Biggest piss-job on Bonds to date

Bonds an average defender?
Yeah, now, with bubblegum knees.
I know left field is not as "demanding" as center, but Bonds played left as well as anyone ever has. Average. Ho, ho, ho.
Bonds' "negligible" power generated 425 home runs between 1986 and 1999 (and that's with 2-plus months lost in 94 because of the strike). Hank Aaron's "negligible power" produce 481 homers in his first 14 seasons.

 

That's right because there are TONS of 500/500 guys with multiple MVP awards to compare him to.

 

Game. Set. Match.

 

Meh.

In the world of levitra, ritalin, and other performance-enhancing drugs, it's hard to get so upset about it. I would say, get everyone a prescription monitored by doctors and let them have at each other. Until they outlaw cortisone, Red Bull, Tommy John and LASIK, there's nothing natural about the law-abiding portion of MLB rosters either.

 

People love to talk about the big head and the change in Bonds' body, but look at what the guy was doing when he was still skinny, which includes his entire time in Pittsburgh and when he first went to San Francisco. Look at what he did from 1990-93 when he won three MVP awards and finished second once. His worst season in that run, 1991, he batted .292 with 25 home runs, 116 RBI, a .410 on-base percentage, 95 runs scored and 43 stolen bases. (That is three more homers, 30 more RBI and 33 more steals than "MVP" Terry Pendleton).

And this wasn't racking up numbers on bad teams like Alex Rodriguez did during his MVP season in Texas. That was done leading the Pirates to three consecutive NL East championships (back when each league had only two divisions) and then playing for the '93 Giants, who finished second in the NL West. Yes, he sucked in the playoffs for most of his career, but the way he loaded a very mediocre Pirates team to within one disastrous inning of playing in the 1992 World Series was pretty damn impressive.

I do believe Barry Bonds used steroids and other illegal performance enhancers and that is the reason for his power boost in the late '90s and early this decade. But he was well on his way to being one of the top two or three players of this generation before all that.

Somebody mentioned Babe Ruth in the debate above, but we were talking about his place among his contemporaries, not all time. Somebody else, Hammer Pants I think, brought up pitchers. There is no pitcher I would put on Bonds' level overall as a player over the last 20 years or so except maybe Clemens, and the Rocket's late-career surge is every bit as suspicious as what has gone on with Bonds.

 

It's a good column, but it's impossible to take seriously in light of all the slobber jobs Reilly has done over the equally dirty Lance Armstrong.

 

Bonds has not have a single defensive MOMENT playing left field that remotely approaches what Ken Griffey, Jr. has done in center. As PLAYERS, they aren't even close.

 

Roberto Clemente's spirit would like to get in this convo as well.

 

He died before I entered the world, but I would never object to Mr. Clemente entering the discussion or Roger Clemens or Nolan Ryan [/fangirl].

 

Rick Reilly is a know-it-all asshole. He makes Bonds seem humble. He hasn't got a clue about half of the time. He thinks Game of Shadows is the bible. He reminds me of Mike Lupica. Another jerk who thinks he knows more than he really does.