What do you guys think? Pros: sell more tickets; probably an upgrade over Erstacrombie Cons: Astros would be kind of like the circus
They should take a gamble. If the Rockets can take a gamble on Artest, the the Astros can with Bonds.
http://blogs.chron.com/sportsjustice/archives/2008/08/astros_close_in.html from the RJ blog... but more likely (unfortunately): http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bb/5935036.html
There's no doubt they should, but they won't. Does Bonds have his steroids and legal issues? Yes, but so does Tejada. Does he have an ego? To an extent, yes, but I can guarantee you it's nothing compared to Clemens, who they used for three years. This team is absurdly inconsistent in its logic, and it's why they're hard to follow sometimes -- they don't seem to have any kind of direction. At the deadline, they won't sell off veterans and instead make slight upgrades with Wolf and Hawkins. Seems strange on the surface, but there's a case to go to war with the core group they have -- Ric has made it in several other threads, so I won't repeat. But if you're going to go all out there, why let Michael Bourn kill your lineup for months? Kenny Lofton and his guaranteed upper .300s OBP and presence at the top of a lineup has been waiting out there all season... to my knowledge, the Astros never even placed a phone call. Likewise, you make these moves in July... win 8 out of 10, including a four-game road sweep, and come within one of .500... and you're going to replace one of the best hitters in baseball with Darin Erstad?!? When arguably the greatest hitter in the history of the game is available for cheap? Defense shouldn't even be a consideration, given who he'd be replacing (Lee) and the dimensions of MMP. I'm not saying I would sign Bonds. I'd have most likely taken at least a partial selling approach at the deadline. But what kills me is that the management in this organization seem to have zero direction. If you want to go all-out to get every win you can, I can respect that. But if that's what you believe, then stay true to it -- and don't tell me with a straight face that Darin Erstad will help you do that more than Barry Bonds.
Astros Should Pursue Bonds On Saturday, the Astros offense took a major blow. Carlos Lee suffered a broken pinkie finger which will require season ending surgery. Today, the Astros pulled off a four game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds which puts them one game under .500 as they return to Texas for a seven game series against the San Francisco Giants (49-66) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (60-58). If the Astros have any thoughts at clinching a Wild Card playoff spot, which we all know Uncle Drayton and Ed Wade are eyeing, then it's time for the Astros to give Barry Bonds a call. It's no secret that Bonds isn't the most popular guy in the universe, but it's time to let that go and look at what matters most: A shot at the playoffs and bringing back the World Series to Texas. Everyone deserves a second chance and Bonds is no exception. Heck, Rockets GM Daryl Morey is giving Ron Artest a shot and he started a benches clearing brawl in Detroit while pursuing a fight in the stands with a fan. On the Dynamo, midfielder Ricardo Clark had a day to forget when he received a nine game suspension and $10,000 fine for kicking FC Dallas' Carlos Ruiz when he was down in a game last year. Bonds would bring sell-out crowds and an offense that NL pitchers would fear. It's time to take a chance Dryaton; A .500 team and another year without playoffs isn't going to cut it. We all remember how electric Minute Maid Park was in '04 and '05. It's time to bring that back and Bonds and his 762 career home runs will do that. http://houstonist.com/2008/08/10/astros_should_pursue_bonds.php
There is nothing that we can lose by signing Bonds. He might be a negative distraction to the team but the team isn't going anywhere to begin with so it's a moot point. We'll actually get a ton of hype on ESPN. This guy is still feared in the lineup, plus, and a big plus, he knows how to take walks, something we need. Drayton will get a ton of ticket sales. Bonds will be after 3000 hits, every single HR he hits will be huge. Would you rather have Bonds or Reggie Abercrombie??? Bring Bonds in, make this season exciting again. I'd go with this lineup if we had Bonds. Matsui Tejada Bonds Berkman Wigginton or Blum Pence Bourn Quintero Pitcher
i say sign him...it might be one in a million, but hey, we still have a chance. "so you're saying there IS a chance!!??"
Astros win over reds Towards the very bottom Morons at ESPN had it on one of their recaps but they took it down.
1.) If you're a baseball executive, and you prioritize pleasing your fans ahead of winning, you're going to end up a loser. Winning cures all ills. Remember all the promises of how the city of Houston would hate the Texans, and they'd be cursed forever for taking Williams over Bush? Look how that's working out. If you're committed to winning (the Astros' words and actions at the trade deadline make it clear they are), it should not be a difficult decision to choose between Barry Bonds and Darin Erstad. Especially when money isn't an issue and you're talking six weeks. 2.) If a fan's allegiance to a team is so thin that one player would make them drop the team, then they weren't fans to begin with. Especially considering they didn't stop being fans after Tejada and Clemens.
Man i just heard about this injury to Carlos lee so i haven't had much chance to think about this but we cant sign barry bonds. There's no reason, the Astros have virtually no chance of making the playoffs and a signing like that would only hurt our rep even more. On a baseball standpoint its a no brainer but his defense might be a concern.
Signing Bonds for a mere 2 months to replace Lee's production in the lineup seems like such an obvious move for a team that still has notions of making the postseason. But of course it won't happen. They would rather use a hitter that's comparable in value to a Latroy Hawkins or Randy Wolf. Is Jason Lane available?
He would be a huge upgrade defensively in left field over Carlos Lee, but I don't see the point of acquiring Bonds. This team is not in the pennant chase, they should stop wasting money on dead- end players.
Thousands? Maybe some. MMP would be near sellout every game with Bonds. I'm sure some Rocket fans hate Artest, but it won't affect attendance.
The point is going for a Wild Card birth. That' the point. You play to win the game! If you're going to sign Wolf and Hawkins, then why not Bonds? This should be a good homestand for the 'Stros as they go over .500 and closer to a Wild Card and then off to Milwaukee (WC leader) for a chance to move closer.
