Barry Bonds a Brave?

Back in the early 1990’s there was a deal that was 99.9% done that would have made Barry Bonds a Brave, but Pittsburgh Pirates management pulled out at the last second, forever changing the landscape of the NL East.  Phil Rogers, of ChicagoSports.com suggests in a recent article that the modern day Barry Bonds, who is still looking for a team to sign with for 2008, would best fit in with the Atlanta Braves.  Rogers argues that with a hole in left field and Bobby Cox as a capable ring leader, the Braves would benefit from the services of Bonds and could do so at a nominal fee.

First, let’s straighten a few things out.  There is no hole in left field.  Matt Diaz is a proven hitter (at least in a platoon situation), who plays left field as well as the ancient Barry Bonds.  Brandon Jones is a young talent ready to take his hacks playing part time in left with Diaz, and it is to the Braves’ advantage if they let him get a full season of experience under his belt in 2008.  And though Bobby Cox is known as one of the best “player’s coaches” in all of baseball, the presence of Bonds would turn the clubhouse on its head, and I can’t imagine that Chipper Jones or John Smoltz wouldn’t have a problem sharing space with such distracting individual as Bonds.  Cox might stand in the dugout and let out a few cheers for “Bondsie” whenever he came up to bat, but beyond that there isn’t much a manager can do for a player as old as Bonds, even if that manager is the legendary Bobby Cox.

The only reason the Braves might even consider bringing Bonds into the picture would be to attract a larger fan base, but they would also risk alienating half of their current fan base.  Braves fans are a conservative bunch, who love to cheer for the good guys, and love even more to boo the bad guys.  Bonds would be seen as the most despised pariah in all of Atlanta sports (and there are plenty of those to go around at present), and a freak show not worth paying good money to see when cable t.v. is so much cheaper.  Besides, fate has already shown that Bonds was never meant to be a Brave.