What, Nobody Can Use a 30 HR, .480 OBP Guy?

By Chris Mottram
Try, for a couple minutes, to put away all the hate in your heart for Barry Bonds and just consider how insane it is that the greatest home run hitter in the history of baseball can’t find work.
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And not because he can’t play anymore, it’s because teams are scared -- rightfully so -- of the excessive baggage that would come with signing him: Pending federal indictment for perjury and obstruction of justice, media s--- storm in your clubhouse every day, fans throwing syringes (and whatnot) at your players, answering “how much of a distraction is Barry?†questions everyday. (Ironically, I’m convinced that the only way a player/coach is ever a distraction to his team is when the media starts asking every single day about how much of a distraction they are.)
But please believe: Barry can still play.
Today, his agent said, “[Barry is] in game shape right now. He’s doing all the baseball drills he normally does as he works to get in shape for spring training. His legs are as solid as ever.” Obviously, this is to be taken with a grain of salt because his agent is, after all, doing his damnedest to get his client signed. But even if Barry is only a fraction of his former self -- as he was all of last season -- he is still a good-to-great player.
Last year, in 340 at-bats, Bonds hit 28 home runs. That’s a homer every 12.14 at-bats. Sure, it’s a far cry from the six-per-AB he was doing when he hit 73 bombs, but it’s still pretty amazing. In fact, it was almost on par with Prince Fielder (11.74 ABs-per-HR), who lead the N.L. in home runs last season.
Oh, and he had a .480 (!) OBP, which would have lead the league, had he had enough at-bats. Plus, he finished with a 1.045 OPS.
Considering all this, it’s impossible to believe this guy couldn’t dramatically help just about any A.L. team as a designated hitter. But, as a “baseball executive†told the Mercury News when asked about the prospects of a team signing Bonds: “I don’t hear any chatter, any rumors – anything.â€
Unlike Roger Clemens or Andy Pettitte or Jason Giambi or Brian Roberts (what do those guys have in common?) or countless other players, it seems like this guy may never get a second chance. I’m not saying Bonds deserves one, but the double-standard when it comes to him compared to the other players outed for PEDs is painfully obvious, and ultimately, extremely unfair.
Disclaimer: I’m not actually a Bonds fan, and really, I kinda find the guy to be a fairly horrible person.
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