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Junk Bonds Barry showed his true colors by disrespecting the BambinoPosted: Wednesday July 23, 2003 12:52 PMUpdated: Thursday July 24, 2003 1:41 PM
Click here to send a question to Tom Verducci's Mailbag. Every time you want to like Barry Bonds, he opens his mouth and gives you another reason that makes it hard to. His ramblings at the All-Star Game provided more evidence of his inability to generate any goodwill for himself or his sport. There was his ode to the Negro League Museum in Kansas City, Mo. in which he alluded to "segregation" in baseball because that institution is separate from the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. -- the same Negro League Museum Bonds blew off a couple of years ago when he ignored their invitation to be presented with one of their Legacy Awards. And then there was his promise to "wipe out" Babe Ruth from the record book and baseball history. Hank Aaron can have his home run record and Willie Mays' 660 home runs give him pause, Bonds said, but Ruth? Bonds figuratively spit on his grave, ignorant of the unparalleled contributions Ruth made to the game. Until Bonds is a two-time 20-game winner and a career .342 hitter and feels any inkling of responsibility to the game beyond increasing his own worth, he should worship Babe Ruth for helping to make baseball both the sport and the national treasure that has allowed him to become so enriched. There are reasons Bonds was booed at the All-Star Game. There are reasons major league players, in a July 7, 2003 Sports Illustrated survey, voted Bonds as the best player in the game, but declared that they would rather play with Alex Rodriguez. There are reasons companies don't want to be associated with Bonds as they do Rodriguez, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and, back in the day, yes, Babe Ruth. Those reasons come straight from Bonds himself. Barry Bonds believes that he is a better player than Babe Ruth? Puh-leaze. It's obvious who the better player is. In 22 seasons, Ruth played in 2,503 games, had a career batting average of .342, hit 714 career homers, drove in 2,213 runs, scored 2,174 runs, and walked 2,056 times. Those are truly mythic numbers. Bonds is in his 18th season. As of Monday, he's played in 2,522 games, has a career batting average of .296, hit 644 home runs, totalled 1,716 RBIs, 1,903 runs and 2,009 walks. The Bambino was also one of the best pitchers of his era, recording 94 wins, 46 losses, and a 2.28 ERA. Bonds has never pitched. Ruth won three World Championships with the Red Sox and four with the Yankees. Bonds has never won a World Championship. In 1920, Babe hit 54 HRs, four more than the total of any other major league team that year. Bonds has never done that, has he? Ruth also revitalized baseball and drew millions of fans to the sport after the 1919 World Series scandal. He played in the Dead Ball Era, as opposed to Bonds, who is playing in a very Live Ball Era. Bonds will never be better than Ruth. Ever. After looking at these facts, would anyone who is not named Bonds disagree? I hope not.
I could not have said it any better. I know they still have plenty of years left, but what do you think of the Hall of Fame chances for the following players: Gary Sheffield, Edgar Martinez and Juan Gonzalez?
Tough calls, all of them. I can't say any of the three is a lock right now, so their candidacies are still in doubt. Sheffield has a good chance if he gets to 500 home runs, which means he would need to have a few more years like the one he's currently having. Martinez is a borderline candidate. He's hurt by being a DH and by starting his big-league career at a later age than most players, which, combined with injuries, have held down his overall career numbers. Gonzalez should get to 500 home runs, which has been a magic number for enshrinement. Do you see similarities in the careers of Don Mattingly, Ken Griffey Jr. and Frank Thomas? All three had brilliant starts, but then limped along as mediocre players for the second half of their careers. Donnie Baseball probably won't end up in Cooperstown. Do you think Thomas and Griffey might not end up there, either?
There are similarities among the three, but Griffey and Thomas had more "Hall of Fame" seasons than Mattingly before they got hurt. I still think Griffey and Thomas have a real good shot at Cooperstown. Mattingly never did recover his power or that great torque in his swing. There's no reason Thomas and Griffey should be diminished like that. They can come back with big seasons. With the Mets rebuilding, one has to wonder what Tom Glavine could have been thinking last November when he chose them over Atlanta. Why would any player on a perennial winner like the Braves choose a team that even in the winter was clearly on the decline? He even turned down the Phillies, who had a better chance at catching Atlanta than New York. Did Glavine take one for the union by going for the most money in order to set the bar for others, or did he just value every last dollar over winning? As I recall, the Mets offer wasn't much more than Atlanta's. Do you see the Mets moving Glavine before the end of his three-year deal?
I think Glavine really misunderstood the Mets' system and how poorly the team was constructed. I also think he saw New York as a vehicle to enhance his Hall of Fame candidacy and his post-playing career opportunities, such as broadcasting. I thought it rang hollow when Glavine indicated that he was more comfortable around the older Mets team than the younger Phillies team -- New York's age was one of the problems with the club. Hanging around with Al Leiter and John Franco is more important than playing for a better team? Come on. I also think Glavine was insulted by the way the Braves and team president Stan Kasten treated negotiations, and emotions became a part of his decision. Throw in his problems with QuesTec this season and Glavine has had a really rough year. I don't think the Mets will trade him, but I do think they should explore that possibility in the offseason. New York would seem to be in a transition period, but it has way too much money tied up in aging players: Cliff Floyd, Mike Piazza, David Weathers, Leiter, Glavine, Roger Cedeno, etc. I'd also look to trade Piazza to an AL team. The Mets need to do what Toronto did: stop throwing money around trying to chase the Yankees and break the club down in order to build it up again. To what do you attribute Livan Hernandez's rejuvenation in Montreal? Isn't it ironic that Giants GM Brian Sabean would love a starter like Hernandez after dumping him in the spring and trading All-Star Russ Ortiz for Damian Moss in a money move? Also, when will the Giants admit Edgardo Alfonzo is a big bust?
It's hard to tell why Livan's been better, because you figure he had a better pitcher's park in Pac Bell. I don't think the Giants regret trading him much because they had to move salary and they're in first place, anyway. As for Alfonzo, I always thought he was overrated -- a good, but not great, player -- with a bad baseball body. The Giants don't miss often on long-term contracts. So far that deal looks like a whiff, but, to be fair, you have to give Alfonzo more than four months. Do you think the reason the Orioles are dragging their heels on re-signing manager Mike Hargrove is that they're holding out hope of luring Frank Robinson back after the season is done? I think the O's have turned the corner, but it would be nice to have Frank back where he belongs -- in Baltimore.
If you think the Orioles have turned the corner, why dump Hargrove? I think he's earned another contract in Baltimore. Besides, I don't see why Robinson would not come back to the Expos next year. He seems invigorated by the job and has told people he doesn't mind the San Juan-Montreal split home schedule. In recent years Oakland has gone on a roll in the second half. Do you see that happening this season? Even with the A's solid pitching, I'm worried that they don't have the offense to pull off a great run.
Oakland has made great second half runs in part because GM Billy Beane has been able to engineer important deals (Jermaine Dye, Johnny Damon, Jason Isringhausen, etc.). I still think the A's will do something before the deadline to add another bat. I agree with you that their offense is a bit short right now. Great column on the Astros. However, I have to disagree with the take that Houston doesn't need to add anyone. I still think it needs one more starter. Come playoff time, it will be hard to rely on a rookie like Jeroime Robertson. With the Astros bullpen so strong, all they need is a veteran to give them six innings on a regular basis. Would you add one if you were Gerry Hunsicker? Also, do you think Robertson has a bright future in the league?
I like Robertson as a solid No. 3 or 4 starter. I agree that he may be a question come playoff time because of his lack of experience and increased workload this season, but I don't see anybody out there who is measurably better and would not cost Houston a ton of money. If the Yankees win the World Series this season, don't you think it would be somewhat tainted considering their payroll is $63 MILLION more than any other team's?
Not at all. Money gives you a better chance of winning, but it guarantees nothing. This game is so great that Blue Jays rookie Mark Hendrickson can go out there on a given night and shut out the most expensive team in baseball (as he did on Monday). Nothing is given in this sport. Championships have to be earned. And remember, all the other teams agreed to this system -- the more money the Yankees spend, the more money the clubs share. New York is doing nothing outside the rules. I guess people would be happier if George Steinbrenner took his millions and put it in his pocket rather than reinvesting it in his team. Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci covers baseball for the magazine and is a regular contributor to SI.com. Click here to send a question to his Mailbag.
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