September 12, 2004
200 Walks
Barry Bonds drew his 200th and 201st walk last night. He's been intentionally walked 104 times. His 97 unintentional walks is a perfectly reasonable total. This fear of Bonds is just too great. I don't want a rule change to stop this, I want teams to realize that using the IBB this much is bad strategy. All it does is save the manager from some embarassing question when Bonds hits a HR. Reporters won't bother the skipper if the #5 batter hits one after the walk. The real question should be, "Why can't your pitchers get Bonds out?"
Update: The Athletic Reporter makes a very similar arguement, only much funnier.
Posted by David Pinto at
09:11 AM
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What are the chances the Giants will go out and sign a hitter to hit behind Bonds next year? He might actually break Aaron's record in 2005 if he had Magglio or Beltre or Drew or Delgado or Glaus or Sexson in a line-up with him. He might get to 800 in 2005 if they'd sign Beltran to hit in front of him and a big bat behind him. Just imagine...
Heh. Or imagine if the Giants had picked Manny up off waivers.
Bravo to the Athletic Reporter, outlining why changing the rules on intentional walks is so stupid, and focusing instead on something they should change.
If you want to see a game where they come up with pantywaist rules to encourage pitchers not to walk batters, watch co-ed slow-pitch softball, where men and women must alternate in the batting lineup and men who walk get two bases. Yecch.
Adam
