Yardbarker: Barry Bonds

Devil Rays Fans Clamor For Bonds

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:53:05 -0500

Award-winning writer R.J. Anderson of DRaysBay has a Should We Sign Bonds poll up. It certainly crossed my mind again during last night's 9th inning. With our Devil Rays down by three, no outs and men on the corners, coming up to the plate as the tying run was our left-handed DH, Cliff "Dr. Huxtable" [...]

Top 7 :: American Falls from Grace in the Summer Olympics (since 1984)

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:38:37 -0500

Even if events like the shot put or guys rowing in a lake don't interest you a whole lot, it is still nice to know that the Summer Olympics are fast approaching, which means that there is something to have on in the background if you're home during the day besides The Price is Right or Karate Kid II. It is also fun to be able to root for your entire country at once, as neighborhood, city, state, and team rivalries can go away for a few weeks. All you need is Hacksaw Jim Duggan to start up a good ole USA! chant. Over the last couple of decades we have seen some Americans do extremely well in the Olympics only to have one of those dreaded falls from grace. Basically, it's the anti-Mary Lou Retton, since she stayed consistently famous after her gold medal in gymnastics in 1984 without ever doing anything else sports-wise. This week's Top 7 looks at American falls from grace in the Summer Olympics.

7. Carl Lewis

Many people who can remember his Olympic days think of him as one of the most amazing athletes that they have seen. Unfortunately for Carl, anyone who can't remember that, as well as many who do, only recall his legendarily bad national anthem.

6. Christian Laettner

Bird, Barkley, Jordan, Magic, Drexler, Ewing, Malone, Mullin, Pippen, Robinson, Stockton?Laettner. One does not go with the others. Living up to hype of being on the original Dream Team is tough, especially after one of the best college careers of all-time, but there were even some back then who wanted Shaq to be on the team instead. That would have looked much better now.

5. Tim Montgomery

Though he never qualified as an individual, he was on the 4 x 100 relay team at the 1996 games in Atlanta. BALCO, steroids, money laundering, and heroin dealing followed. If he were higher profile as an American Olympian, he'd be higher, like his ex.

4. Kurt Angle

He won the gold in heavyweight freestyle wrestling in Atlanta in '96. Some would consider simply joining the WWF a "fall from grace," but not the Top 7. Not at all. However, being essentially kicked out of the WWF for violating substance abuse policy absolutely is. It's like being kicked out of the infield at the Kentucky Derby for being too drunk.

3. Reebok

In many weeks prior to the 1992 Olympics in Barelona, Reebok ran commercials about who the world's greatest athlete was, Dan or Dave. Dave was Dave Johnson, Dan was Dan O'Brien, real American decathaletes who Reebok was banking on being at the Olympics. That changed when O'Brien failed to even make the Olympic team at the trials, which put a bit of a damper on their ad campaign.

2. USA Basketball

The original Dream Team in 1992 was the most epic team of our generation. Nothing since has come close to topping their rock star appeal. The McDonald's cups that featured each player caused pre-teens to drink around 600,000 calories of soda that summer (that Scottie Pippen one was impossible to find!). They also backed it up on the court, winning games by a margin between 35 and 70 points every game and having opposing players ask for their autographs. The irony of the deal was that the Dream Team's worldwide appeal caused its downfall, as countries around the world starting really getting into their hoops, while Americans became cocky. Before long, we weren't throwing our best team out there, Shawn Kemp was grabbing his crotch at foreign players, and the team ended up so unlikable that some Americans were rooting against their own country. It reached its pinnacle last Olympics when the U.S. settled for the bronze medal. This year, they have actually put together a team so it could turn around, but for now, it's a fall from grace.

1. Marion Jones

Since she is in a sport which doesn't get nearly enough attention, she is usually casually mentioned alongside Barry Bonds as another victim of BALCO going down, but hers is way worse. Bonds still has his records, MVPs, and other awards, and isn't halfway through a six-month prison term.

Greatest Players Never To Win A Championship

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:03:44 -0500

OK, so I'm on my greatest players kick but there is just so much history to be told in each sport. This list is a collection of the greatest players who fell short of just one goal, to win a title. Here's the list of the greatest players never to hoist a championship trophy in order of greatness: www.rawsportsblog.com

Independent League Teams May Not Even Want Bonds

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:33:31 -0500

Quote from the Mercury News: "[Barry Bonds] has nothing to prove there," Jeff Borris told the Associated Press. "He doesn't need to go to an independent team and hit two home runs a night hoping to get attention to prove that he still has the skills that would warrant him playing at the major league level." Well now that you put it that way, Mr. Borris, I challenge you to put Barry Bonds on an independent league team. I will bet that he does not average two home runs a game in however long his stint is with that organization. Long Island DucksJust because your client cannot find a single team to pay him a low six-figure salary for the remainder of this season (even the Yankees are balking on him), you have to go out and attack independent leagues like the Atlantic League? In fact, I am not even sure that Barry Bonds would have a spot on the Long Island Ducks starting roster. Their outfielders include Carl Everett, Nook Logan, and Richard Hidalgo.

Bonds Vs. Ruth Part IV: The Final Five Seasons

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:42:42 -0500

Back in February, Ed Valentine and I got into a debate over who was better — Babe Ruth or The G-POPE Barry Bonds. In a four-part series with the help of WhatIfSports.com, Bugs & Cranks hopes to add new perspective to the debate…. The idea is to switch these two all-time greats in time — what [...]

Bonds Vs. Ruth Part IV: The Final Five Seasons

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:42:42 -0500

Best Father-Son Combo's Off All-Time

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:39:45 -0500

As Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Bonds play out what appears to be their final years in baseball I'm reminded of the all-time greatest father-son duo's to ever suit up. The obvious one's are the Bond's, Griffey's and the Manning's, but over time there have been many more than just three families to grace the record books. Without further adieu here's the list in order of greatness. www.rawsportsblog.com

One Big Bat = One Big Run, Yet Again....

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:32:07 -0500

New York, New York. What will they think of next. Hey folks Matt Eisenman here and im about to talk about the New York Yankees. I know some Boston Red Sox fan will probably say something and i dont blame them I would get tired of it too. Here it goes. The Yankees need one big bat to help them get one big run, hense the name of the article. What Big Bat do they need, or should i say who do they need because it cetaintly isnt a Louiville Slugger they could trade a player for ten of those. Xavier Nady the big name on the block from the Artist formally known as the Pittsburgh Pirates. Well the question who do they have to give up to get a player who is making a great name for himself. The bigger question who do they have to give up? Frankly I am tired of giving up young talent but who would they want. Give them Ian Kennedy Johnny Damon and someone else crappy. What ever we have to do to get it done that doesnt include giving away a young star. Another person they should consider is Mark Texeira. He is young has better mobility than Giambi and would be a good fit at first base and fill the bat void. He would be a good fit. To think the San Francisco Giants were thinking of trading Tim Lincecum for Matsui at the beginning of the season I don't think so anymore. Lets get this straight as a Yankee fan I am not going to settle for Richie Sexson. The man just can't hit anything anymore. If he is supposed to solve are problem Cashman has gone more insane than ever before. What to do, what to do? I really couldn't tell you. I'd rather trade younger for younger. I don't like veterans all the time they are so boring. What I think we should do is trade Bobby Abreu away. We will lose him to free agency after the year because we won't want him back so why not get some value from him. All I am saying in a very unclear way is the Yankees could be one big bat away from making yet another impresive run to make the playoffs. They have options Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, Mark Texeira, heck even Barry Bonds wouldn't hurt. Something is going to happen and it will happen soon when nobody sees it coming. They will end up trading young talent away for a 35 year old pitcher. That Brian Fuentes stuff should just stop. Quit it, the man is 32 and not getting any younger. For a reliever that is old and they don't have alot of baseball life left in them. Please anyone wishing to inquire a Brian Fuentes or Damaso Marte if thats even his name should look in the mirror and be like what am i doing. Fuentes ill give him credit he is doing great but not worth a young player who has a chance to give you more and be there for a longer time. I really do not know what is going to happen. I think it will get real interesting by the last day and very shortely. If Ray Durham is the last big thing ill be shocked. The Yankees have alot of chips to play with they just don't know how much to put in. Let's not go all in for once lets only bet 1/4 of the pile. Come on Hank it hasn't worked in a while. Just focus on free agency and stop trying to give away more than you should for someone who might be a rental. Save your money for a C.C. Sabathia or a Ben Sheets for next season much more worth it and a better investment. What do you think the Yankees should do? What do you think the Yankees will do?

THIS WEEK'S ACTIVITIES

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:38:40 -0500

As always, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve for this week's features. And by features, I mean posts that aren't recaps of news items or link dumps.

First off, we're kicking off a new series: "The Legacy Of..."

I will present a prominent Pittsburgh Pirate, Penguin, or Steeler who moved on to greener pastures and discuss the pros and cons of their legacies. I'll solicit a few "expert" opinions and close each installment with a poll on whether you have pleasant or unpleasant memories of said athlete.

Subjects will include but not be limited to: Marian Hossa, Jaromir Jagr, Ryan Malone, Barry Bonds, Kordell Stewart, Neil O'Donnell, Rod Woodson, and Brian Giles. Should be a lot of fun.

Next up, I'm going to conduct a one-day experiment of being a full-time blogger with Blogger Fantasy Camp. Basically, I'm going to take a day off of work and devote an entire 9-to-5 shift to Mondesi's House posts. Just constant updates, links, and news the entire day. Thursday is the rough target date for this grand experiment.

Other than that, I'm sure we'll find some ways to pass the time together. As always, your suggestions are welcome at mondesishouse@gmail.com.

WHY THE YANKEES SHOULD SIGN BARRY BONDS......

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:55:49 -0500

The top ten Major League Baseball players in lifetime OPS (with at least 3,000 plate appearances through 2007, active players in bold) are: Babe Ruth, 1.1638 Ted Williams, 1.1155 Lou Gehrig, 1.0798 Barry Bonds, 1.0512 Albert Pujols, 1.0402 Jimmie Foxx, 1.0376 Hank Greenberg, 1.0169 Todd Helton, 1.0138 Rogers Hornsby, 1.0103 Manny Ramírez, 1.0023 The top ten single-season performances in MLB are (all left-handed hitters): Barry Bonds, 1.4217 (2004) Babe Ruth, 1.3818 (1920) Barry Bonds, 1.3807 (2002) Barry Bonds, 1.3785 (2001) Babe Ruth, 1.3586 (1921) Babe Ruth, 1.3089 (1923) Ted Williams, 1.2875 (1941) Barry Bonds, 1.2778 (2003) Babe Ruth, 1.2582 (1927) Ted Williams, 1.2566 (1957)

Yankees Shouldn't Stop At Sexson

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:49:53 -0500

Maybe Brian Cashman reads Hot Stove, but probably not. Either way he must have figured my idea that the Yankees go out and sign Richie Sexson was a good low risk, high reward situation. Sexson does add a decent bat against left handed pitching, which the Yankees sorely needed, but don't get over excited. Sexson is not the answer to the Yankees offensive problems. Sure he'll help in certain situations, but he is certainly no difference maker. Yes, Sexson hits lefties and maybe a change of scenery will do him some good - he had a .523 OPS in Seattle and a .875 OPS on the road - but he's still the same player who hit .205 a year ago. So expecting him to do much better than being part of a strong platoon is a little foolish. Hideki Matsui is still sidelined and depending on how his visit to the doctor goes today he will be out a long time or a very long time. So the team still needs a DH. Sexson is a strong defender so there will be temptation for manager Joe Girardi to use him at first and shift Giambi to DH, but that would be a mistake. Another option is using Johnny Damon as the DH while his shoulder returns to 100 percent, but then you would have to have two weaker bats in the lineup every day in Brett Gardner and Melky Cabrera. The answer is another bat. Everyday that passes the idea of bringing in Barry Bonds becomes more attractive. Initially I was completely against this move. Winning is the bottom line, but how could I bring myself to root for somebody who I've loved rooting against all these years? As each day passes I can't help but think that this lineup is one more bat away from busting loose. They had a tough first half, but I suspect they are primed for a strong second half. Derek Jeter who was nursing a few injuries early will likely rebound. Robinson Cano is another player who throughout his career has hit everything he can reach after the all-star break. Chien-Ming Wang will return eventually and they will also be getting Brian Bruney back soon. Guys like Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes may even help this team. Once Jorge Posada begins playing behind the plate everyday that will get Jose Molina's bat out of the lineup, thus strengthening it. With it looking likely the Bombers will be stronger in the second half the idea of adding an impact bat that could make a big difference in catching the Rays for the wild card is tempting. It doesn't have to be Bonds, but he certainly would be the cheapest. If they fail to trade for a player like Raul Ibanez, who other teams are going to be interested in as well, then Bonds might be their only choice. A bat like his put them over the top in 1996 when they went out and got Cecil Fielder and again when they went out and got David Justice. A big bat doesn't guarantee success however as the Yankees saw when they went out and got Bobby Abreu two years ago, so why risk trading prospects if you don't have to? Speaking of Big Cecil, the Brewers might be interested in dealing his son Prince Fielder. At 24-years-old he might be one of the few types of bats available that might be worth the prospects. So he's worth keeping an eye on, but don't hold your breath.

Barry Bonds a Yankee?

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:04:10 -0500

Embattled former Giants slugger Barry Bonds has entered into formal contract negotiations with the Yankees, and a consummation of the deal is anticipated forthwith, a confidential clubhouse source told MLBNewsOnline.com. The incentive-laden deal, being hammered out between Bonds' agent Jeff Borris and general manager Brian Cashman, will well exceed the major league $200,000 minimum but has a number of protective clauses to isolate the Yankees' exposure to the possibility of Bonds missing time due to legal distractions or recurring injury, the source said. (And until he reports that Barry Bonds is climbing the Empire State Building and the Navy is dispatching biplanes, I'm sticking with my source.) Cashman was reported to have arrived at the decision to sign Bonds during the All-Star break when he determined that the all-time home run leader would be needed to replace injured left fielder Hideki Matsui, who is out indefinely with a knee injury. Cashman was persuaded largely because the team will not have to sacrifice any coveted prospects who had been targeted by various other potential trading partners. Bonds faces a perjury indictment but is not schedule for trial until March and Borris has assured the team that barring other unforeseen entanglements his client is unencumbered and ready to play.

Cashman Says: No Bonds

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:44:35 -0500

Despite numerous reports yesterday that the Yankees were in the process of negotiating a deal with Barry Bonds, GM Brian Cashman reiterated his position on the matter saying, " We have had no discussions regarding Barry Bonds." Check out MLBnewsonline.com where, this morning they are still standing by the story and citing an unnamed source inside the Yankee organization as their source.

Cashman Says: No Bonds

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:44:35 -0500

Trade for Ichiro? No thanks

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:51:29 -0500

The Yankees need offense and the Barry Bonds rumors are swirling, though they are likely base-less. New York did make one move Thursday, signing right-handed hitting first baseman Richie Sexson in hopes he can help them against left-handed pitching. That's a no-lose move for the Yankees, even though Sexson hit just .218 with the Seattle Mariners this [...]