Bruce Jenkins, obviously jealous of Alan Schwarz, thinks Sabean is back on track:
In a week of bitterness and frustration for teams unable to sign their high draft picks – or deal with agent Scott Boras without trying to strangle him – the Giants, after signing an exceptional high school pitcher in Tim Alderson last month, signed another, Madison Bumgarner, along with hard-hitting outfield prospect Wendell Fairley.
Sabean’s only significant deal of the summer, sending Matt Morris to the Pirates, could be a major heist. Aside from the minor miracle of Pittsburgh assuming the entirety of Morris’ contract, Rajai Davis has proven beyond a doubt that he can run, bunt, create excitement and play a spectacular center field.
Um, well, Sabean is the man who gave that albatross contract to Morris, there, Bruce. And Rajai Davis needs to do this well for more than, say, two weeks, before we get to the “proven beyond a shadow of a doubt” part of our analysis, don’t you think? Oh, and let’s not forget that Sabean continues to focus on high school pitchers, who, a), he won’t be around to ever see pitch in a major league uniform, and b) are about as likely to pan out as a 200-1 longshot at the racetrack. To suggest that signing your draft picks is some reason for celebration tells you everything you need to know about how far Sabean’s fallen.
Again, we are treated to an opinion that is filled with nothing more than hot air, no more than another hand-job designed to take the pressure off of a man who is failing at his job, and has been for going on four years.
Read the whole piece, Jenkins even goes further, trotting out the old standby, that Barry Bonds is bad for the team:
It seems the Giants have finally realized that Bonds, despite his gaudy offensive numbers, offers little help on the field. The Giants have lost 12 of the last 15 games in which he’s homered, and his defense is a source of major irritation in the clubhouse. Neither Bonds nor manager Bruce Bochy would admit it, but Bonds was benched for his outright laziness on a fly ball that landed in left-center field for a double in Atlanta on Tuesday night. Even announcer Mike Krukow noted Bonds’ indifference in the outfield – saying on KNBR Wednesday morning that it’s been a problem “all summer long” – and Krukow made a good point: Because the Giants actually need two regulars in left field, to cover for Bonds’ time on the bench, it deprives Bochy of having an extra pitcher on the roster.
Yeah, that fucking Bonds, all he does is lead the league in OBP, slugging and OPS, who the hell needs a guy like that? Let’s have our 12th best pitcher on the bench in case we need him once a week.
And Jenkins gets a hall of fame vote?
12 Backtalkers
I assume that Bruce Jenkins has a macro on his computer marked “Bonds bash,” that he hits whenever he needs to fill up article space. Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but jeesh, Bruce, I think we understood your opinion on this issue the first 100 times you wrote it up…
But the question of whether to re-sign Bonds for 2008 is interesting. While I discount many of Jenkins’ arguments (consider the source), it IS true that for many years Bonds has failed to run out ground balls and pop-ups, that his presence probably creates distractions that cause problems for his teammates, and that next year he’d be a 44-year-old, part-time, player. If the Giants can sign Bonds for a reasonable salary I personally hope they do it, but I will also understand if they don’t…
Yes Bonds is still great at the plate and is fun to watch etc, but I don’t see how anyone can really blame the Giants if they decide to go in another direction. Playing Bonds for another 120-130 games next year as he chases 3000 hits helps the team develop younger players how? The only reason I can see that it benefits the media or anyone to label Bonds as an albatross is that he has otherwise helped to keep the Giants from making a full rebuilding effort, since as we’ve seen in 05 and 06 the Giants were still somewhat contenders with Bonds in the lineup, even as a team with MANY flaws.
Even this year, the Giants run differentials are better then most teams in the NL and if we had 1 or 2 decent bats who could stay healthy with just DECENT production not even stellar or anything we’d be in the thick of playoff contention. That is just how good Bonds is that he can carry such a horrible team literally by himself. But I think its safe to argue that keeping him the last few years while not really finding any young talent (or getting to play young talent) has severely hampered the ability to rebuild in the near future. And ya I’m sure someone will argue that so and so was available (even though they probably weren’t). The simple fact is hindsight is 20/20 and that Bonds is not going to play forever, so it really makes no sense to bring him back other then to sell more tickets, which seems to be the only reason why he’s been around lately anyway.
Only a pea brain like Bruce Jenkins would proclaim a player to be a succes “beyond a doubt” after an 18 day stretch of great baseball.
I’m pulling for Rajai Davis as much as anybody, but any baseball fan over the age of 8 should know that a sample size this minute, while enjoyable to watch, is much too small to go ga-ga over.
Jenkins is a moron, and knows less about baseball than 95% of the people that post comments on this blog.
after bonds has a little chat with kfran….he smacks 2 dingers and appears to be hitting the ball better as a whole
does this sound like a guy whose teammates take umbrage at him dogging it in the field?? a criticism coming from guys who have been dogging it on both d and o all season
can these writers honestly tell me that the team is more upset at bonds then at ray, with his sub 250 avg, no pop and 12 errors
why does everyone on the chron’s staff have a hard-on for bonds?? what the fuck did he ever do to them?
i understand if bonds isnt with the team next season….but bonds on or off this team has nothing to do with whether they will be successful
I agree with what you’re saying, although I will say Rajai Davis does seem to have a lot of potential… he’s been fun to watch.
Was the Morris contract such an albatross? In retrospect it looks bad (as he didn’t pitch well for long in SF) but prior to signing with the Giants his numbers were fine and he wasn’t at an age when one could reasonably expect sudden decline. Sabean has made some lousy signings but Morris is far from the bottom.
Davis probably won’t be much better than a useful fourth outfielder/platoon player in the near term but I find your disappointment in his acquisition baffling. Everyone in baseball knew Sabean would have to swallow a fair chunk of Morris’ contract yet not only did Pittsburgh pick up the whole tab, they threw in a useful major league player in return, one who actually has halfway decent plate judgment.
Sounds halfway decent to me. Who did you expect, Jason Bay?
“Despite his gaudy offensive numbers . . .” is an interesting statement. I was looking at Bonds’s stats, and they really are pretty amazing. It’s felt like a rather modest season for him, till you compare his stats with the rest of baseball. He’s now seventh in the NL in homers, and would be fourth in the AL (the offensive league, hah), leads the majors in OPS, walks . . . His walks to strikeouts are still on a different plane from everyone else in the game. Helton’s second, 30 walks behind Bonds, who has more than twice as many walks as strikeouts. It’s hard to find anyone else who has AS MANY walks as strikeouts. Even now he’s clearly the most feared hitter in baseball, even after (and during) a couple of extended “slumps.” no wonder he wants to play at least another season. The real question is not what he’s capable of at his age, it’s still “Will they pitch to him?” His home runs totals have gone down as the walks increased, not because he’s lost his skills.
I have no problem with him coming back to the Giants next year. If healthy, he’ll still hit at a high level. Even better, he’s a great mentor for the young players everyone’s been crying for. Youth brings excitement and enthusiasm, but that’s not enough in itself to assure a winning team. I’d love to see the Giants take advantage of Barry’s knowledge of the sport to help the young hitters get better faster. He used to guard his knowledge so others wouldn’t later use it against him, but for several years he’s been willing to pass it on. If he can only play part-time, pay him to coach when he’s not on the field. Player-coaches and player-managers are out of fashion, but that’s a fairly recent development. I’d rather see that than see him go elsewhere for a year or two and put a sour ending on his career as a Giant.
The best thing now is seeing that fans are giving him ovations wherever he plays, despite the endless character assassination.
I can only assume that all the moaning and groaning about what a terrible team the Giants are is because they’re losing, right? I don’t see them playing terrible baseball most of the time. I’ve watched many many games this year when they’ve played a lot better than their opponents, but lost because of one or two mistake pitches. And plenty of games where they’ve outpitched the opponent, but lost by a run on a couple of weak hits. Yeah, there have been some embarrassing efforts, but the best teams go through those.
Every year at some point I finally break down and plead for a little perspective in the face of John’s overwhelming pessimism. I don’t know what it makes me, but I’m happy to go to a game just to watch Vizquel’s brilliance. I’m sad that his hitting’s been off this year, but jeez, he’s the best shortstop ever, as far as I can tell, plays with style and pure delight – how can a lover of the game not be thrilled with the opportunity to watch that day after day? I enjoy watching most of the Giants play. Of course it’s all more fun when they’re winning, but I have to look at all the factors and see how each game, series, season plays out. I just don’t see where the pleasure lies in bitching and moaning and dissing everybody whether they deserve it or not. Or in constantly wishing that the team you root for were some other team altogether. If you want the Giants to be the Phillies or Mets or Yankees, root for the damn Phillies or Mets or Yankees.
I will agree that one sorry turn has been the deterioration of the Giants’ farm system. It used to be among the best, with a unified philosophy and teaching methods. The Clark, Thompson, Clayton, Williams infield was the ONLY homegrown infield in the game at the time, which had a lot to do with why it was perhaps the best in the majors. I don’t really know when or how that was lost, but I think that kind of system can have a lot more to do with a team’s success than draft picks, which are more or less a crap shoot. I’d like to think that the organization’s emphasis on the traditions of the franchise would extend to player development.
Hmmm. Maybe this five-game win streak – in Atlanta and Florida, of all places – is what finally made me pipe up again. In any case, keep it coming, fellers.
Particularly astute observation on Bonds. Anybody who spends some time going over Bonds’ numbers will see that he CONTINUES TO DOMINATE any game he is in the lineup. From the radical infield shifts to the IBBs, to the specially marked baseballs, to his remarkable MLB leading OPS of 1.084. He has already equaled last years homerun total of 26 and is averaging one homerun for every 11.11 ABs. The next closest? Alex Rodriguez with one homer in every 10.45 ABs.
I watched the Angels and Yankees last night. A playoff type game. Hi intensity crowd, plays, pitching, hitting and an Angels win in the B10. A-Rod went 3 for 5, hit a 2 run jack in the 6th to reclaim a temporary lead and yet he still does not invoke the kind of fear in opposing teams that Bonds does. These are things you really have to see to believe. Whenever Bonds comes to the plate, regardless of the situation, the game just flat out stops. Balls are changed with the umpire. The defense rearranges itself, the catcher comes out to the mound and/or starts peering into the dugout for instructions. Baserunners start looking for signals from the basecoaches, and the fans stand up out of their seats. Not once. Not just late in a close game, but virtually everytime he comes to the plate. With Rodriguez, in my mind the best player in the game right now, it just seems like another good player in a stacked lineup. Even though he leads MLB with 40 HRs, he does not instill the peer respect that Bonds does. And Bonds is an old man by athletic standards and he DOMINATES every game he is in. Every game he is in, the game is about Bonds. When does Bonds hit next? How will they pitch to them? Are they going to continue to go outside? Does he look ouchy? And so it goes throughout the course of the game. When he leaves the game, the stands empty out. Henry Aaron nor Willie Mays ever dominated and disrupted games the way Bonds does. Only Ruth could make that claim. Ruth played for 21 years until the age of 40, a remarkable feat considering the era. Contrary to media spread misconception, Ruth was not a physical wreck at the end of his career. His last year with the Yankees, in 1934 he had an OPS of .985. He trailed only Gehrig at 1.171, and Jimmy Foxx at 1.101. As stated, Bonds at the age of 43 has an OPS of 1.084. Incredible feats by both Ruth and Bonds. And neither Ruths debauched personal habits, nor Bonds surly enhancements diminishes the accomplishments of the other. Ever.
“I enjoy watching most of the Giants play”
Speechless.
So it is Bonds fault that management was more interested in selling tickets then the long term success of the team? Its Bonds fault that management did not look to add solid hitters in the line up? Its Bonds fault the farm system collapsed under severe neglect? Its Bonds fault management does not know what OBP is and cant find hitters who recognize how to take a walk? Its Bonds fault the pitchers will not throw strikes? Fine then it is. But he should be making a hell of a lot more money because he is not only the star player apparently he is the manager, the GM, the scouting department, the coaches, upper management and the owner. And he only wanted 16 mil last year. Seems like a steal to me.
I want him back; I expect him to come back. Concerns in the past about his salary and his age be damned. Now, I’m all for defiance, for Barry’s total offensive dominance, for Barry retiring a Giant…no Devil Ray DH bullshit.
Again, once again, trade Lowry to the Mariners for youth or to a team with some blocked guys. Fill the bench with guys who’ve had success and aren’t “that bad” (e.g. Craig Monroe). Keep Barry, if he wants to stay. Hell, pull him in and have an honest adult conversation with him. Tell him you want him to stay, you want him to mentor the youngsters, you want him to retire a Giant, etc. etc. If he doesn’t want to stay or he expects $20 million, then he goes on HIS terms.
Bruce Jenkins is not a journalist. He’s Brian Sabean’s shill.