Some Revisionist History- 2008 Blue Jays

[DustyBaker]

I recently pulled up Barry Bonds Fangraph page, just to take a quick peak at his ridiculous numbers in light of all the historical talk surrounding Trout. Scanning across the years, I finally came down to his final year, 2007. Now, going off my memory (I was 19 at the time), I recalled him having a decent year; however all the hoopla surrounding his PED usage/douchebaggery outweighed his production, and he was considered untouchable going into 2008. Actually looking at the numbers now though, he was still phenomenal - .276/.480/.565 / 157 wRC+ - good for (T)6th in the league. To further put that into context, Edwin currently has a 145 wRC+.

 

Now, I'm sure most everyone remembers the 2008 Blue Jays; top pitching staff in the league, anemic offense, and finished at 86-76. The closest season we have had in a long time to achieving great (any) things. During that year as our offense struggled, there were some people, including people on the old board, calling for Bonds to support our offense. Instead, JP settled for the remarkably uninspired duo of Kevin Mench and Brad Wilkerson - who promptly put up a 63 and 77 wRC+ respectively.

 

So, with the metrics we currently have (WAR, wRC+), do you think we would have made a move for Bonds? And subsequently, won an additional 4 games for the playoffs? While we'll never know how much collusion among the GM's actual took place to not pick him up, I was always of the (perhaps misplaced) belief that no one grabbed him as a .276 BA and 26 HR's didnt justify the circus surrounding him. But with what we know now, I think just about anyone would inherit a circus to have the former 6th best hitter.

 

Now before people jump on me, I would like to acknowledge that I understand revisionist history is a flawed exercise, and you never know what would have unfolded otherwise. I just thought I'd share, as when I looked at Bonds 2007 numbers I was extremely surprised how great he still was - and the Jays easily could have had him. Especially considering our best hitter was Wells with a 118 wRC+, that upgrade easily could have turned the Jays into a 90 win team- and with that pitching staff who knows how far that could have taken us (and what Ricciardi's reputation would now be)

[jays_fever]

Should an MLB team tried to acquire the best hitter of our generation? Yes

[GD]

Absolutely

[DustyBaker]

Should an MLB team tried to acquire the best hitter of our generation? Yes

Hah fair enough, but they didnt. Do you think teams were unaware of how amazing he still was? or was it just a league wide blackball?

I guess the point of my post was a mix of A) holy s*** Bonds was still amazing how did he retire, and goddamn the 2008 Jays were so close. Merge those two ideas together = profit?

[Olerud363]

Well what actually happened was that Frank Thomas was the DH... Shannon Stewart and Matt Stairs were left fielders.

 

In retrospect those players didn't work out. But going into 2008 it would of been hard to justify replacing Thomas with Bonds... Similiar players at the time, Bonds better, but Thomas seemingly healthier and younger.

 

Stairs and Stewart were coming off very good 2007s and it was also logical to think at the time that a platoon/job share would be as good (defensively, offensively, health wise) as Bonds.

 

Then it all fell apart and went real bad to the point where Thomas had to be released, Cito Gaston dug up from florida or wheverever, Stewart released, and at that point the season was almost 1/2 over anyway and they wanted to play Adam Lind.

 

At the moment Thomas was released (after a fight with Gibbons) it was only late April, so it may have sense to dig up Bonds at that point. Possibly could of helped. I think the thinking was that after releasing one big, old guy because of decline/speed/lack of position the last thing they wanted was to replace him with another big old guy with the same problems... not saying it was right, just that was the thinking.

 

If there ever was a time for Cito Gaston, it may have been at the beginning of 2008, not the middle. Sign Bonds for left, get Gaston to manage, he would have never-ending faith in the old coots and there wouldn't of been the Thomas vs. Gibby controversy, and maybe just maybe Cito could of got good hitting years out of Bonds/Thomas and been senile enough to ignore the defense/attitude/etc. It might of worked.

 

In my mind that is the only possible use of Cito Gaston, show faith in 2 real old guys who get on base (If guys are "meant" to get on base, Cito lets them get on base (McGriff, Delgado, Bautista)).