A Preview A Day Keeps the Winter Away, #11

For the month of March I will be doing a season preview, with a new team each day, going in alphabetical order by team so I can save the Yankees for last, because I am, in fact, that devious.

As this is a Yankees' blog, the previews for AL East teams will be more detailed than those of AL Central and AL West teams, and any AL team previews will be more detailed than NL team previews, save maybe for the Mets. Each preview will involve consideration of how much 'threat' a team is to the Yankees, for fairly obvious reasons.

Up today: The San Francisco Giants

Well, there's no reason to sugar coat it: without Bonds, the Giants aren't even mildly intriguing. The only team in the entirety of the major leagues that could possibly be described as out of contention on April 30th, would likely be Baltimore, and the Orioles don't even play in the National League.

The Giants do have a couple young arms in Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, and you (of course) can't ignore that they have a Molina catching, but that's it. I mean, their shortstop is Omar Vizquel, who is a little past his prime.

It could be argued that the Giants' front office hasn't been able to see past Bonds--there is little other way to explain it, but one hopes that when the fans stop coming, because Bonds isn't there any more and the team is still losing, the FO will finally realize what sort of mess their team is in.

Threat level to the Yankees: Green, Proceed Normally.

Yeah, umm. If the Yankees and the Giants play each other this year, we would probably be having a conversation about the oddest year in baseball, ever.

Honestly, the Rays are a bigger threat.

All About Barry (Again)

It's generally a bad idea to make posts about things that are highly emotional right after you find out about it--so that's why my Bonds post last afternoon was so short.

So I've had a day to think about it.

There is, of course, a lot you could say about the indictment. You can argue that 'okay, finally something is being done about steroids" or that "Why did they wait until now", or even "they're only going after Barry because he's Barry."

Truth is, it's a bit of everything.

Steroids are a real problem. They are a big problem. Barry Bonds is an easy target. Barry Bonds is a good target. The government has proof that Bonds did use steroids.

There is no question that this has suddenly become the biggest story of the off season (and not A-Rod...wow, I almost feel bad for Scott Boras. Almost.) and that it could, if it goes to trial and Bonds is proven guilty, be something that shakes the sport for a long time to come.


However, Barry Bonds is not Micheal Vick. Bonds did not harm another human being, did not desecrate property, did not harm animals, did not cause tangible damage. It is important to remember this when weighing whether or not Bonds deserves to be criminally prosecuted. Remember that Bill Clinton perjured himself while President, and simply ended up impeached, not incarcerated.

What Barry Bonds did do, however, is hurt an idea, and perhaps an ideal. He hurt the idea that men could do truly great feats, like hit 756 home runs, on nothing more than talent and honed skill. He hurt the idea that it was possible to have heroes that were human doing things that were not human. He hurt the idea that the home run record was sacred, that only someone touched by divine grace such as Hank Aaron could touch it.

So what should happen to Bonds?

Well, it seems the worst has happened. Before 2000, Bonds would easily be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. Now, despite the record, he will probably end up in the limb of Mark McGuire, Pete Rose and those others who let things slightly less than legal, slightly hubraic (I just invented a word!) overwhelm their on-field accomplishments.

Bonds will never be able to fully separate or exonerate himself from the steroid allegations. He has become a symbol, a caricature of everything we see wrong with baseball today.

Perhaps, in some sense, that is punishment enough.

Bonds Might Need THAT Sort of Bond

Well, free wireless at the airport has many uses. Such as, I can now tell you all that according to the Enterprise-Record,

Barry Bonds has been indicted on perjury and obstruction charges

I could go on about how this has completely made my day, if not my week, but I have a feeling that would be juvenile.

Seriously, though, this is one crazy off season. Wow. Battery dying, must go.