for a laughable one-month season.
I agree with Vince here wholeheartedly…and my take on this whole thing is that the D-backs were floating this out there to get the fans reaction and go from there.
Honestly it can’t hurt. I’d take anyone that has an average higher than the temperature outside. I can only take so much of the craptastic Chris Burke and the under whelming Alex Remero. As for Conor Jackson, I never thought the organization would find a position he was worse defensively at than first but they managed to. Bring in Barry and maybe the Dbacks can win the division with 83 wins.
Bring on Bonds! Dbacks need him more then he needs hgh to hit the home runs he does. I say sign him and include a 1 year supply of supplements of his choosing from GNC or Hi Health. It might even make me consider going to the stadium to watch a game.
I agree, give Bonds a chance and what better of a team then the Dbacks. He can make all the National League West teams shake in their baseball stirrups. The Dbacks need an injection of hitting right now. This can get them back in the game, keep ahead of the Dodgers and be the team we saw at the beginning of the season
Barry is the greatest player ever -to date, Pehaps only second to ARod (Time will tell) I’ve watched him in person for years, and I have to tell you he changed the game like no other. The guy is a monster, and he would become the instant franchise player for the DBacks, you would be lucky to have him. Might have to stick him at first though, but his bat would make up for not having a left handed FBase man, and he has a great glove too. His last years dont tell the story of what he’s capable of, playing left field will hurt his production like it has the last three years. Stick him on first base or to a team with a DH and the guy hits 40 plus homers a year. I will say he is done in left field, he just cant perform there anymore.