A day or so ago, a story floated around that Posada’s attempted rehab was a way to increase the Yanks leverage during trade discussions.  They didn’t want teams to think they were too desperate.

I think this story is along those same lines.

Pandora’s Box: Opened.

Cue slew of declarations of undying hatred.

ever dance with the devil in the pale moon light?   

i love it!

A day or so ago, a story floated around that Posada’s attempted rehab was a way to increase the Yanks leverage during trade discussions.  They didn’t want teams to think they were too desperate.

I think this story is along those same lines.

Or it could be the beginning of a PR campaign.

Or it could be this:

Reporter: What will you be talking about at the meetings?

Hank: No stone will be left unturned.

Reporter:  Are you going to mention Bonds at the meetings?

Hank:  I’ll mention it.  We’ll cover everything.

So, whatever.

At most, this is an indication that the owners have some lingering concerns about appearances and another collusion suit.  At most.  “Acknowledged that he’d mention” is pretty weak stuff.  Nothing to see here, folks.

I say we blame Luke, that bastard.

Nonsense, signing Bonds is a lock.  GO crazy NY!

Love the batman reference!

BP:

AL East W   L   Pct3 Avg W Avg L Champions Wild Card Playoffs
Red Sox 60   43   .611   94.7   67.3   51.23092   33.54982 84.78075
Rays   59   41   .592   93.9   68.1   42.14326   38.23196 80.37521
Yankees 56   45   .554   87.6   74.4   6.31399   15.64463 21.95863      

Movin’ on up..

You know what would help that number to continue to rise, right?

winning?

You know what would help that number to continue to rise, right?

Sweeping Boston?

Coolstandings.com has the Yanks as a 1 in 3 chance to make the playoffs right now.  Not too terrible.

Coolstandings.com has the Yanks as a 1 in 3 chance to make the playoffs right now.  Not too terrible.

it’s doubled in a week.

i guess 6 straight will do that.

Moving past two of the teams ahead of you will do it too.

It’s pretty badass how the gods gave the Yanks this post-ASB schedule. Teams in front of them: Oakland, Minnesota, Boston..one by one, they’ve been going down.

Also, if they sign Bonds, that’s AB away from either Damon or Giambi every day, which I’m sure many here are down with. Unless you go Bonds/Damon/Abreu in the OF, which I’m guessing would be historically bad.

Also, if they sign Bonds, that’s AB away from either Damon or Giambi every day, which I’m sure many here are down with. Unless you go Bonds/Damon/Abreu in the OF, which I’m guessing would be historically bad.

Damon LF
Giambi 1B
Bonds DH

No?  Though ideally, Bonds has to play some LF, so Damon or Giambi can get time as DH or rest in general/against certain lefty pitchers.

Yeah, I assumed that Bonds = Matsui.  Primary DH and some spot starts in LF. If anything, he takes ABs from Sexson, which I am definitely down with.

Yeah, I was assuming Bonds would play some LF to avoid locking up the DH spot for the rest of the year (like Matsui did). Though the way I worded that (the “every day” part) sounds pretty dumb.

OK, I know it looks like I copied SG, but I swear I didn’t.

Also, if they sign Bonds, that’s AB away from either Damon or Giambi every day

Moreover, with the extra OBP, maybe more PA and AB’s per game?

I don’t think there are any “on field” reasons not to take a flyer on Bonds.  It comes down to: 1. he’s the biggest jerk in the whole world or 2. collusion.

In which case, winning trumps 1.  And I don’t think the Yankees owe Selig or MLB any particular favors and should do whatever the hell to win games and the World Series.

The hyperbole with Bonds is fairly interesting.  “Biggest jerk in the whole word” ?  I’d bet he’s not even in the top 5% of humans.

Perhaps “Biggest Jerk in the World” with tons of media coverage excepting Uwe Boll?

I’m guessing that’s Mugabe

Barry Bonds is a bigger jerk than Hitler, Osama bin Laden and Hugo Chavez put together. 

Discuss.

I don’t think there are any “on field” reasons not to take a flyer on Bonds.

Here’s an on-field reason—everyone assumes he can sign a contract tomorrow and waltz into the starting lineup by Thursday.  Is that really realistic for a 43 year old?

Sabathia is starting to feel like Beltran…such a lock that it’s not going to happen.

“Is that really realistic for a 43 year old? “

One who hasn’t played in a year.

Here’s an on-field reason—everyone assumes he can sign a contract tomorrow and waltz into the starting lineup by Thursday.  Is that really realistic for a 43 year old?

So… he should be signed posthaste? 

That he might some ABs or some games before he can be a great hitter is a reason not to sign him?

The Yankees aren’t signing him to a multiyear contract.  It’s just to see if he can help.  If he can, great.  If not, even assuming that it takes more than the pro-rated minimum to sign him, NY Yankees = lots of money.

I think you could give him two weeks of minors and then put him in the line up, and he’d be a significant hitting upgrade over Betemit, Sexson, Gardner, Christian, or a broken Posado, which is really what you’re talking about.  It would probably be similar to getting Matsui back. 

The point is deathly moot.

I don’t think this move can affect the team at all.

“I don’t think this move can affect the team at all. “

Signing a new player to your team…doesn’t affect your team?

Owners may have to answer for Barry Bonds’ unemployment

“I’ll mention it,” Steinbrenner told Associated Press. “We’ll cover everything.”

This was almost certainly a polite answer. Bonds has not faced live pitching in 10 months, and the Yankees can afford to take on a big contract in order to trade for a big bat, or even a not-so-big bat.

However, since Steinbrenner brought it up, the players’ union undoubtedly will be interested to hear his explanation should the Yankees pass on Bonds.
[...]
The ultimate question is this: Could an arbitrator find it believable that all 30 clubs made an independent decision to pass on Bonds? So the ultimate evidence could be this: What explanations were provided to Borris as to why each club passed on Bonds, and were they all too similar?

Hank Steinbrenner might be providing an explanation, and perhaps another bit of evidence, very soon.

I meant a negative effect to the team.

However, since Steinbrenner brought it up, the players’ union undoubtedly will be interested to hear his explanation should the Yankees pass on Bonds.

Yes, because signing a 44-year old guy who hasn’t played baseball in 10 months is normally a no-brainer.

Yes, because signing a 44-year old guy who hasn’t played baseball in 10 months is normally a no-brainer.

... who will play for free? It’s not a no-brainer, but it’s probably closer than you think.

Yes, because signing a 44-year old guy who hasn’t played baseball in 10 months is normally a no-brainer.

At least an offer?  Or some kind of negotiation?  That probably is the no-brainer/collusion part.

Barry Bonds.

Here’s the offer I make to bonds:

(1) Pro-rated league minimum
(2) Not allowed to talk to the press regarding non baseball issues (not sure if this is legal)
(3) Not allowed to have more than 1 person with him the clubhouse (family members excluded)
(4) Minimum 10 days at SWB on a rehab/extended spring training stint
(5) No guarantee of playing time

.... and then the behind the scenes stuff:

(1) Expect to be cut if you don’t run everything out (Bonds rarely hustles)
(2) Expect to DH
(3) Expect to be dumped if you suck
(4) Expect to be cut if you decide to make this the “how many more home runs can Bonds hit?” show at the expense of getting on base/working pitch counts/driving in runs, etc.

And then when he agrees to that, I say “Just kidding!”

Honestly, part of me can’t believe the Yankees didn’t sign Bonds when Matsui first went down.  So here’s my theory:

The Yankees would have signed Bonds by now if it weren’t for the fact that they badly want A-Rod to beak the all-time HR mark.  Last year’s A-Rod contract tied much of the Yankees’ future plans around watching him chase, and break, the record. Now they’re thinking, we can’t make it harder for him.

What do you all think?  I’m not asking whether you think this is a god or bad approach; I’m asking whether you think this might be true (not that we’ll ever know).

Umm . .  good or bad approach, that is.

Barry Bonds is not the hero Gotham deserves, but he’s the one it needs right now.

I think it is the shitload of media storm that they are going to take. Conspiracy theories are fun to discuss, but I for one cannot see Yankees being part of any collusive deal after being the target of the rest of the ML in revenue sharing and luxury taxes.

Bonds can still probably hit, I wouldn’t put it past him given the way he came back after not playing at all in 2006. Sammy Sosa did not regress significantly after he came back from a year-long hiatus (granted, that was a low bar for him to begin with).

As far as he is a jerk or not, who really cares? I am not interacting with him in any meaningful way, neither will I ever do that. He will play ball, and probably fade into irrelevance.

I’m asking whether you think this might be true (not that we’ll ever know).

no, i don’t think so.  b/c that doesn’t explain the other 29 teams, MANY of which could use a FREE Barry Bonds. 

there has to be some sort of unspoken blackballing going on.  i would guess that Selig has made it clear, though not directly said, that no teams are to sign Mr. Bonds.

there is simply no other explanation.

You guys should check IPK’s line so far. Keep in mind that the game is supposed to go for just 7 inninigs as it is the second game of a doubleheader.

If someone needs the link, its
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/gameday/y2007/gd.html?2008_07_24_ricaaa_swbaaa_2

<strike>Barry Bonds</strike> There, fixed that.

Thanks, Don.

Pitching for Richmond Braves is Matt DeSalvo.

and…

Effin Chris Basak.

Wow, IPK’s teammates must really hate him.  4 errors?  Ouch.

Effin? Funny first name, is it Lebanese?

Crap, they’re letting the Attorney General walk.

Ukranian, I think.

The Brazilian version is clearly Yfin.

Oh, I see.  Now that I’m pro-Barry I’m not funny.

Woohoo, SWB wins! Too bad IPK didn’t get his no-hitter…or a win.

7/28/08. BONDS SIGNS WITH YANKS.
OLD THURM BOLTS, CANCELS DIRECT TV AND FINDS HIS LIBRARY CARD. BONDS HITS INTO TRIPLE PLAY TO END JOBAS 1 TO 0 LOSS TO WAKEFIELD IN ALCS GAME 4. JETER AND MO CRY ON FOX AND TBS.  OLD THURM FINDS OUT TWO DAYS LATER. HE NO LONGER CARES, LOGS IN TO RLYW AND POSTS THIS.- WHA HAPPEN? I’M IN IRELAND AND I ‘M STARTING TO LIKE NOT WATCHING BASEBALL ANY LONGER.
WIFE APPROVES AND BUYS HIM NEW LEX. THEY SPEND MORE TIME TOGETHER AND JETS WIN SUPERBOWL. 5/09 BONDS GOES TO FEDERAL PRISON IN ALLENWOOD PA. LIFE IS GOOD.
ON THE INTERNET OLD THURM LEARNS ABOUT CLEMENS PULLING AN ELVIS AND SHAKES HIS HEAD. ALWAYS HATED THAT FUCKKIN GUY. WISH HE’D DONE IT SOONER.
ONCE AGAIN VIA INTERNET
OLD THURM WATCHES BONDS GET DAHMERED IN THE GALLEY AT ALLENWOOD AND SMILES FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE YANKEES SWEPT BOSTON ON JULY 27th 2008.
LIFE IS GOOD.
FUCK BONDS. FUCK CLEMENS. I WELCOME THEM BOTH. TO HELL

You got into that Laphroiag, didn’t you, OTF.

“ABOUT CLEMENS PULLING AN ELVIS AND SHAKES HIS HEAD. ALWAYS HATED THAT FUCKKIN GUY. “

He’s going to fake his death?

Anyone see that they apparently made a piss test for HGH?

No YM. Just 2 ales. I’m pissed about working til 9. Sometimes life blows.

Wow. Jets Win Superbowl? They must have been extraordinary ales. I’m certainly high.

OLD THURM BOLTS, CANCELS DIRECT TV AND FINDS HIS LIBRARY CARD.

If I’m still willing to give my money to the complicit billionaires (and clearly I am) I don’t how it makes sense to get my dander up over the guilty millionaires.

Just paid off my outstanding fine and took out Thomas Pynchon’s latest 1100 page monstrosity yesterday. Still have no clue how they expect me to read the damn thing in three weeks. For some books, they shouldn’t even bother stamping a date, they should just say, “Let us know when you’re ready to give up.”

Anyone see that they apparently made a piss test for HGH?

Well, sure, if you think that a couple of paragraphs in USA Today means that they’ve actually got a workable test.  There’s still a very long way to go with this.  The cool part, though, is that these folks are apparently in it for the right reason—they want to soak MLB, NFL, WADA, etc for all they can and pump the cash into their cancer research.  So who knows?  Maybe some good will come from all this PED hysteria after all.

Thomas Pynchon’s latest 1100 page monstrosity yesterday

Wait, Salinger’s still writing? 

Just paid off my outstanding fine and took out Thomas Pynchon’s latest 1100 page monstrosity yesterday. Still have no clue how they expect me to read the damn thing in three weeks. For some books, they shouldn’t even bother stamping a date, they should just say, “Let us know when you’re ready to give up.”

No kidding it took me 6 months to get through Gravity’s Rainbow and I greatly enjoyed reading it. Granted, I stopped reading it very much during the academic semester, but still. I regularly devour books in a week, sometimes even a single day.

I keep wanting to pick up another Pynchon novel but just never do. I think my mind is still recovering from Rainbow.

Also, if your fine was for another Pynchon novel or similar literature, I don’t think you should have to pay it. There can’t be that many people who keep going to the library and leave cursing that the 1000+ page book they are looking for hasn’t been returned.

I think my mind is still recovering from Rainbow.

My mind has been recovering from Rainbow since 1977.

He’s taking at bats away from Brett Gardner for the most part, I can’t see how any logical human being can be down with that.

Yes, because signing a 44-year old guy who hasn’t played baseball in 10 months is normally a no-brainer.

If said 44 year old happened to OBP over .430 and OPS over 1.000 and just happens to be undoubtablly the best batter of all time? yes.

So…how much longer do the Yankees carry on with this Ian Kennedy in the minors business…

Until Snacks spits the bit in one of his starts.

So…how much longer do the Yankees carry on with this Ian Kennedy in the minors business…

It would probably take a few bad starts from either Rasner or Ponson. I’d rather them give one of those guys the hook before it’s too late, but that probably won’t happen.

I have to say I don’t really see the point anymore.

The one William Gaddis book I read was difficult at first but turned out to be very enjoyable.

“just happens to be undoubtablly the best batter of all time? yes. “

Ted Williams: 1st in OBP, 2nd in SLG, 2nd in OPS+
Babe Ruth: 2nd in OBP, 1st in SLG, 1st in OPS+
Lou Gehrig: 5th in OBP, 3rd in SLG, 4th in OPS+
Barry Bonds: 6th in OBP, 6th in SLG, 3rd in OPS+

*All stats career.

So…no, not “undoubtablly.”

Also, can you imagine having to face Ruth and Gehrig back-to-back? I’d definitely start crying.

Offensive win%: 1. Ruth 2. Williams 3. Bonds

Yankz, you are making th ebest case to sign him there is.

Haha. Unintentionally I suppose, but yeah. There’s no denying he’s been a top 5 (and probably top 3) hitter.

what’s pavano doing here

I expect these posts will be missed ue to new thread , but what the hell…

Williams, Ruth, Gehrig didn’t face black players.  Williams a little but not until later in his career.

Relative to contempory players then yes, Ruth and Williams were better (slightly). but is there any doubt that the skill level have rose over the last half cenutry?

Not to meantion that OPS+ alone doesn’t do Bonds just, since he’s the best runner of the 3 (by a few miles, he has more than triple the amount of SBs then Ruth and Williams combined and amazingly have less CS then those two combined since Ruth got caught a ton), he’s the best fielder (in his younger days that is, not now), he’s also the most lasting (though that’s not exactly fair since Ruth started as a pitcher and Williams missed time to war.)

Sure, Barry’s indicted.  But you could also indict players like Josh Hamilton-he openly admits breaking the law.  Why is it okay for the Rangers to employ him?  Why is breaking this law (perjury) so bad in Baseball’s eyes, but breaking other laws is not?  Like laws against drunk driving and beating your wife?

Is it that Barry is covering for having “enhanced his performance”?  If so, why do we cheer for Andy Pettitte?  Aren’t his previous performances tainted even if he no longer uses those substances?  Isn’t he as a player and person tainted?  Why should we accept whatever excuses Pettitte gives but not accept what Bonds says about his behavior?

Is it because Pettitte and Giambi are nice guys and Barry is not?  Sheffield wasn’t a nice guy.  He admitted using steroids.  You don’t hear a lot of outrage about him.

So is it the record?  The home runs?  Maybe it is.  And maybe it’s not fair that Barry Bonds broke Hank Aaron’s home run record while, we’re told, he was using steroids.  And I hope that someone else owns that record soon, and that it’s A-Rod, and that A-Rod doesn’t also turn out to have been a steroid abuser.

But really.  Aren’t we all smart enough here to know that unless Bonds was taking some kind of magic powder, he is also a supremely gifted baseball player?  That the fact that he’s a dick shouldn’t blind us to that?  That steroids don’t give you a batting eye?

Seriously.  Like Barry or don’t like him.  Love him perhaps, but don’t hate him.

Save the hate fr the guys who really corrupted the game—like Pete Rose.

Eh, sorry for the typos.

Show us all the outstanding *black* pitchers. I thought so, so shut up.

And isn’t it nice to allow the ultra-steroid/Hgh freak Bonds as a top five. What a joke. That is why so many don’t want the cheater in a Yankees uniform, amongst other reasons.

Sell your soul, not mine. Ask Daniel Webster about that.

Babe Ruth was an outstanding OF, a great RF in his younger days. Even played a little CF.

By the same logic we should cut Andy Pettitte and Jason Giambi immediately. that’s the only way such holier than thou moralist logic holds any sort of ground.

Rays lose - three back in the loss column.

That was good.

Show us all the outstanding *black* pitchers. I thought so, so shut up.

Irrelevant. If there are great black everyday players it makes it more difficult to separate yourself from your comparison group when looking at these numbers that judge you against the performance of your contemporaries.

Sheffield wasn’t a nice guy.  He admitted using steroids. 

I agree with you mostly, but thought this was funny.  It’s too early for me to go look up, but I didn’t think Sheffield admitted steroid use, because “steroids were something you shot in your butt.  Period.”

Also, Perjury is a whole different animal.  Its a fundamental tenet of the American Justice system that you don’t lie under oath.  Otherwise nothing works, which is why the penalty for doing so is very high.  Since he is facing 20+ counts of federal perjury I can completely understand the reasons for not signing him.
Perjury means the system is down, doing drugs doesn’t.

Also, if you haven’t seen the Milb fight you should check it out.  One of the oppossing pitchers comes running out of the dugout and tries to throw a fastball into the oppossing dugout, it goes high and sends a fan to the hospital.  The video is on ESPN’s front page at the bottom.
Tragic stuff.  You gotta think that in light of Delmon Youngs 50 game suspension for hitting the ump with the flipped bat that 50 will be the floor for this kid.

“Show us all the outstanding *black* pitchers. I thought so, so shut up.”

Wow.  What Fabian said.  Plus, there have been good black (and latino - also people the Babe didn’t have to face) pitchers.  Are you drunk?\

“And isn’t it nice to allow the ultra-steroid/Hgh freak Bonds as a top five. What a joke. That is why so many don’t want the cheater in a Yankees uniform”

Bullshit.  BULLSHIT.  Yankees fans are fine with having the two known cheaters currently in Yankee pinstripes (I say known b/c there are undoubtably some unknowns too).  The organization doesn’t have a leg to stand on morally - this is the team that agreed to remove the “thou shalt not do steroids” language from Giambi’s contract.  They knew.  They knew full well.  All the teams knew.  And the fans lapped it up and are STILL lapping it up.  The day you threaten to stop rooting for the Yanks unless they immediately cut Giambi and Pettitte is the day I will have a SHRED of respect for your argument. 

This is all about Bonds being the scapegoat for all the cheating b/c he broke the record.

Look, clearly the level of play rose since Ruth, Gehrig, et al.
They also played in an era where the spitter was legal and then even when not was still not discouraged.  This is why context matters and trying to diminish accomplishments of a player based on era is a fool’s errand.

This argument will hold no water, but the BIG difference to the casual fan is that Barry Bonds is STILL thumbing his nose at everyone.

At the very least, Pettite and Giambi pretended to apologize and sounded at least half-sincere about it. I don’t think most Americans want our heroes to be perfect, but we want them to at least pretend to admit when they’re wrong. Barry has done nothing even remotely resembling apologizing or admitting fault. Nothing.

I’m not saying this warrants the treatment he’s received, but I think the way Clemens has become villified(rightly so) shows the merit of this argument. Same with Raffy. People who flaunt the system will always engender society’s malice.

I’ll concede that, Jim.  The pretend apologies from Giambi and Pettitte worked.  I have nothing but scorn for said “apologies,” but I’m an ornery bastard at times…

Show us all the outstanding *black* pitchers. I thought so, so shut up.

This is one of the silliest comments ever.  What about the outstanding *Latin American* pitchers who were not part of pre-integration baseball?

Also, Bob Gibson?

Dwight Gooden, Ferguson Jenkins, Don Newcombe, Vida Blue, C.C. Sabathia?

Look, I don’t particularly want Bonds.  Part of it is the off-field stuff.  I wan’t particularly enamored with getting Randy Johnson either, partly for the off-field stuff, and I don’t recall any rumors about him “cheating”.  I just *prefer* to have people on the team that you want to root for.

That being said, I do have legitimate baseball concerns.  He IS 43 years old, and he DOES have a recent injury history.  Players at that age can fall off a cliff in terms of performance.  Hank Aaron at 39 was still one of the top offensive forces in baseball.  At 40 he was still good.  At 41 his slugging was .355.  So yes, Bonds was really, really good last year, and we can *project* him to do good this year.  But it isn’t quite the slam-dunk some are making it out to be.