Post by rog on Mar 18, 2019 15:59:49 GMT -5
Last Friday morning we celebrated our friend's birthday with a very nice breakfast out. Great friend; wonderful breakfast.
Last Friday would have been Bobby Bonds' 73rd birthday. (Our friend turned 71.) It was also Harold Baines' 60th. Which is particularly ironic this year.
You see, Harold will be inducted in the Hall of Fame this summer. But he's not the best player born on March 15th. Bonds is. Bobby has 58 WAR over his career, almost 20 WAR ahead of Baines' 39. Kevin Youkilis turned 40 on Friday. Kevin had 31 WAR. No other player had or has more than Jon Jay's 14.
So Baines is getting into the Hall, in part because he has ties, such as Tony LaRussa, to the Veterans' Committee. Bonds was by far the better all-around player, yet he remains perhaps the best all-around player who is eligible and steroid-free, yet not in the Hall.
Randy should have a special affinity for Bobby. He began his career with a grand slam homer against the Dodgers in his very first game. Although Bobby struck out too often to post a high average, he was pretty close to a five-tool player.
Bobby hit only .268, but he is one of baseball's five or so 300/300 players in homers and steals. He won three Gold Gloves and finished 3rd and 4th in MVP votings. Despite his .268 average, he walked enough for a .353 on-base percentage, making him an excellent leadoff man. He batted leadoff twice as often as he batted third, which was twice as often has he hit fifth, which was twice as often as he hit leadoff.
He led the league in runs scored twice, and nine times finished in the top 10. He averaged nine assists a season in the outfield.
Along with Darrel Evans and the Clark "brothers", Bobby may be the most underrated Giant of all time. He had a great baseball son, of course, but Bobby also had an older brother named Robert. I believe he won the California State 100 yard dash championship at Riverside Poly High. Actually, it was the long jump (then called the broad jump), although I believe he ran something like a 9.4 100 yard dash too. Barry was a fast runner, but his dad was even faster. Faster than Willie Mays.
Last Friday would have been Bobby Bonds' 73rd birthday. (Our friend turned 71.) It was also Harold Baines' 60th. Which is particularly ironic this year.
You see, Harold will be inducted in the Hall of Fame this summer. But he's not the best player born on March 15th. Bonds is. Bobby has 58 WAR over his career, almost 20 WAR ahead of Baines' 39. Kevin Youkilis turned 40 on Friday. Kevin had 31 WAR. No other player had or has more than Jon Jay's 14.
So Baines is getting into the Hall, in part because he has ties, such as Tony LaRussa, to the Veterans' Committee. Bonds was by far the better all-around player, yet he remains perhaps the best all-around player who is eligible and steroid-free, yet not in the Hall.
Randy should have a special affinity for Bobby. He began his career with a grand slam homer against the Dodgers in his very first game. Although Bobby struck out too often to post a high average, he was pretty close to a five-tool player.
Bobby hit only .268, but he is one of baseball's five or so 300/300 players in homers and steals. He won three Gold Gloves and finished 3rd and 4th in MVP votings. Despite his .268 average, he walked enough for a .353 on-base percentage, making him an excellent leadoff man. He batted leadoff twice as often as he batted third, which was twice as often has he hit fifth, which was twice as often as he hit leadoff.
He led the league in runs scored twice, and nine times finished in the top 10. He averaged nine assists a season in the outfield.
Along with Darrel Evans and the Clark "brothers", Bobby may be the most underrated Giant of all time. He had a great baseball son, of course, but Bobby also had an older brother named Robert. I believe he won the California State 100 yard dash championship at Riverside Poly High. Actually, it was the long jump (then called the broad jump), although I believe he ran something like a 9.4 100 yard dash too. Barry was a fast runner, but his dad was even faster. Faster than Willie Mays.