Sadly, Bonds won't walk away
Posted: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 12:02 PM
Tonight ends a remarkable 15-year run for Barry Bonds in San Francisco as he plays his last home game as a Giant. There will be perfunctory weekend games at Dodger Stadium, but one of baseball’s great eras really ends this evening.
Here’s a great debate: Has there ever been a better free-agent signing than Barry Bonds in 1993?
Maybe only one: Barry Bonds in 2002.
We often dwell on the signings that fail. There should be credit given to those that flourish, both for team and player. And for most of the last 15 years, the Giants and Bonds have had baseball’s best win-win relationship.
Sadly, Bonds won’t retire. It is solely his call as long as at least one team offers him a contract for next season. But he has eliminated 16 of the 30 teams -- those representing the NL -- since he can’t play the field, a fact evident for several years, but not accepted by most around the Giants until this year.
His offensive numbers may appeal to some team in search of a DH. Although his high walk total this year is at least as much related to the powerless lineup around him than to his own reputation. Make no mistake, Bonds can still hit. Surrounded by potent hitters, he would walk less and still hit for some power. He would “jog” the bases and be the ultimate independent contractor, rarely interacting with teammates and staff.
The last point eliminates the Angels. Not only has owner Arte Moreno gone on the record about the unlikely event of one player ever consuming a substantial portion of his payroll, but he has also set the standard for a team of character. No vacancy signs would likely greet any approach by Bonds to the Angels.
As most have assumed, eliminate four other teams that are set at DH: the Yankees (Jason Giambi), Red Sox (David Ortiz), Indians (Travis Hafner), and White Sox (Jim Thome).
So there are two possibilities in my view: Oakland, if general manager Billy Beane isn’t convinced that Jack Cust is the team's new DH and A's ownership reaches for a way to severely sting their crossbay rivals, and Texas, where there is a need (Sammy Sosa was benched late this season) and a will (an owner in Tom Hicks with a fondness for big names and big contracts).
It would be so much neater if Bonds, now the all-time home run king, would just move on. But life is rarely simple and in sports we often see examples of athletes who just “can’t go home.” Bonds has no other interests besides baseball. He has grown up around ballparks and seems willing to be one of the greats who will be wheeled out when his retirement is announced.
