Here comes Barry!

[DHonks]

Don't forget, even Bonds' SF teammates barely tolerated him. He didn't make any friends in the game. Hard to introduce a 42-year old injury-plagued clubhouse cancer to a new team.

[SRB]

He was a steroider and none of the owners wanted that stigma surrounding their franchise.

 

Cant blame them.

 

If they try this defense it will sound pretty nonsensically. As businesses, team could not care less about steroids (much less the alleged "PR nightmare" Bonds would bring, whatever that means). I doubt there is a shred of evidence that steroid-users negatively affect ticket sales, actually it's probably the opposite. Especially with a guy where every HR he hits is setting a new all-time record.

 

Bonds was still one of the best players in the game and he undoubtedly would have boosted revenues wherever he went, no matter how hard baseball writers cried about it. I'll be fascinated to see MLB's defense in court.

[AdvantageSchneider]

Even if he wins aren't the damages limited to 3 X times the minimum salary? Is that what he's really fishing after. He can't say he would have played for the minimum and then ask for more than that in damages can he? That doesn't make sense.

 

He was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice in November of 2007. Hard to imagine someone wanted to sign a guy currently being tried for felonies. That didn't get resolved until 2011. That alone would seem to be enough to not want to sign a guy.

[MrTPlush]

Even if he wins aren't the damages limited to 3 X times the minimum salary? Is that what he's really fishing after. He can't say he would have played for the minimum and then ask for more than that in damages can he? That doesn't make sense.

 

He was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice in November of 2007. Hard to imagine someone wanted to sign a guy currently being tried for felonies. That didn't get resolved until 2011. That alone would seem to be enough to not want to sign a guy.

 

Well most importantly I think he just wants to stick it to MLB. And as far as asking for more than what he was asking for I think he could. He could argue he would never have asked for just league minimum if teams were actually able to go after him.

 

It's really just a big mess...money probably not important to him.

[igor67]

Businesses do not have to slavishly follow the cult of profit at all costs [The history of Bell labs is an excellent example of a corporation whose executives spent a lot of time about maintaining a public good, and as a result gave away royalty free more technology than all of Silicon Valley's net worth namely the computer chip and telecommunications satellites], this is a relatively new conception of the various stakeholders a business has, so trying to maintain a general sense of public goodwill is not a flimsy defense. Arte Moreno just did a nice demonstration of the lengths an owner might go to.

[RobertR]

Just for the record, that same off-season Texas signed Sammy Sosa to DH for them. Coming off a .671 OPS.

 

He was four years younger as well. The difference between 38 and 42 is no small matter in professional sports.

Can't imagine they would even attempt to use the productivity card when Bonds lawyer would just show the prior year stats.

 

A player whose productivity the previous 7 years was enhanced by PEDs would probably be wise not use those numbers to show he can still be productive and stay healthy at age 42 without them.

 

Is there evidence that Bonds was on PEDs the prior year? As far as I know, the muscles just don't disappear. Especially if you're not just an unathletic pile of muscles.

 

Bonds at 42 was much, much more talented that Sammy Sosa and a whole host of aging DHs. Yeah, he was 42, but was one of the top 10 hitters in baseball the prior year. I'll take that talent over an already collapsed Sammy Sosa and a rapidly fading Matt Stairs, Frank Thomas, and Mike Piazza. Heck, 47 year old Julio Franco got a job that year.

 

The upside of Barry Bonds is far and away better than any of those players. If nothing else, Bonds had proven that he still had quite the eye at the plate. It would be one thing if he was looking for a 3-year deal or something, but as a one year flier, the potential upside is hard to argue with. Heck, a deal structured around performance bonuses, like ABs, would be a fair way to protect a team.

 

Anybody have Bonds's PECOTA or ZIPs projection for that year? That's a reasonable argument for what you could expect from him.

 

The defense is about the off the field stuff. Bonds, even with the risk of collapse, had far too much upside to argue he wasn't qualified for a job in MLB.

[pacopete4]

Personally I cannot stand Barry Bonds. At the time, was happy to see him get black balled. But now, as they have made these men out to be villains of the game of baseball, I hope he wins, sues, and makes millions from the MLB and shoves it down their throats. Selig and the rest of his crew were the problem.

[logan82]

I don't think it was collusion, but I remember him being extremely unpopular around that time. I can definitely see teams not wanting to bring in a guy with his reputation.

[torts]

He was a steroider and none of the owners wanted that stigma surrounding their franchise.

 

Cant blame them.

 

sand, meet head.

 

He was a 42 year old notorious jerk, who was tied up in the Balco federal investigation.

 

Excuse me for noting that as an owner I wouldn't want that personality in my clubhouse. Heck look at the stink people on this board made about Papelbon last winter. Bonds makes Papelbon look like an angel.

 

Not to mention I wouldnt want FBI agents snooping around the franchise.

 

That collusion lawsuit is ripe for a 12(b)(6) motion, it deserves to go the way of the lawsuit Ryan Braun's old friend filed accusing Braun of fraud.

 

so was jason giambi, (the Balco case, not the jerk) and he played on until 2014.

 

and if Federal investigations are a reason to not hire someone as a baseball player, well the whole Biogenesis thing didnt seem to hurt anyones career, so I cant imagine that Balco, which only affected TWO MLB players, was THAT much to worry about FBI snooping.

[SRB]

Businesses do not have to slavishly follow the cult of profit at all costs [The history of Bell labs is an excellent example of a corporation whose executives spent a lot of time about maintaining a public good, and as a result gave away royalty free more technology than all of Silicon Valley's net worth namely the computer chip and telecommunications satellites], this is a relatively new conception of the various stakeholders a business has, so trying to maintain a general sense of public goodwill is not a flimsy defense. Arte Moreno just did a nice demonstration of the lengths an owner might go to.

 

Is that why teams routinely sign dirtbags like Francisco Rodriguez and far worse individuals? K-Rod is a far worse person than Barry Bonds, it's not even close.

 

I also think it needs to be emphasized that he (allegedly) offered to play for the league minimum. If that's true then collusion is obvious. You would have to be a Nazi war criminal for teams' fear of the "distraction" you would bring to outweigh the obvious benefit of having one of the best sluggers in the game for the league minimum.

[logan82]

I won't argue K-Rod is less of a dirtbag. The opposite actually. That is way less well known than Bonds lesser infractions. Bonds had, and still has, a very bad reputation around the league. He was absolutely hated. Like A-Rod now but a factor of 10. The guy was absolutely remorseless about doing anything. I can easily see why nobody wanted him.

 

 

Edit: Bonds was the poster child for all that was bad about steroids in baseball. I don't think there was collusion.

[AdvantageSchneider]

Businesses do not have to slavishly follow the cult of profit at all costs [The history of Bell labs is an excellent example of a corporation whose executives spent a lot of time about maintaining a public good, and as a result gave away royalty free more technology than all of Silicon Valley's net worth namely the computer chip and telecommunications satellites], this is a relatively new conception of the various stakeholders a business has, so trying to maintain a general sense of public goodwill is not a flimsy defense. Arte Moreno just did a nice demonstration of the lengths an owner might go to.

 

Is that why teams routinely sign dirtbags like Francisco Rodriguez and far worse individuals? K-Rod is a far worse person than Barry Bonds, it's not even close.

 

I also think it needs to be emphasized that he (allegedly) offered to play for the league minimum. If that's true then collusion is obvious. You would have to be a Nazi war criminal for teams' fear of the "distraction" you would bring to outweigh the obvious benefit of having one of the best sluggers in the game for the league minimum.

 

Saying he would play for the league minimum and him being happy playing for the league minimum are two different things.

 

If anyone thinks he would have been happy playing for the league minium please contact me. I've got a great deal on the Hoan bridge for you.

[3and2Fastball]

No matter what you think of Bonds, a .480 OBP is absolutely incredible at any age, let alone 42 years old!!!!

[foamboy1]

Don't forget, even Bonds' SF teammates barely tolerated him. He didn't make any friends in the game. Hard to introduce a 42-year old injury-plagued clubhouse cancer to a new team.

 

Jeff Kent was supposedly an insane jerk as well. Can you imagine that clubhouse? I know Kent left in the early 2000's, but still.