Don't Let It Hit Ya Where The Good Lord Split Ya
In 1993, two days after setting a major league record for home runs by a catcher, Carlton Fisk was released by 
the White Sox. He never played another major league game again and for many years had an acrimonious relationship with the White Sox, specifically the Chairman.
The message sent was clear: We rode this horse until he crossed our pre-determined finish line (setting the record in front of cheering and excited butts in the seats) and we sent him out to pasture when there was no longer a reason to ride him.
Yesterday, the San Francisco Giants, a last place club that reaped the attendance rewards of Barry Bonds chase of Hank Aaron, announced that they will not offer Bonds a contract for 2008. Using the hackneyed old cliche "We need to go in a different direction (in this case, north) the Giants determined that the 43 year-old slugger and side show was no longer part of their plan.
It is interesting to note that the Giants are an aging team badly in need of rebuilding. When you rebuild a team, you generally get your backside handed to you for a couple of years before the players you have developed start to emerge. That's if you have any players you have developed. The big question with the Giants is how soon will it take them to return to playing competitive baseball and how long will fans, disguised as empty seats, frequent Pac Bell Park?
True, the Giants can turn the $15 million allocated to Bonds into one or two younger, better players. The Giants are 20 games out in the NL West with only two other teams in baseball having a worse record. So, you can;t really fault them if they want to go "lean and mean" for awhile. Still, Bonds is a draw if not a curiosity and you wonder if someone in major league baseball will give him the opportunity to continue his career.
There comes a time when every big time major league athlete has to walk away. Some do it at the right time (John Elway, Ted Williams) and some wait way too long (Willie Mays, Hank Aaron.) And even though he hasn't won a ring (and who is he kidding any way, his number one goal is to get 3,000 hits.) Maybe it's time for Barry, who is still under investigation for the BALCO scandal, to bow out gracefully (if he is capable of doing that.)
In addition to the baggage Bonds brings as a suspected cheater, there is also his prickly personality to deal with. Do you really want a clubhouse of young players around a mean old man who is constantly yelling at them to get off his lawn? What kind of example can an aging slugger, with nothing to live for but padding his own records be on younger players. And now that the chase is over and Bonds has over 760 career home runs*, is he still good box office?
If I were a National League team, I certainly would not shell out $10-$15 million for a guy that could only play three days a week and is a clear liability in the field. There may be some interest from the Padres, but most likely now, leaving Bonds to ponder a career in the American League.
Among the AL teams, where Bonds is best suited as a DH, only Texas, Tampa Bay and Kansas City are on the radar as teams that could use Bonds as a DH. Among those teams, Tampa Bay and Kansas City are nowhere near close to achieinvg Bonds dream of winning a ring and Texas has another aging slugger, Sammy Sosa currently employed as a DH with a younger player, the gynormis Jason Botts, a left handed hitter being groomed for that role. Oakland may have some interest, especially since Bonds is right across the bay, but the question is how low will he allow his asking price to go in order to fit into Billy Beane's Moneyball game?
Seattle is also rumored to be interested, but the situation there is highly unstable. Manager John McLahren, who took over for Mike Hargrove may not be back and the new manager will most likely have a say in whether the pursuit of Bonds is worth it. Here's a thought: If McLahren gets the ax and is replaced by Johnnie B. Baker, is it reasonable to assume that Baker will call on his old pal to come and help put the Mariners over the top? Or would the Mariners hire Baker to sweeten the pot to get Bonds to consider Seattle? Again, just wondering.
The best part about Bonds going to Seattle is even on a night when Bonds' creaky knees or bad feet won't allow him to make four attempts to add to his record, you can still show up at the ball park and be entertained by Ichiro.
In the final analysis, it might be better for Barry Bonds and for baseball if Bonds just limped away. Not that he doesn't have game left, it's just that maybe it's time he left the game.
Lightning Round
the White Sox. He never played another major league game again and for many years had an acrimonious relationship with the White Sox, specifically the Chairman.The message sent was clear: We rode this horse until he crossed our pre-determined finish line (setting the record in front of cheering and excited butts in the seats) and we sent him out to pasture when there was no longer a reason to ride him.
Yesterday, the San Francisco Giants, a last place club that reaped the attendance rewards of Barry Bonds chase of Hank Aaron, announced that they will not offer Bonds a contract for 2008. Using the hackneyed old cliche "We need to go in a different direction (in this case, north) the Giants determined that the 43 year-old slugger and side show was no longer part of their plan.
It is interesting to note that the Giants are an aging team badly in need of rebuilding. When you rebuild a team, you generally get your backside handed to you for a couple of years before the players you have developed start to emerge. That's if you have any players you have developed. The big question with the Giants is how soon will it take them to return to playing competitive baseball and how long will fans, disguised as empty seats, frequent Pac Bell Park?
True, the Giants can turn the $15 million allocated to Bonds into one or two younger, better players. The Giants are 20 games out in the NL West with only two other teams in baseball having a worse record. So, you can;t really fault them if they want to go "lean and mean" for awhile. Still, Bonds is a draw if not a curiosity and you wonder if someone in major league baseball will give him the opportunity to continue his career.
There comes a time when every big time major league athlete has to walk away. Some do it at the right time (John Elway, Ted Williams) and some wait way too long (Willie Mays, Hank Aaron.) And even though he hasn't won a ring (and who is he kidding any way, his number one goal is to get 3,000 hits.) Maybe it's time for Barry, who is still under investigation for the BALCO scandal, to bow out gracefully (if he is capable of doing that.)
In addition to the baggage Bonds brings as a suspected cheater, there is also his prickly personality to deal with. Do you really want a clubhouse of young players around a mean old man who is constantly yelling at them to get off his lawn? What kind of example can an aging slugger, with nothing to live for but padding his own records be on younger players. And now that the chase is over and Bonds has over 760 career home runs*, is he still good box office?
If I were a National League team, I certainly would not shell out $10-$15 million for a guy that could only play three days a week and is a clear liability in the field. There may be some interest from the Padres, but most likely now, leaving Bonds to ponder a career in the American League.
Among the AL teams, where Bonds is best suited as a DH, only Texas, Tampa Bay and Kansas City are on the radar as teams that could use Bonds as a DH. Among those teams, Tampa Bay and Kansas City are nowhere near close to achieinvg Bonds dream of winning a ring and Texas has another aging slugger, Sammy Sosa currently employed as a DH with a younger player, the gynormis Jason Botts, a left handed hitter being groomed for that role. Oakland may have some interest, especially since Bonds is right across the bay, but the question is how low will he allow his asking price to go in order to fit into Billy Beane's Moneyball game?
Seattle is also rumored to be interested, but the situation there is highly unstable. Manager John McLahren, who took over for Mike Hargrove may not be back and the new manager will most likely have a say in whether the pursuit of Bonds is worth it. Here's a thought: If McLahren gets the ax and is replaced by Johnnie B. Baker, is it reasonable to assume that Baker will call on his old pal to come and help put the Mariners over the top? Or would the Mariners hire Baker to sweeten the pot to get Bonds to consider Seattle? Again, just wondering.
The best part about Bonds going to Seattle is even on a night when Bonds' creaky knees or bad feet won't allow him to make four attempts to add to his record, you can still show up at the ball park and be entertained by Ichiro.
In the final analysis, it might be better for Barry Bonds and for baseball if Bonds just limped away. Not that he doesn't have game left, it's just that maybe it's time he left the game.
Lightning Round
- What a night for the Chicago White Sox. They crawled out of last place, got a solid pitching performance from their bullpen, hit three home runs and best of all, beat Johan Santana. Every once in awhile, this team shows you what might have been and what could be next year. And then they regress into losing 3-0 to the Royals. Consistancy Ozzie. Work on it.
- Cubs win. Brewers rally and win. The Cubs magic number is eight with a 1½ game lead and no Ben Sheets for the Brewers.
- We told you earlier that John McLahren may not return to Seattle. How much does the genius like coffee?
- The Cardinals honor Mike Shannon for being an average third baseman and murdering the English language for fifty years.
- Good for you, Jim O'Brien. You did get screwed and now you get piece of mind and perhaps career redemption.
- Tony Eury Junior can't wait to jump off a sinking boat onto a yacht.
- Hockey great Gordie Howe's asshat neighbors get ordered to leave him alone. There was a time where "Mr. Hockey" would have just walked next door, pulled his neighbor's sweater over his head and pummeled him.
- Some funny, funny stuff from our friends at Kissing Suzy Kolber.
- Perhaps the only ex-athlete as dumb as OJ is former Raider center Barrett Robbins.
- God responds to an Oklahoma state legislator. Sounds like someone is a Phil Vassar fan.
- Another opportunity for Hallmark.
- As we say in the radio business, good jocks borrow, great jocks steal.
- A man attacks his wife with an onion. No, it wasn't a rolled up newspaper.
- Hillary Clinton insults Darth Vader.
- That loud beeping sound you hear coming from Louisiana is the sound of Jesse Jackson backing up.
- Just a reminder that Santa Claus must be really good at what he does.
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