Bonds's Stroke Is Long Gone
THE FACTS: BAROID CAN'T PULL THE BALL FOR NOTHING
Barry Bonds's power stroke is gone. No big revelation there. Just look at the stats: .244 batting average, three homers in 41 at-bats. Within those stats is the possible foreshadowing of events to come.
Bonds's three homeruns this season have come off an average velocity pitcher, a junkballer and a bonafide flamethrower. On all three occasions Bonds has deposited the ball in the left-center stands, which for a lefthanded hitter like Bonds would be less than typical. What it means is that Bonds can no longer turn on a pitch; he can't pull the ball, which means his bat speed is not quick enough to get in front of a pitch of even mild Major League velocity.
When Bonds hit his homer to left last Wednesday against the Mets' hardthrowing stopper, Billy Wagner, having a lethargic bat is all relative when he routinely hits 100 mph on the radar gun. Few are quick enough to pull his stuff. But, how do you explain not being able to catch up with Aaron Cook's fastball and more astonishingly the off-speed junk of the Mets' Steve Trachsel.
Whether its the weaning off of performance-enhancing drugs and the side-effect of finally dealing with the normal aging of an athletic body or Bonds has just lost his ability, the inability of to pull the ball is a telling symptom of a player amidst a steep decline in performance.
Nobody is saying it out loud and even some National League manager's continue to intentionally walk Bonds on the strength of his past performance, but come June, a consensus will emerge that Bonds is done and it will be noticed in the fact that more manager's will elect to pitch to Bonds even with a base open.
Barry Bonds's power stroke is gone. No big revelation there. Just look at the stats: .244 batting average, three homers in 41 at-bats. Within those stats is the possible foreshadowing of events to come.
Bonds's three homeruns this season have come off an average velocity pitcher, a junkballer and a bonafide flamethrower. On all three occasions Bonds has deposited the ball in the left-center stands, which for a lefthanded hitter like Bonds would be less than typical. What it means is that Bonds can no longer turn on a pitch; he can't pull the ball, which means his bat speed is not quick enough to get in front of a pitch of even mild Major League velocity.
When Bonds hit his homer to left last Wednesday against the Mets' hardthrowing stopper, Billy Wagner, having a lethargic bat is all relative when he routinely hits 100 mph on the radar gun. Few are quick enough to pull his stuff. But, how do you explain not being able to catch up with Aaron Cook's fastball and more astonishingly the off-speed junk of the Mets' Steve Trachsel.
Whether its the weaning off of performance-enhancing drugs and the side-effect of finally dealing with the normal aging of an athletic body or Bonds has just lost his ability, the inability of to pull the ball is a telling symptom of a player amidst a steep decline in performance.
Nobody is saying it out loud and even some National League manager's continue to intentionally walk Bonds on the strength of his past performance, but come June, a consensus will emerge that Bonds is done and it will be noticed in the fact that more manager's will elect to pitch to Bonds even with a base open.
That's a great story. Waiting for more. » » »
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Anonymous |
Monday, February 05, 2007 8:02:00 AM