Bonds, best left fielder ever?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
L

Lager

Diamond Member
May 19, 2003
9,433
0
0
Is Bonds the best left fielder ever to play the game?

I doubt steroids help get him all those walks. The guy has amazing vision to lay off anything that is not a strike and makes solid contact in every bat. He can hit for power, average, draw walks, and shows that one player on a team can make all the difference. Giants without Bonds will be last years Tigers. Bonds has the quickest swing ever.

After Bonds, who is the next best left fielder in your opinion?
 
A

Argo

Lifer
Apr 8, 2000
10,045
0
0
There was a fella called Babe Ruth who could play a little. Oh, and did I mention he had a pitchers arm too?
 
C

Curly01

Senior member
Jul 5, 2002
225
0
0
When you say "best left fielder", to me it implies that the player is known for his fielding, not hitting. Bonds may be an excellent hitter but he is not that good of fielder. I wonder how well he would do if he took off the body armor and had to stand back off the plate.
 
C

classy

Lifer
Oct 12, 1999
15,219
1
81
I think you can make the arguement that Bonds might be the best ever. Complete in every sense of the word. He's been a great fielder, can hit for power or average, and he's been great on the base paths. Even with the roids thing hanging over his head, I am willing to concede without question he's the best of my lifetime. He's like a combination of Mike Schimdt, Tony Gwynn, and Ricky Henderson all rolled up into one.
 
C

classy

Lifer
Oct 12, 1999
15,219
1
81
Originally posted by: orion7144
Maybe the best on roids and hitting but not fielding.
Click to expand...

Umm excuse me. Bonds has been throwing guys out at the plate for years. Even to the point very few even try to run on him. I think the guy has won like 5-7 gold gloves I believe.
 
S

SludgeFactory

Platinum Member
Sep 14, 2001
2,969
2
81
One of the many potential benefits of growth hormone supplementation is improved eyesight.

Don't dog Bonds' fielding. In his prime Bonds was a terrific outfielder, certainly better than Ted Williams ever was.
 
F

flxnimprtmscl

Diamond Member
Jan 30, 2003
7,962
2
0
Originally posted by: classy
Originally posted by: orion7144
Maybe the best on roids and hitting but not fielding.
Click to expand...

Umm excuse me. Bonds has been throwing guys out at the plate for years. Even to the point very few even try to run on him. I think the guy has won like 5-7 gold gloves I believe.
Click to expand...

Like that wiffle ball he "threw" to nail Sid Bream in the NLCS all those years ago? The one that died on the infield grass while the gimp shuffled his way to home?
 
B

blues008

Golden Member
Feb 2, 2001
1,727
0
76
Ripped from SOSH:

One could easily make the argument that Bonds is one of the greatest to ever play the game:

MVP: '90, '92, '93, '01-'03
2nd in MVP: '91, '00
Top 10 in MVP: '94 (4th), '96-'97 (5th), '98 (8th)

PLUS... 8 Gold Gloves ('90-'94, '96-'98)
PLUS... 7 Times leading the League in OBP (10 top 2 finishes, 13 top 5)
PLUS... 6 Times leading the League in Slugging (7 top 2s, 12 Top 5s, 13 top 10s)
PLUS... 8 Times leading the League in OPS (10 top 2s, 13 top 3s)

Before I go on... think about this... every year since 1990, (excepting 1999), he has finished in the TOP 10 in OBP, SLG and OPS.

With the exception of 1999 (in all cases)... he has been:
Top 10 in runs every year.
Top 10 in Total Bases every year except '96
Top 10 in HRs every year. (Top FIVE in every year except '98)
Top 10 in RBIs in 10 of 14 years
Top 3 in Walks every year
Top 10 in Steals in 7 of 9 years from '90-97.
Top 10 in Extra Base hits in every year except '96
Top 4 in Times on Base every year

Think about the above. Just because the talking-heads did not give the credit to Barry Bonds for being the best in the game... let alone the possibility of being the best of all time, doesn't mean he wasn't. Simply highlights that the sports media is not always the on the ball.

No other player over the past 20 years has had the sustained brilliance in multiple facets (Power/Speed/Plate Patience/Defense) that Barry Bonds has had. It will be very hard to make an argument that any player in the '90s was better than Barry. Very Hard
 
P

PoPPeR

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 2002
6,993
0
0
heh, Ted Williams COULD have been a great fielder, but he wasn't. Read any book about him, as great a player as he was, when Ted wasn't hitting well, he refused to do anything well. When he was at war with the media or fans, he would lollygag just to spite.

Bonds is one of the best, arguably the best. Ted Williams had amazing eyes as well, so good in fact he set several records (was it the marines?) for accuracy, but Bonds has patience. Ted would cry as a kid when they walked him just because he liked to hit so much.

Anyways, you're bound to get many yes's and more no's because of the steroids factor and Bonds reputation as a whole, but it's always going to be apples and oranges just because baseball has changed so much since the days of Williams and even moreso, Ruth.
 
F

flxnimprtmscl

Diamond Member
Jan 30, 2003
7,962
2
0
Originally posted by: blues008
Ripped from SOSH:

One could easily make the argument that Bonds is one of the greatest to ever play the game:

MVP: '90, '92, '93, '01-'03
2nd in MVP: '91, '00
Top 10 in MVP: '94 (4th), '96-'97 (5th), '98 (8th)

PLUS... 8 Gold Gloves ('90-'94, '96-'98)
PLUS... 7 Times leading the League in OBP (10 top 2 finishes, 13 top 5)
PLUS... 6 Times leading the League in Slugging (7 top 2s, 12 Top 5s, 13 top 10s)
PLUS... 8 Times leading the League in OPS (10 top 2s, 13 top 3s)

Before I go on... think about this... every year since 1990, (excepting 1999), he has finished in the TOP 10 in OBP, SLG and OPS.

With the exception of 1999 (in all cases)... he has been:
Top 10 in runs every year.
Top 10 in Total Bases every year except '96
Top 10 in HRs every year. (Top FIVE in every year except '98)
Top 10 in RBIs in 10 of 14 years
Top 3 in Walks every year
Top 10 in Steals in 7 of 9 years from '90-97.
Top 10 in Extra Base hits in every year except '96
Top 4 in Times on Base every year

Think about the above. Just because the talking-heads did not give the credit to Barry Bonds for being the best in the game... let alone the possibility of being the best of all time, doesn't mean he wasn't. Simply highlights that the sports media is not always the on the ball.

No other player over the past 20 years has had the sustained brilliance in multiple facets (Power/Speed/Plate Patience/Defense) that Barry Bonds has had. It will be very hard to make an argument that any player in the '90s was better than Barry. Very Hard
Click to expand...

When Barry pitches for 10 years, pitches 107 complete games, has a lifetime 2.28 era, and a career record of 94-46, then I'll be impressed. Oh, and if he gives back all his juice-earned home runs that would be good too. Best player in the present day: Yes. Best all time: No
 
C

classy

Lifer
Oct 12, 1999
15,219
1
81
Yea I just found out it was 8. Say what you want and and any way you want, Bonds is truly a great baseball player. And outside of Mays and Ruth maybe he has no equal. If you were going to build the perfect baseball player you would use Bonds as the blueprint. No offense, but folks who criticize Bonds as a ball player are really stupid.
 
T

thomsbrain

Lifer
Dec 4, 2001
18,148
1
0
he's one of the greatest of all time. what you attribute his sucess to might make his achievements less impressive, but he still achieved them.
 
R

RabidMongoose

Lifer
Aug 14, 2001
11,061
0
0
Originally posted by: Curly
When you say "best left fielder", to me it implies that the player is known for his fielding, not hitting. Bonds may be an excellent hitter but he is not that good of fielder. I wonder how well he would do if he took off the body armor and had to stand back off the plate.
Click to expand...

Yeah, he's such a horrible fielder...I mean he only won 8 gold glove awards!

 
P

PlatinumGold

Lifer
Aug 11, 2000
23,168
0
71
Originally posted by: RabidMongoose
Originally posted by: Curly
When you say "best left fielder", to me it implies that the player is known for his fielding, not hitting. Bonds may be an excellent hitter but he is not that good of fielder. I wonder how well he would do if he took off the body armor and had to stand back off the plate.
Click to expand...

Yeah, he's such a horrible fielder...I mean he only won 8 gold glove awards!
Click to expand...

let it slide mongoose, curly probably never even heard the name Barry Bonds before 4 or 5 seasons ago.

 
C

cmdavid

Diamond Member
May 23, 2001
4,114
0
0
Originally posted by: flxnimprtmscl
Originally posted by: classy
Originally posted by: orion7144
Maybe the best on roids and hitting but not fielding.
Click to expand...

Umm excuse me. Bonds has been throwing guys out at the plate for years. Even to the point very few even try to run on him. I think the guy has won like 5-7 gold gloves I believe.
Click to expand...

Like that wiffle ball he "threw" to nail Sid Bream in the NLCS all those years ago? The one that died on the infield grass while the gimp shuffled his way to home?
Click to expand...

LOL.. i remember that.. Sid BREAM!!! hahahah....
 
W

wkabel23

Platinum Member
Dec 7, 2003
2,505
0
0
I don't think he's the best of ALL time but IMO, Ted and him are 1,2. If Bonds continues to have MVP caliber seasons I think he'll pass Ted as the best ever.
 
P

PlatinumGold

Lifer
Aug 11, 2000
23,168
0
71
Originally posted by: RabidMongoose
I think that it comes down to Williams vs. Bonds...which one was better? That's a pretty tough comparison since they're both 2 of the top 3 hitters ever.

Here's an interesting but short ESPN article about this very topic:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/caple_jim/1259487.html
Click to expand...

that was 2 1/2 seasons ago and caple put bonds ahead of teddy baseball. if he were to right that article today, bonds would be the hands down winner.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom