Why hasn't Barry Bonds been signed by a MLB team?

Nobody wants that kind of bad publicity.
Putting Barry Bonds on your team right now is poison to your public image.

I’ve never been a Bonds fan. I’m not now. But this is just plain crazy.

This is one of the best players in the game. He hit 28 HR’s in 340 AB’s last year, and led the majors with a .480 OBP. And he’s willing to play for free!!!! Are the clubs THAT concerned with the negative press? I know he’s widely considered to have used steroids/cheated and that he’s a bad clubhouse presence. But the other steroid users accused in the Mitchell Report have been largely forgiven.

And wouldn’t Bonds’ HR’s and walks offset that anyway? The Yankees just signed Sidney Ponson, for goodness’ sake. He was the Rangers’ best pitcher, and cut because his personality was acid. Bonds obviously offers more performance than Ponson.

I’m surprised to find myself incensed at this situation. I don’t particularly like Bonds, but this is crazy. Last thing: rather than the headlines reading, “Bonds offers to play for free,” the headline reads, “Bonds won’t play for independent league team.” I don’t blame him! What is there to prove? And is the media showing a little bit of bias there? All right, that’s enough for me. What do you think?

Plus, his body is crumbling. The only thing keeping it together is steroids and surgery.

Oh, and bad publicity. Who wants a steroid user on their team?

He’s old, he’s been indicted, and he doesn’t have many friends in the game.
Fans don’t like him anymore, the players don’t like him anymore, and he’s defaced the game. “Baseball” and “steroids” are practically inseparable words now, and many people (myself included) blame Barry Bonds. He would just bring a bad energy to the team, and be a downer to the morale.

Teams don’t want to have to deal with the steroids issue.

He’s outta his prime. How much longer can he go? I’d say its just not worth the money.

You might been a superstar too if you had taken that many drugs, TL. Plus, I think Bonds persistent refusal to admit what everyone knows leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths.

Collusion.

You’re all right, and on another day, I would be writing the same things. I still don’t like Bonds. But given the public’s seeming general forgiveness of steroid users (with the exceptions of Clemens and, yes, Bonds)... all right, this is a losing battle. But why would the signing of Ponson be ok? Maybe not the same scale. Forget it. I’m killing my own points here.

Note to self: If I’m wanting discussion about how the media has left Bonds out to dry, don’t ask why he HASN’T been signed. Silly me.

nobody wants to sign him because he’s been indicted by a federal grand jury on perjury and obstruction of justice charges. who’s going to sign someone to a contract who might be in jail next year?

Bonds doesn’t go to trial until next year. Plenty of teams sign players to one-year contracts, or even half-year contracts, as Roger Clemens did for years. That’s totally normal. (Finally, a question I can answer! Boy, it does sound like I’m defending him, doesn’t it. Huh.)

If the fan jersey fits . . .

Bull. Several teams (Florida, St. Louis, Oakland, Tampa) all showed interest in signing Bonds then all of a sudden no one was interested. Zelig has never made it a secret of what he thinks of Barry Bonds. Zelig is from Milwaukee and once owned the Brewers. He’s a big fan of Hank Aaron who played his best years in that city. He never wanted Bonds to break Aaron’s HR record. It is obvious that this is a case of collusion. Bud Selig is the worst thing that’s come out of baseball. May he rot in Hell for cheapening the post season with the wild card and for polluting baseball with interleague play.

I’d like to see a spot of evidence suggesting Bug Selig somehow sabotaged Bonds’s career. I don’t buy it for a second.

This isn’t hard evidence, but Selig demonstrated extreme caution in attending Bonds’ record-breaking HR last year. For weeks, he wouldn’t commit to saying whether he’d be there or not. Finally he decided to, and the reports from eyewitnesses at the game were that he barely applauded.

Not exactly evidence of collusion, but neither is it demonstration of support of a monstrous talent breaking one of the biggest records in the game.

@TL & AC Yuck, I don’t want this next statement to put me in the boat with Bud “Slimy” Selig, but . . .Many people, myself included, felt Bonds did not break that record, the steroids did.

I’m still trying to figure out why this is yanking my chain.

I couldn’t believe that Bonds had literally offered to play for free, even giving his salary away for children to come watch the game! I mean, that’s something a nice person would do! And then the headline is that Bonds refuses to play in the minors. Refusing to play in the minors is only a story if he had demonstrated that he could no longer play, which is not even close to the case.

Maybe this is just a case of Bonds reaping what he’s sown with the media over the years. I still don’t think it’s fair – how he was treated by the press, or by MLB teams.

@Marina, yes, I agree, maybe the steroids did the work. But why have all other players been universally forgiven (except Clemens)? Why the double standard? Gagne? Lo Duca? Their “apologies” couldn’t have been any lamer.

@TL I personally got a lot more exercised at the treatment of a great running back and even better human being when the Seattle Seahawks released Sean Alexander. I thought he deserved better from management and the fans. Not he can’t get a job anywhere in football.

Professional sports are very notional and faddish. There was a guy the Phillies once did a 5-for-1 trade for with the Cleveland Indians, because everyone in the business was dazzled that he was a five-tool player with such potential even though he had not done that well for Cleveland. Guess what? Von Hayes never lived up to his hype.

You’re deluded thinking this is a steroids issue. This is a personal vendetta. Yes, I believe Bonds used HGH and steroids knowingly. That didn’t pump up his HRs directly, but enabled a 40 year old athlete to heal and refresh as if he were 20. Like him or not he was the most intimidating figure in baseball.
Many of you talk as if the ownership has any integrity. Several GMs wanted Barry in their line up. He puts butts in the seats as well as balls in the bleachers. That’s money. All of a sudden, well before this new grand jury indictment, they suddenly weren’t interested. And you think this isn’t about collusion?

I don’t think his stats from the early years in Pittsburgh presumably before drugs support that. Lefteh, any help, you stat man, you?

@AC, I feel like you’re backing me up here, and whether that’s true or not, it feels good. Actually, I get you’re just making your own point. AC, why don’t you think the players union has filed a grievance? Is it like Lefteh said, that he doesn’t have many friends left in the game? (Did he ever?)

@Marina, yes, I know the stats point to a major increase in power around when he purportedly started taking steroids. No argument from me there.

But no one has addressed my point about the double standard and forgiveness of other steroid users. Other than Marina’s point about the faddish nature of the sports world.

I don’t think I’ve ever been as passionate about a Fluther question to date. I’m having fun.

@Marina: 16 home runs in 1986, 73 in 2001.

Isnt it funny how the ball took off after the disasterous strike that bit the greedy owners in the wallet. But of course, it was just a tighter wound ball. They couldn’t possibly know about players getting juiced. McGwire, the great white hope would save baseball as he beat out Sosa and Griffey for the single season HR title.
Just how many players do you think were clean? Baseball needed a posterboy. He was the perfect scapegoat. The media hated him, he had this abrasive personality and primadonna reputation. Worst of all he toppled the great white hope that was McGwire.

Damn AC, I’ve never heard you like this. Angry about it?

Lefteh, Barry was a skinny rookie in ‘86 and only had 413 AB’s. If I were picking pro-steroids stats, I wouldn’t pick those. And again, I’m not questioning the allegations that he used steroids.

lefteh- Bonds only played in 113 games in ‘86. Compare the total HR count for all players in 1986 with recent years. You might see a little discrepancy.

Thanks y’all. This is what I needed.

All I’m saying is Don’t drink the kool-aid!

Ugly Barry just needs to go away….
So far so good….

@Trustinglife: I’m aware of his situation in 1986. There’s just no conceivable way to explain such a boost in stats from his rookie year to 2001 other than drugs. And I know you’re not disputing that — Marina just asked for the stats.

@AstroChuck: I do see a discrepancy, I call it steroids.

Of course. That’s my point. You talk as if it’s just Barry and no one else. That all this somehow eluded Bud Selig. It’s the same mindset that always blames the players in strikes and for driving up costs, when the ownership is the real culprit.
But that’s another argument, isn’t it?

It is, and it’s one in which I wholeheartedly agree with you.
It’s not that I think Barry’s the only one, it’s just that he’s certainly acted as a ringleader. People have gone through him to get to his ‘roids, and he’s the face of drugs in baseball. I don’t think this is entirely his fault, but it definitely would bring a bad rap to any club that signed him.

Regarding steroids. Why the Fluther does the fact that other players used them and got away with it mean that BB should not be held accountable? The case for him is much clearer. He has also consistently lied about it.

Regarding his early stats, I disagree with you about the kid part. I used to watch him play then (I was in Philadelphia.). He was not a power hitter. Compare the change to Ken Griffey Jr who broke in at 19 or ALex Rodriguez who played full-time at 20.

You guys are reading what I’m writing but you’re not hearing me.

Then try again, AC.

Too lazy. You win.

Aww, I wanted to get what you said. I heard you vis a vis the idea of racism. I certainly have no argument with there being a double standard in that regard. Hank Aaron, Sammy Sosa. Yes, it is rampant and could be a factor in Barry’s treatment.

Was there more I did not “get?”

And I heard you about collusion and your talking about Bud Selig’s dislike for him and how that helped to keep him out of baseball.

Sorry. I’ll get into when on the computer. Just too much to type on iPhone.

I just read a GREAT article on why Barry Bonds should be signed by the Royals. It addresses all the crap that comes with Barry and is very convincing. Enjoy.

Looks like the Arizona Diamondbacks and Boston are in the hunt, but the man missed spring training, and 1/2 the season thus far… I doubt he will make a huge impact anywhere if he gets signed by someone.