Thanks John, you figured right.
Anyone remember who knew it all along?
Posted on 01/14/2002 8:47:07 PM PST by John R. (Bob) Locke
SAN FRANCISCO -- Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants agreed Monday night to a $90 million, five-year contract.
Bonds, who set baseball's season home-run record by hitting 73 last season, will receive a $10 million signing bonus to be paid through April 2004. He gets salaries of $13 million in each of the next two seasons, $16 million in 2004, $20 million in 2005 and $18 million in 2006.
The average annual value of $18 million ties bonds with Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs for the fourth-highest in baseball, trailing only Texas shortstop Alex Rodriguez ($25.2 million), Boston outfielder Manny Ramirez ($20 million) and New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter ($18.9 million).
"His personal accomplishments speak for themselves," Giants general manager Brian Sabean said. "He is such a vital element to our club's success."
Only the first four years and $72 million are guaranteed. If Bonds doesn't have 500 or more plate appearances in 2005, the team can void the final year of the contract. If Bonds has 1,500 or more plate appearances combined from 2003 to 2005, including 400 or more in the final year, the last season becomees guaranteed.
The Giants will defer $5 million of year's salary, money to be paid from 2007 to 2011. Bonds, who has a no-trade clause, gets $2.5 million of the signing bonus on April 1, $3.5 million on April 1, 2003, and $4 million on April 1, 2004.
Bonds, the first player to win four Most Valuable Player awards, became a free agent after the season but the Giants were the only team to acknowledge making an offer for the 37-year-old outfielder. He accepted the team's offer of salary arbitration on Dec. 20, and the sides were set to exchange proposed salaries Friday for a one-year contract.
Bonds had one of the greatest seasons in baseball history, breaking the previous record of 70 homers, set by Mark McGwire three years ago. Bonds also had an .863 slugging percentage and 177 walks, breaking season marks set by Babe Ruth.
Teams were wary of a long-term deal because of his age and lack of success in the postseason, where he has a .196 average (19-for-97) with one homer and six RBI.
Bonds has 567 career homers, seventh on the career list and 188 short of Hank Aaron's record.
Glad to see him stay in San Francisco. Hopefully more people will start to wake up to the fact that he's the greatest player in the game since that guy who used to patrol center field for that same team.
Thanks John, you figured right.
Anyone remember who knew it all along?
Thanks Giants.
Do I think Bonds is a jerk? Yes.
Would I want him on my team (the Cardinals)? In a fricking heartbeat (Sorry Big Mac).
Yeah, everyone in baseball wants to play for...
What's their manager's name?
Whatever happened to Chan Ho?
BTW, how'd you like that Reggie Sanders signing?
Jason Schmidt?
That's how old he'll be at the end of this contract.
And by that time, the Giants will have won more NL West titles than the Dodgers, and Barry will be placed among the rarified air of baseball greats, behind only Mays and Ruth on the all-time list.
Would I want him on my team (the Cardinals)? In a fricking heartbeat (Sorry Big Mac).
Don't think the first statement is as cut and dried as you, but I appreciate your honesty.
And in the interest of honesty, Mays was better, and Barry would say so. The nod goes to Willie's gun.
And Willie will tell you that the Babe was better, because he could pitch like Pedro.
That is the most outrageous thing I have ever read on the internet.
I think he's behind Mays and Ruth, but that's because he's only slightly above-average as a fielder. Ruth is going to stay atop the all-time list for most people because he had such HUGE success at the plate (there's just no comparison to be made between him and anyone else in all of baseball until Gehrig showed up) as well as on the mound (if they'd had the Cy Young award back then he likely would have won a couple). But my personal vote would go to Mays, because the man just did it ALL at the highest level possible. Mantle was a great, great player, but I'd take Bonds over him any day. May have been a different story if Mickey had taken better care of himself off the field, but he didn't.
All that being said, Bonds IS the best LF ever (yes, better than Ted Williams), and if he gets anywhere near Aaron's record (which I think he has a real shot at if he has two more really good years of 50+ HR) then he's going to make a real run at the all-time best pinnacle in many people's eyes, including my own.
Do I wish he were a better person? Sure.
Does that take away from what he has done on the field? Not one bit. Just as it didn't for Ruth, Cobb, and a host of others.
Who cares.
Whatever happened to Chan Ho?
He started stinking.
...Reggie Sanders ... Jason Schmidt?
Bench players who might get more ab's than Broken-down Barry.
Notice he didn't deny it?
PRND21 is honest about Bonds in his own way.
It's only outrageous because Bonds is better than anyone that's ever played for the Dodgers. As was Mays. As was McCovey.
That's his OPS, not slugging percentage. But the rest of my comment stays the same.
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