Bonds Biographer speaks out

[Chadd 916]

I thought I had heard Andruw Jones' D has suffered for quite a while now...I don't watch the Braves, but I remember reading an article saying that he has been very overrated for a while now. Mack?

When he was younger (odd since he's not even old now) he could gamble and catch up to balls but it's started to noticeably slip the last couple of seasons. That and more run on him because he's not able to cut balls off (lol emasculate) early and get a jump on runners.

As for Chadd's point about Bonds getting easy assists because everyone runs on him, it's about as true a statement as you'll see on the board here. This is why Rickey Henderson was overrated with his assists.

Yep, but at the same time you also see guys getting insane amounts of assists 'cause there isn't a good report on them. Just look at Frenchy's rookie year. Mark Teahan this year also comes to mind.

Bonds hit double digits in assists for a bunch of years in a row. It wasn't a secret that nobody respected his arm strength.

[mik3 1]

Oh yeah, he had a below-average arm and was playing a position where assists pretty much fall into your lap.

In his prime his arm was pretty much Damonesque.

[Flack38 0]

Wouldn't steroids help him throw harder? Why has he always had a weak arm? Did his throwing strength/stats improve those years he his HR's blew up?

I'm not being sarcastic I'm actually asking these questions because I think they're legit ones to ask.

I mean if he always had a weak arm then along game the HR years and his arm strength / throwing stats improved too, that might help to sway me more towards the "He might have done it" side.

[mik3 1]

Throwing in the outfield, much like pitching, is more based on mechanics than anything. Look at the way Paul O'Neill was wiry as hell but had a cannon while guys like Matsui who's muscular as shit relies all on quick release 'cause he has no power.

Wouldn't steroids help him throw harder? Why has he always had a weak arm? Did his throwing strength/stats improve those years he his HR's blew up?

I'm not being sarcastic I'm actually asking these questions because I think they're legit ones to ask.

I mean if he always had a weak arm then along game the HR years and his arm strength / throwing stats improved too, that might help to sway me more towards the "He might have done it" side.

Bonds has only had one year of double digit assists since 97, and that was a year he played most of it on a bad knee. A lot of the time an assist is almost luck, someone trying to stretch a play more than throwing a guy out at home.

[mack 44]

I agree, two years ago no one knew about Frenchie and he was tossing people out all over the place. Now he's got the reputation so people aren't going to run on his hose.

[mik3 1]

I don't get why people still run on Melky, maybe they think it's Damon out there? 12 last year in 116 games, all the assists in CF. This year 11 already in 76 games, 9cf 2lf. He threw Tejada out on Sunday by about 6ft at 2b.

[mack 44]

I think it's the reputation of the outfield itself there. It seems like it's 5 acres big so people get their distances all screwy. That's my guess anyway, but maybe Damon's fresh on everyone's mind when they try and run.

[mik3 1]

Damon held someone at third playing LF the other day, I lost it laughing. But that might be part of it, especially if he has to range to LCF, it's crazy out there. That's why the Yankees seemed to always like guys with some CF experience or at least good speed playing out there 'cause LF plays like CF in size but with the irregular angle.

[mack 44]

I would have to credit that to either Dale Sveum somehow coaching 3B again the the bigs or the player just thinking LF is about 150' away and not wanting to test it. Or maybe they thought Damon got a new rubber band in that arm this summer.

[mik3 1]

Dale was great in Boston, he'd start waiving guys home when they made the turn from first.

[mack 44]

I think he had Tourette's of the limbs or something because there is no viable explanation for some of the green lights and red lights he put on players.

[mik3 1]

Yep, the one I remember a lot was that Jeter jumping into the stands game. He held Kapler at third on a sac fly after they brought Kapler in especially to run for Ortiz.

Why waste your first or second best hitter for a pinch runner in extra innings, then have your 3b coach now send him? The OF at that point in the game was Crosby/Lofton/Sheffield, and the ball was not to Sheffield.

[mack 44]

It's amazing how well the Red Sox did in spite of him coaching third. In the couple of seasons I've helped out my brother's legion team I've never seen someone screw up as bad as Sveum did.

[Jason Harris 31]

Wendell Kim usually raised the ire of the Faithful. I remember he had some alliterative nickname, like Wave 'Em Home Wendell or Windmill Wendall.

[foppa21 0]

Waving Wendell. I remember watching games on WGN when he was with the Cubs and wanting to reach through the screen to bitch slap him.

[Flack38 0]

Ahem.... 756?

[Chadd 916]

Ahem.... 756*

Fixed that

[Jason Harris 31]

But that one goes to 756*, eh, Chadd? ;)

(This will be meaningless when you change your avatar......)

[Chadd 916]

But that one goes to 756*, eh, Chadd? ;)

(This will be meaningless when you change your avatar......)

757* after tonight.