The Dodgers are sitting atop the National League West with a 32-15 record but have reason to worry with Ted Lilly sidelined due a shoulder injury. Just as the left-hander hit the 15-day disabled list, we heard tonight that the club has put an offer out to Roy Oswalt. Here's more out of the NL West..
- Newly-acquired Bobby Abreu may not have been a great locker room influence with the Angels, but the veteran has provided tremendous veteran leadership with the Dodgers, write Ken Gurnick of Alex Angert of MLB.com. Dodgers skipper Don Mattingly noted that the club was excited about picking up Abreu but didn't anticipate him playing as much as he has been.
- Three years after resisting the ownership overtures of Jeff Moorad, Phil Mickelson is joining forces with the O'Malley family in an effort to buy the Padres, writes Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune. If the group is successful, second-leading money-winner in professional golf history says that he hopes to get Tony Gwynn involved.
- Barry Bonds hopes to return to the Giants in some coaching capacity, writes MLB.com's Chris Haft. Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets that the club plans to bring him back into the organization once his legal proceedings are through.
Anyone that listened/watched the Giants home broadcast today, Bonds was almost begging to get back he said the interview. How much he “loved being at the park” and he was going to actually donate to the Giants some of his award winning items for a mini museum there.
Including his first syringe?
Miller and Krukow were tossing him softballs during the interview that lasted nearly 2 innings.. You could tell they were/are wanting the SFG to hire him back in some capacity, but IMO Bonds carries a lot more baggage than someone, say McQwire for instance.
The SF area might be willing to forget, but baseball itself and fans around the league for what he dragged it through may not.
My 2c alone now..
I agree that Bonds holds too high of a stigma. Did you see Ken Burns 10th innings? One of his final conclusions is baseball has it’s 2 major goats of the steroid era in Bonds and Clemens. Two hall of fame guarantee guys with impossible career ending numbers.
It just seems best for them to fade away.
That was a good piece by Burns and yes.. those 2 went out and made it worse with the denials etc.. Then Bonds had the anti fan aspect before anyway and went into that interview acting like he was pro fan, proclaiming how seeing a sellout crowd got him all “pumped up” and how much he enjoyed the fans all around. Just denials from all 3 in so many ways. Saying anything to get their way.
Not trying to alienate SFG fans here, as his dad Bobby was a favorite of mine in his Giant days and might have had the same “natural” skills as the kid.. but Barry was nothing like the father in some other ways.
Possibly SF could bring him back to work in ST as a coach, but don’t see how they could as a FT coach.
Where do you get the idea that Abreu wasn’t a great clubhouse influence? He was great the past 3 years, especially the past two frustrating years along with Torii Hunter. It probably got frustrating for him in anticipation of this year. This Angels fan thanks him for his years here and wishes him the best.
Probably just the short-term frustrations of S/T; not with teammates per se but has had to have a couple of visits to the manager’s office with both Scioscia & DiPoto. Probably blown way out of proportion.
If Mark McGwire can go back to the Cards, Barry can go back to the Giants.
Bring him back as the strength and conditioning coach. He can show those youngsters how to make sure they play at a high level into their 40’s.
Yeah I’m sure he’d be a great influence on guys like Posey and Belt. Go for it Giants.
– Dodgers fans
I’d rather Belt be a jerk and start hitting the ball than be a nice guy and suck like he does right now.
Dodgers have a reason to worry lmao for lilly?!?! Maybe if it was Kershaw then i would be worrying
Bonds doesn’t seem like he has the personality to be a coach? Wasn’t he known for being somewhat of selfish, impetuous player? Doesn’t exactly seem like a good fit, but maybe his personality has changed if he’s no longer on the ‘roids and whatnot…
There’s a reason why most of the hitting coaches were not star hitters themselves. Barry was a natural, and has very good insights about the game, but is he willing to put in the thankless, behind-the-scenes work for the 24th and 25th guys on the roster? What if they try it his way and it just doesn’t click, can he be creative and try something different than what he would have done (most likely very successfully)? Personally, I don’t think he has that in him. He was a very hated, confrontational personality among baseball people far before he started taking steroids.
Not to mention Bonds’ interview during the game today was tremendously forced and uncomfortable sounding. Like Bonds is trying his best to think of nice platitudes to mouth. Nothing genuine.
AND, Bonds seemed to have no ability to joke with Krukow about the 11 times they faced each other in the Majors. (Bonds went 3 for 11, 3 strikeouts, 1 HR.) Bonds stated that Krukow only got him out 3 times. The rest of the outs, he “needed” his teammates to get him out. This was not good-natured ribbing. Bonds was challenging and confrontational.
I can’t see how the Giants would ever consider having Bonds work with players outside of some guest appearances at Spring Training. Would be a disaster.
That was an awkward scene with Bonds and Krukow to say the least.
I wonder if Abreu has already installed his La-Z-Boy recliner in the Dodgers locker room yet.
He has a .909 OPS with the Dodgers, so in my book, he can install anything he wants.
Bonds would make an amazing hitting coach! yeah I know you guys will reply with lame steroids jokes…
No one can deny Bonds had one of the greatest eyes in MLB EVER! He could easily help players like Belt and Crawford. As well as Pablo to have better pitch recognition.
He could also help pitching since he can see how opposing teams swing. He could help Righetti on what pitches to throw.
I’ve never understood why people hate Barry more than any other roider. Everyone who did roids should be held to the same standard. Magwire is back…I’m fine with Bonds coming back.