A group weblog for Oakland A's fans
Thursday, May 19, 2005
A Post about Barry Bonds
Since the A's start a series with the Giants tomorrow, it doesn't seem too off-topic to post about Barry Bonds, who supposedly will play this year, but we don't know when.
Here is the problem with the Bonds steroid controversey. He may have taken something illegal for a short period of time. His attention to weightlifting, conditioning and diet are being totally overlooked. Mantle played drunk.
1) Bonds is the best player we'll probably ever see
2) His career may be over, we should have been watching and enjoying him instead of trying to bring him down.
3) Even last year when I would watch him, he'd walk to the box slow, he'd jog to first slow, he'd go after fly balls in a leisurely way. He knew his minutes on the field were limited.
There is a move Bonds does which amazes me. Sometimes when a pitcher pitches, Bonds will stand up out of his stance just about as the pitcher releases the ball. He's figured out he doesn't want that pitch and it may not have even left the pitchers hand yet. I have argued with people about how he does that. I know a guy who says it is the pitcher tipping his pitch with some sort of body language, and I have read another writer say he sees something in the grip or the arm that tips him. I know another guy who says it is just Bonds being able to predict what is coming, but if that was it, why go into the stance at all? Maybe so the pitcher doesnt know Bonds knows what he is thinking. I dont hear about Bonds studying all the pitchers that much, he clobbered the A's pitchers in interleague play, I don't think he is a great studier of pitchers I think he just clobbers whoever he sees. Any sort of pitches any count, he's an equal opportunity masher.
We went to a Giants game a few weeks ago, 4-0 Dodgers and the only highlight for the Giants was an up the middle bare hand play by Omar. You could see it on the Giants faces, "We'd be ok if only we had our gimpy 40-year old bald guy." He changes the whole game. And his ability to do that may be gone already.
Since the A's start a series with the Giants tomorrow, it doesn't seem too off-topic to post about Barry Bonds, who supposedly will play this year, but we don't know when.
Here is the problem with the Bonds steroid controversey. He may have taken something illegal for a short period of time. His attention to weightlifting, conditioning and diet are being totally overlooked. Mantle played drunk.
1) Bonds is the best player we'll probably ever see
2) His career may be over, we should have been watching and enjoying him instead of trying to bring him down.
3) Even last year when I would watch him, he'd walk to the box slow, he'd jog to first slow, he'd go after fly balls in a leisurely way. He knew his minutes on the field were limited.
There is a move Bonds does which amazes me. Sometimes when a pitcher pitches, Bonds will stand up out of his stance just about as the pitcher releases the ball. He's figured out he doesn't want that pitch and it may not have even left the pitchers hand yet. I have argued with people about how he does that. I know a guy who says it is the pitcher tipping his pitch with some sort of body language, and I have read another writer say he sees something in the grip or the arm that tips him. I know another guy who says it is just Bonds being able to predict what is coming, but if that was it, why go into the stance at all? Maybe so the pitcher doesnt know Bonds knows what he is thinking. I dont hear about Bonds studying all the pitchers that much, he clobbered the A's pitchers in interleague play, I don't think he is a great studier of pitchers I think he just clobbers whoever he sees. Any sort of pitches any count, he's an equal opportunity masher.
We went to a Giants game a few weeks ago, 4-0 Dodgers and the only highlight for the Giants was an up the middle bare hand play by Omar. You could see it on the Giants faces, "We'd be ok if only we had our gimpy 40-year old bald guy." He changes the whole game. And his ability to do that may be gone already.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
A Good Win against the Red Sox
Last night's game was just one win, but it was a good win against the Red Sox. Saarloos pitched well, and maybe Yabu pitched better. Yabu has really turned out to be a great utility pitcher, he may get a start in the next few weeks, he may not, but I remember after a rough spring there was talk that he wasn't a good pickup. A journeyman pitcher from Japan with a sub-.500 record. Ahhh, but a veteran who strikes out more than he walks on a team full of youngsters. Definitely a good pickup, especially now that Dukey is having some injury problems.
Dotel got one of the biggest saves in A's history. And how about Matt Watson getting some big hits? That's gotta get these guys rolling a little bit. 7 games back in May is nothing. This team can play. I'm not sure they can really expect to compete in the post season this year, but just get us to the stretch with a chance. It was just one win, but after 8 painful losses, it was a good win.
Last night's game was just one win, but it was a good win against the Red Sox. Saarloos pitched well, and maybe Yabu pitched better. Yabu has really turned out to be a great utility pitcher, he may get a start in the next few weeks, he may not, but I remember after a rough spring there was talk that he wasn't a good pickup. A journeyman pitcher from Japan with a sub-.500 record. Ahhh, but a veteran who strikes out more than he walks on a team full of youngsters. Definitely a good pickup, especially now that Dukey is having some injury problems.
Dotel got one of the biggest saves in A's history. And how about Matt Watson getting some big hits? That's gotta get these guys rolling a little bit. 7 games back in May is nothing. This team can play. I'm not sure they can really expect to compete in the post season this year, but just get us to the stretch with a chance. It was just one win, but after 8 painful losses, it was a good win.
