All-star starting LF Bonds vs Soriano

[backer55]

I make no appoligies, i'm pulling for Bonds. In the recent ballot tally, Soriano has moved ahead of Bonds in the voting for NL starting outfielders. Nothing against Soriano, he's a young stud player sure to make his mark in this game. I believe Bonds though, is having a much better year and should be voted in as the starter. As of today...

AB BB SO HR OBP OPS SLUG AVE
248 18 51 10 .352 .872 .520 .298 Soriano
158 64 27 13 .491 1.067 .576 .285 Bonds

[bigboy1234]

It should be Bonds, because he's an OG, plus its at his homepark and a little better this year. But why no love for Matt Holliday or Aaron Rowand or even Byrnes that is a more deserving OF than the current one.

[FNQ]

Holliday would be my pick, but odds are Bonds will win because its in SF and likely his last hurrah. Holliday and Byrnes both deserve to be on the team though, even more so, IMO...

[backer55]

Holliday makes a much stronger argument than Soriano to me. Under rated by the fans, not sure why. I think that if Bonds were to be beaten out of the starting job by Holliday, i could live with it. He's having a super great year.

But this post is about Bonds and Soriano because they are who the fans have voted 3rd and 4th. One wins the job the other is left to the players or manager to decide if he gets to go. Even with Barry's so called slump, his stats are still very impressive and he gets around in left field much better that alot of the media will give credit.

[SportsWorld]

It doesn't really matter IMO. Bonds, Soriano, and Holliday will all most likely make the team.

[backer55]

It doesn't really matter IMO. Bonds, Soriano, and Holliday will all most likely make the team.


I hope they do. Byrnes as well. Gotta love the hustle in that guy.

What i would like to see is someone take the side of Soriano over Bonds. Keep in mind the current stats that i posted in the opener and state your case. After all, he is ahead at this time...how is that justified?

[bigboy1234]

How is it justified? Well maybe because Soriano plays in a huge market (and just got a huge deal) and casual fans, ones who vote, overrate Soriano. Not saying Sori isn't a good player but god does he suck at getting on base. Sori also has over 50 more PA, which is the advantage of playing in the equivalent to 10 more games. The gap between them really isn't that big as for what they've done this year overall. Why aren't you making threads on the injustice that is having I-Rod, Cano, Manny, Griffey, and maybe Beltran starting? Because quite frankly there are always about 5 or so players who go each year who don't deserve it.

[backer55]

"Why aren't you making threads on the injustice that is having I-Rod, Cano, Manny, Griffey, and maybe Beltran starting? Because quite frankly there are always about 5 or so players who go each year who don't deserve it."

I guess cause i'm scratching what itches.

Very good point though. At the beginning of the year, there was talk of Bonds maybe being put on the All-star team just because of who and what he was along with the fact that the game is in SF. Many were not in favor of this and voiced their displeasure and concern. Here now, we have a case where, IMO, he does not only deserve to be on the team, his play has been good enough to warrent a starting role.

So, reading between the lines, your saying, It's not just your guy. lot's of deserving players don't start because, deserving or not, the fans who vote only partially start the most deserving guy.

[bigboy1234]

What do I-Rod, Cano, Manny, Griffey, and Beltran have in common? They all play for a huge market or are extremely popular.

What is Bonds? Extremely unpopular, it's just the way it is. I personally like Bonds but I could careless about an all-star game.

[SportsWorld]

Soriano is hitting over .300 and as 12 homers.
He is doing everything the Cubs brought him here to do.

[treyZz]

I bet a lot of Dodger fans are voting for Soriano as well.

They don't want Bonds to start lol.

& Soriano isn't exactly "young" by any means.

[backer55]

My 25 votes are in, what else can a guy do? Sounds like too much politics involved but there are checks and balances in place. Hopefully this deserving player won't be slighted.

I think as time goes by many people are going to take a different outlook on their rememberance of Barry Bonds. Hopefully, we'll all be around in twenty, thirty or more years and can tell of the days when Barry played the game, how hard he hit the ball, talk of his HR to SO to walk ratio. His excellence with power and speed on the bases, his many Gold Gloves, Many MVP's, the ability to work a pitch count until he could get just one decent pitch to hit...and nail it. Then there was always those clutch walkoff wins both accomplished and not allowed.

There are revalations about the "steroid era" that may take a few years to surface, but surface they will. What Bonds may have done will be considered "small potato's" compared to what will be reveiled to be commonplace and encourged by those behind the scenes. Until then, i'm going to enjoy the last pages in his saga, history being made in every one of his AB's. Mr Bonds will go down in the books by many as "The Greatest" all around baseball player ever to put a uni on and i can say that i stuck by the man through thick and thin. I feel lucky to have wittnesed his greatness. I'm a Bonds fan.

[TSC25]

I'd say at this time,Soriano is starting to play at a allstar level while Bonds really hasnt been hitting well as of late,but I think they should use the DH in every allstar game anyway no matter what leagues park it's in.

[backer55]

These are the #'s i posted in my opening of this thread
AB BB SO HR OBP OPS SLUG AVE
248 18 51 10 .352 .872 .520 .298 Soriano
158 64 27 13 .491 1.067 .576 .285 Bonds

Through 4 AB's each in todays games these are the updated stats
AB BB SO HR OBS OPS SLUG AVE
265 18 54 11 .345 .862 .517 .294 Soriano
167 67 28 14 .492 1.073 .581 .287 Bonds

Many seem to follow "i remember when" or the "what have you done lately" formula in their All-Star picks. Because of what is reported on the news, other than his slow but sure march to the HR record, you could sumise that Bonds has had a bad year and it's getting worse. Not so!

He is leading the N.League in base on balls, On Base #, and OPS this year! This is remarkable considering he only gets pitched to when not on a terror or the game isn't on the line cause it is industry known that "Bonds WILL beat you!" Give the man his due, Vote Bonds!!!

[34Celtic]

Bonds in a landslide. This year and any other year.

[34Celtic]

Soriano in his prime = A poor man Barry Bonds with no patience and below average D

[backer55]

Thanks 34, i really don't mean to pick on Soriano, haven't really followed the Cubs that much, except to see the fights,lol, especially since Dusty is gone.

[34Celtic]

I dont mean to pick on him either. But I never really liked him when he was on the Yankees, and I'm a Yankees fan. I don't like his approach, or his play in the field.

[backer55]

Newest fan votes tally for the all-star game just in, so far;

1,013,645 soriano 3rd and final starting outfield position.
0,893,159 bonds 4th and no berth unless voted in by players or the manager.

Bonds -120,486 gap has widened from 42k in last poll release.