The Gray Pages

Friday, May 19, 2006

It's over. Fourteen games played last year, a .233 batting average this year through one-quarter of the season. It's over. Retire.

Yeah, the guy leading the league in OBP should definitely retire. If he were playing for the Sox, would you want a guy with a 950 OPS walking away?

By Anonymous, at 6:42 PM
20 intentional walks. If he had popped out to second, like he always does now, that's reaching base 51 times instead of 71 times. Still 123 plate appearances, so his real OBP is .414, not 484. And a lot of his 23 non-intentional walks are probably because people were afraid to pitch to him. Which is why his batting average is the relevant number, not on-base percentage.

And if he were playing for the Sox, then the Sox could go to hell for all I care.

By Josh, at 9:32 AM
So I have this straight, your argument that he is no longer any good is based on statistics in a land called What Should Have Been?

By Anonymous, at 10:56 AM
I normally believe in OBP. But you have to admit that intentionally walking Bonds (or any player) sort of warps his OBP. Maybe it would be more fair to exclude the IBBs entirely -- 51 times on base, 103 plate appearances? But that only makes him look better.

Watch him. He can't swing any more. His batting average, right now, defines him. Well, his isolated power has to be really good, too, but I don't really understand what that stat means.

Either way, he's not getting 20 IBBs for the rest of the season. Pop-outs to second are way more likely.

By Josh, at 11:29 AM