New York's lackluster offense which is currently ranked 18th in the league doesn't have a player in the top 10 for home runs, batting average, hits, or on base percentage. Categories Bonds could immediately improve on if he was given a chance to play again
The Yanks surpass all other clubs with a payroll of $200 plus million -- but will have trouble making their fourteenth consecutive post-season appearance if they don't find a left handed power hitter -- and soon.
Johnny Damon is expected to return to play a week from today, although he is eligible to come off the DL on Sunday after spending the last two weeks recovering from a sore left shoulder.
Hideki Matsui who missed most of the 2006 with a broken wrist now finds himself on the verge of season ending surgery to repair his injured left knee. Matsui who experienced inflammation in his left knee on tuesday has been at the teams minor league complex in Tampa rehabilitating since going on the DL June 22.
When Matsui went down the Yankees lost one of their most productive batters; "Godzilla" was hitting .323 with seven home runs and 34 RBis. General Manger Brian Cashman said If Matsui is out for the season that does not place the Yankees in the immediate market for a designated hitter...yeah right!
Get your popcorn out because this is where things may get interesting. With Matsui possibly out for the rest of the season the Yankees have turned to former Seattle Mariner first basemen Richie Sexson as an insurance policy to replace him in the lineup.
Sexson who was signed by the Yankees today to an undisclosed one year contract is a lifetime .261 hitter (37 points behind Bonds) who has just 11 home runs and 30 RBIs on the season. Great insurance policy.
Bonds who is a lifetime .298 hitter had an outrageous on base percentage of .480 in 2007, nearly 80 points higher than any current player on the Yankees roster. Matsui led the Yanks with an OBP% of .404 before going down. Doesn't it seem logical here that Bonds would fill a much needed void here?
When the numbers are crunched, Bonds leads Sexson in nearly every statistical category except for strikeouts. Sexson who was released by the Mariners last week has struck out 76 times in 74 games (that's one strikeout every 3.3 plate appearances) -- while Bonds only whiffed 54 times in ALL of 2007.
All it would take is a one year minimum salary contract -- that would put Bonds in and out of a Yankees uniform before he goes to court in April for perjury Charges.
What are the Yankees really afraid of in this situation? That they would bring media attention to the New York Yankees? Wouldn't media-diva Alex Rodirguez like the spotlights off of him and Madonna's so-called romance for just a little bit while he grabs a kiss?
The Yankees could even play up the all time home run king and the man who is chasing him on the same team! The possibilities are endless.
The odds in Vegas are 762:1 but Cashman has not thrown the idea of signing Bonds out the door, "I would say any rampant speculation on us involving a player of that magnitude would be extremely premature," Cashman said. "I would caution everybody to not misunderstand that since I'm not saying no to it, that that means, 'oh my gosh, that might be happening down the line."
For now the Yankees primary focus is to see when or if Matsui will return to the field. If not don't be surprised to see Barry Bonds on the on deck circle once again, this time in the house that the man who did it on Beer and Hot Dogs built.
No comments:
Post a Comment