Barry Bonds Sinks To A New Low

While both of Barry Bonds fans wait, along with the millions who despise him, for him to sign with another club. Rumors are surfacing that he may be finding a new low. and by new low I mean a place that is still too good for him. Fanhouse is reporting that Barry is not ready to retire. If no Major League teams want his bat in their lineup, he will look to play over seas. Barry has a few strikes against him; his looming indictment for perjury, his ties to the steroids era, his black hole of a personality; and his lack of mobility in the outfield.

Bonds, the all-time home run champ, would on the surface be an easy pick-up. He still has power at the plate, as well as box office power. He is no doubt a hall of fame caliber player, but a lot of that is past him now.

Denials of his steroid use to federal investigators got Bonds a perjury indictment receently. Media attention has been drawn away by Roger Clemens and the Mitchell report. General Mangers it seems do not follow the media, and have opinions of their own. Bonds agent has taken to "driving from training camp to training camp in Florida, hoping to persuade a general manager of some major-league club to give Bonds a new opportunity"

While the indictment creates playing time, courtroom appearance conflicts. The larger issue for the General Managers my be the actual issue of steroids. No GM wants his team and clubhouse associated with steroids. It ould clearly be a gamble to have the greates hitter of the modern era wearing your uniform if the steroid allegations finally stuck.

As the Bonds approaches his twilight, he doesn't seem suited to the path that most diminishing veterans take. Clubhouse mentor just doesn't fit Bonds, from his public fued with Jeff Kent. to his general Vader like presence in a locker room. When beat writers are dropping quotes like "a reporter who visited the home clubhouse at Fenway Park when the Giants played in Boston in June was struck by the jocularity and fellowship inside a room populated by youngsters and superstars who together won a World Series four months later. It was a stark contrast to the way the Giants tiptoed through Bonds' clubhouse." you know you are a parriah.

The final piece to the Bonds puzzle is his ever decreasing mobility. His defense is lacking, no longer able to cover as much ground in the outfield. With diminshed speed on the base paths, he is not far removed from the David Ortiz Homerun or a single scenario. This leaves him only available to teams in need of a DH and even amongst that small group a team would have to be desperate to take on all the other baggage.

Would you take Barry on your team??