Walking Bonds: MLB Needs To Implement a New Rule

Mike · May 3rd, 2004, 02:29 PM

Too many people think this and I tend to agree. Barry Bonds is by far the most...
Full Article

Mean Machine · May 3rd, 2004, 04:23 PM

This would be great. After using up the two intentional walks, pitchers could just plunk him in his oversized steriod laden potato head.

JGAC · May 3rd, 2004, 05:15 PM

He would start being pegged....might happen but imagine the brawls that would break out if that happened.

Definately needs to be something down when it is in widescale use like this.

jtg33 · May 3rd, 2004, 06:49 PM

I agree that MLB needs to do something about this moronic "strategy" other clubs use against Bonds, but it would be a more difficult implement in practice. How would you determine between intentional and unintentional walks as a game wears on? Would an intentional walk be determined as when they pitch completely out of the strike zone so that the catcher stands, takes a step to the side, and catches the ball?

What about the "unintentional" intentional walk, where it seems as though the pitcher is pitching to a player, but he's actually just throwing four very low, very outside, or very high pitches? It may look as though the player in question is being pitched to, but the pitcher is actually just avoiding the player once again. Would that be counted as an intentional walk?

I'm not disagreeing in any way. A rule has to be put in place because right now Bonds is on a pace to walk 274 times this year. That's a preposterous number. The question is, how would MLB word the rule, and how would the umpires enforce the rule?

Mike · May 3rd, 2004, 08:56 PM

I am not sure how exactly this would be implemented what do ever. These were just the rough details. This is just my rant becauase I am a Giants fan and I am sick and tired of weatching him come to the plate and getting walked. It is unfair to him to have this happen, screw the rules of strategy, this makes no sence.

If he walks almost 300 times this year it would be a shame, one radio disjockey stated that he could hit .400 becuase of the lack of plate appearances. I wonder what poeple would say to that, I know, they would say that it was not real becuase of the lack of at bats, what a crock

JGAC · May 3rd, 2004, 09:03 PM

Its ridiculous.

Just pitch to the damn guy. He'll hit .400 and they'll say it wasn't true due to lack of hits and its the damn league's fault for that.

boner26 · May 4th, 2004, 10:21 AM

You're right Mike, something needs to be done. It's taking away from the game. I'm not paying to go see Bonds walked in every at bat.

Ishkur · May 4th, 2004, 11:22 AM

I imagine at some point in the future all baseball players are going to be so powerful that every time they connect with the ball sends it screaming out of the park.......so there's ultimately going to be only two consequences of every at-bat: a homerun or strike-out (or walk...or hit batter).

Fielders will be rendered obsolete in the future. As much as they are already. There doesn't even seem to be any strategy in baseball anymore. Every conceivable play is an IF-THEN statement.

jtg33 · May 4th, 2004, 02:53 PM

I'm kind of looking forward to see how the Colorado Rockies handle Barry Bonds. Traditionally they've been a team that will pitch to him almost all the time, unless there are runners on base in scoring position. They'll pitch to him at Pac Bell (I call it that becuase I can't remember the new stupid-ass name that stadium's got), and they'll pitch to him at Coors Field (where the ball goes rocketing out on a regular basis).

Clint Hurdle seems the kind of manager not to back down from a player like Bonds, and does not frequently tell pitchers to walk him. It'll be interesting to see if he sticks to that mantra this season while everyone else in the league is shaking like a little bitch when Bonds steps up to the plate.

JGAC · May 4th, 2004, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ishkur

I imagine at some point in the future all baseball players are going to be so powerful that every time they connect with the ball sends it screaming out of the park.......so there's ultimately going to be only two consequences of every at-bat: a homerun or strike-out (or walk...or hit batter).

Fielders will be rendered obsolete in the future. As much as they are already. There doesn't even seem to be any strategy in baseball anymore. Every conceivable play is an IF-THEN statement.

At that point Im all for bigger stadiums.

boner26 · May 5th, 2004, 09:59 AM

Bigger stadiums ain't bad either.

nyallsports · May 5th, 2004, 04:07 PM

Watch as the controversy builds on this one! If Bonds where to win the batting title with over a .400 average and maybe even beat out Ted Williams' record then all those baseball analysts are going to come out of the woodwork and say that it is not a true average because of the fact that his plate appearances are at an all time low, Watch it will happen !!!

zenmachine · May 7th, 2004, 04:22 PM

hey now kids, this is an easy one. tell bb to take off that pussified elbow thing-a-ma-jigg and get into the batter's box like a man. he looks like a farking hockey goalie. bob gibson, don drysdale, juan marichal (oops, he was a giant), sal maglie, and sandy koufax would get his arrogant ass off the inside corner of the plate. he certainly wouldn't be hitting anywhere near .350 if he didn't walk every other time up as it is.

i watched this jerk in pittsburgh day in and day out in his younger days. he is one of the worst outfielders i have ever seen and most girls' softball teams have 2 or 3 members that can throw further and more accurately. sid bream, who didn't exactly move at the speed of light, beat his throw to the plate in game 7 of the nat'l league playoffs (i'm still in therapy for that one) years ago and that was one of his BETTER throws.

face it, he is some kind of freak, his career is pretty freakish, the 70 HR season is much too freaky, and his destiny of karma receivership is soon to come around.

/up and in, i mean UP AND IN

Mike · May 7th, 2004, 06:21 PM

Where do you come off saying that he is one of the worst outfileders that has ever played.... They guy has won the most MVP awards and should have two more to his record. He has also won gold gloves while playing left field

PLUS

this is not even about his fielding ability, this is about him getting walked, so your comments are not valid about this topic

boner26 · May 8th, 2004, 08:42 AM

Damn! you hit a nerve with Mike on that one.

May 3rd, 2004, 02:29 PM	#1
Mike Join Date: 07-08-2002 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 10,816	Walking Bonds: MLB Needs To Implement a New Rule Too many people think this and I tend to agree. Barry Bonds is by far the most... Full Article

May 3rd, 2004, 04:23 PM	#2
Mean Machine Join Date: 04-06-2004 Location: parent's basement Posts: 38	This would be great. After using up the two intentional walks, pitchers could just plunk him in his oversized steriod laden potato head.

May 3rd, 2004, 05:15 PM	#3
JGAC Join Date: 05-09-2003 Location: North End, Boston Posts: 6,079	He would start being pegged....might happen but imagine the brawls that would break out if that happened. Definately needs to be something down when it is in widescale use like this.

May 3rd, 2004, 06:49 PM	#4
jtg33 Join Date: 03-17-2004 Location: Colorado Posts: 4,487	I agree that MLB needs to do something about this moronic "strategy" other clubs use against Bonds, but it would be a more difficult implement in practice. How would you determine between intentional and unintentional walks as a game wears on? Would an intentional walk be determined as when they pitch completely out of the strike zone so that the catcher stands, takes a step to the side, and catches the ball? What about the "unintentional" intentional walk, where it seems as though the pitcher is pitching to a player, but he's actually just throwing four very low, very outside, or very high pitches? It may look as though the player in question is being pitched to, but the pitcher is actually just avoiding the player once again. Would that be counted as an intentional walk? I'm not disagreeing in any way. A rule has to be put in place because right now Bonds is on a pace to walk 274 times this year. That's a preposterous number. The question is, how would MLB word the rule, and how would the umpires enforce the rule?

May 3rd, 2004, 08:56 PM	#5
Mike Join Date: 07-08-2002 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 10,816	I am not sure how exactly this would be implemented what do ever. These were just the rough details. This is just my rant becauase I am a Giants fan and I am sick and tired of weatching him come to the plate and getting walked. It is unfair to him to have this happen, screw the rules of strategy, this makes no sence. If he walks almost 300 times this year it would be a shame, one radio disjockey stated that he could hit .400 becuase of the lack of plate appearances. I wonder what poeple would say to that, I know, they would say that it was not real becuase of the lack of at bats, what a crock

May 3rd, 2004, 09:03 PM	#6
JGAC Join Date: 05-09-2003 Location: North End, Boston Posts: 6,079	Its ridiculous. Just pitch to the damn guy. He'll hit .400 and they'll say it wasn't true due to lack of hits and its the damn league's fault for that.

May 4th, 2004, 10:21 AM	#7
boner26 Join Date: 09-01-2003 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 1,667	You're right Mike, something needs to be done. It's taking away from the game. I'm not paying to go see Bonds walked in every at bat.

May 4th, 2004, 11:22 AM	#8
Ishkur Join Date: 12-27-2003 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 438	I imagine at some point in the future all baseball players are going to be so powerful that every time they connect with the ball sends it screaming out of the park.......so there's ultimately going to be only two consequences of every at-bat: a homerun or strike-out (or walk...or hit batter). Fielders will be rendered obsolete in the future. As much as they are already. There doesn't even seem to be any strategy in baseball anymore. Every conceivable play is an IF-THEN statement.

May 4th, 2004, 02:53 PM	#9
jtg33 Join Date: 03-17-2004 Location: Colorado Posts: 4,487	I'm kind of looking forward to see how the Colorado Rockies handle Barry Bonds. Traditionally they've been a team that will pitch to him almost all the time, unless there are runners on base in scoring position. They'll pitch to him at Pac Bell (I call it that becuase I can't remember the new stupid-ass name that stadium's got), and they'll pitch to him at Coors Field (where the ball goes rocketing out on a regular basis). Clint Hurdle seems the kind of manager not to back down from a player like Bonds, and does not frequently tell pitchers to walk him. It'll be interesting to see if he sticks to that mantra this season while everyone else in the league is shaking like a little bitch when Bonds steps up to the plate.

May 5th, 2004, 09:59 AM	#11
boner26 Join Date: 09-01-2003 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 1,667	Bigger stadiums ain't bad either.

May 5th, 2004, 04:07 PM	#12
nyallsports Join Date: 07-31-2003 Posts: 315	Watch as the controversy builds on this one! If Bonds where to win the batting title with over a .400 average and maybe even beat out Ted Williams' record then all those baseball analysts are going to come out of the woodwork and say that it is not a true average because of the fact that his plate appearances are at an all time low, Watch it will happen !!!

May 7th, 2004, 04:22 PM	#13
zenmachine Join Date: 10-21-2003 Location: pittsburgh Posts: 18	hey now kids, this is an easy one. tell bb to take off that pussified elbow thing-a-ma-jigg and get into the batter's box like a man. he looks like a farking hockey goalie. bob gibson, don drysdale, juan marichal (oops, he was a giant), sal maglie, and sandy koufax would get his arrogant ass off the inside corner of the plate. he certainly wouldn't be hitting anywhere near .350 if he didn't walk every other time up as it is. i watched this jerk in pittsburgh day in and day out in his younger days. he is one of the worst outfielders i have ever seen and most girls' softball teams have 2 or 3 members that can throw further and more accurately. sid bream, who didn't exactly move at the speed of light, beat his throw to the plate in game 7 of the nat'l league playoffs (i'm still in therapy for that one) years ago and that was one of his BETTER throws. face it, he is some kind of freak, his career is pretty freakish, the 70 HR season is much too freaky, and his destiny of karma receivership is soon to come around. /up and in, i mean UP AND IN

May 7th, 2004, 06:21 PM	#14
Mike Join Date: 07-08-2002 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 10,816	Where do you come off saying that he is one of the worst outfileders that has ever played.... They guy has won the most MVP awards and should have two more to his record. He has also won gold gloves while playing left field PLUS this is not even about his fielding ability, this is about him getting walked, so your comments are not valid about this topic

May 8th, 2004, 08:42 AM	#15
boner26 Join Date: 09-01-2003 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 1,667	Damn! you hit a nerve with Mike on that one.