Something I noticed...

[SackAttack]

Ken Griffey Jr: 498 HR, turns 35 in late November
Barry Bonds: 674 HR, turns 40 in late July.

176 HR, and 5 1/2 years separate the two. Griffey lost two or three years to injury, Bonds has remained fairly healthy throughout his career.

That said, if you had to face those two back-to-back in a lineup, and you couldn't walk both of them...which one would you pitch to, and which one would you issue the free pass to?

[Ragone]

I'd hit griffey on the hip.. that would probably injure him.. and not having to deal with him the next time around

[LionsFan10]

I've always liked Griffey, no real reason why. Maybe it's because of his swing, I've always liked his swing and thought it was one of the best in baseball. But if I could only walk one batter, I'd walk Bonds and pitch to Griffey.

[SackAttack]

Sorry, you lose. My hypothetical implies that one is intentionally walked (if, in fact, you'd walk either man), not plunked on the hip, the head, or anywhere else (although I'd love to see the smirk wiped off Bonds' face...but I digress).

Try again, without hitting either batter.

[SackAttack]

Dola - above post refers to Ragone.

[sabotai]

I'm not a sissy, I'd throw to both of them. Then the coach would make sure I did not pitch against them again...all part of my plan on not having to pitch to Griffy and Bonds. :)

[Ragone]

I'd hit griffey and pitch to bonds.. hitting griffey saves my pitcher from having to throw 3 balls :P

actually your situtation is kinda hard to read... who is up first? whats the runners on base situation.. how many outs? game score?

[SackAttack]

Let's just say bases loaded (I can't imagine anybody walking TWO straight hitters deliberately under those circumstances) and two down. Score? Close enough that you're worrying about in the first place instead of saying "The hell with it, let 'er rip."

[Marmel]

With the bases loaded i pitch to either of them with 2 outs.

With 1st base open I walk Bonds to get to Griffey. I pitch to Griffey if Bonds follows him.

[Neuqua]

Did I miss something or isn't Griffey batting less than .250?

[stevew]

Even if Griffey is having a ressurection this year, I still would pitch to him with the bases loaded before I would pitch to Bonds with the bases empty.

[tucker342]

Ken Griffey Jr: 498 HR, turns 35 in late November
Barry Bonds: 674 HR, turns 40 in late July.

176 HR, and 5 1/2 years separate the two. Griffey lost two or three years to injury, Bonds has remained fairly healthy throughout his career.

That said, if you had to face those two back-to-back in a lineup, and you couldn't walk both of them...which one would you pitch to, and which one would you issue the free pass to?
That's a very easy choice for me, you pitch to Griffey and you walk Bonds

And if the bases are loaded: you pitch to both of them (but with Barry, be very careful).

[TroyF]

Not really much of a contest here. You pitch the Griffey. Even in Griffey's "return" year, his numbers to Bonds aren't remotely close.

BA = .249 - .374
SLG= .569 - .861

If people pitched to Bonds the same way they did to Griffey, Bonds would have 30+ HR right now.

Not saying Griffey isn't an incredible power hitter. Saying Bonds is on a different world right now.

[Bearcat729]

Not really much of a contest here. You pitch the Griffey. Even in Griffey's "return" year, his numbers to Bonds aren't remotely close.

BA = .249 - .374
SLG= .569 - .861

If people pitched to Bonds the same way they did to Griffey, Bonds would have 30+ HR right now.

Not saying Griffey isn't an incredible power hitter. Saying Bonds is on a different world right now.


It's funny that people now walk Sean Casey to get to Griffey.

[DanGarion]

I'd walk Pujols and pitch to Bonds.

[scooper]

Yep, that happened three times in the course of a week a couple weeks back. Funny how things change. But 2/3 times he made them pay with a game winning double and a game winning home run.

[Arles]

The best answer to this is look how major league pitchers and managers are dealing with both this season:

Bonds - 195 Plate Apps, 115 ABs, 79 walks (42 Int), 99 total bases
Griffey - 231 Plate Apps, 197 ABs, 32 walks (2 Int), 112 total bases

I think that pretty much sums it up ;)

[Franklinnoble]

Griffey would have been the all-time greatest if he'd had any sort of work ethic. Now he's just a disappointing waste of talent.

[TroyF]

I'd walk Pujols and pitch to Bonds.


Not sure how serious you were with this, but this is one of the most amazing things to me about Bonds. You look at Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols and you see two of the finest young hitters this game has ever seen.

Yet, Bonds at 40 is not only a better hitter right now, he's a SUPERIOR hitter to them. At almost any other point in the history of the game, you'd look at Pujols numbers last year and say "he's a lock for MVP" He hit .359, slugged .667, was on base at a .439 clip. . . he's dominant.

Then you look at Barry. .341, .799, .529

OBP 90 points better. SLG well over 100 points better.

This year it continues, with Pujols putting up yet another incredible season:

.325 BA, .414 OBP, .617 SLG

Only to have Bonds go:

.374 BA, .631 OBP, .861 SLG :eek: :eek: :eek:

I have no idea how much the drugs are playing a part here (with either of them), but I know that Bonds is far and away the best hitter in the game right now at 40. Nobody else comes close at this point.

[Radii]

And if the bases are loaded: you pitch to both of them (but with Barry, be very careful).


You know, I feel like a pussy for being in this camp, but, if I'm ahead by 3 or 4 in the bottom of the 9th, 2 outs, bases loaded, and bonds up, I think more often than not I walk him.

[korme]

If you walk anyone to get to Griffey this year he just bombs them over the wall, so you have to walk Griffey and face Bonds. ;)

[IMetTrentGreen]

finally a troyf post that isnt comletely stupdi and a waste of time. it took like 5 years, but it was worth the wait

bonds is not playing the same game other people are. its not close. he is a ruthian athlete right now, and i wish more people could jsut shut up and enjoy it

[HornedFrog Purple]

I would pitch to both of them if my pitcher wasn't handicapped from losing an entire third of the plate when he takes the mound.

[Sharpieman]

Sorry, you lose. My hypothetical implies that one is intentionally walked (if, in fact, you'd walk either man), not plunked on the hip, the head, or anywhere else (although I'd love to see the smirk wiped off Bonds' face...but I digress).

Try again, without hitting either batter.
No you lose, you don't have Barry. Walk Bonds. Always walk Bonds. And this is coming from a Giants fan.

[IMetTrentGreen]

check out these nbumbers from a post i made on another board. even though i know what bonds is worth, i was shocked:

by (avg./obp./slg.)

bonds worst year in 4 years: .328/.515/.863 (these were his worst total numbers, he still hit 73 this year)

best year in 4 years:
vlad - .345/.410/.664
arod - .316/.420..607
pujols - .359/.439/.667
manny r - .346/.444/.649

so the the fuck else do you want. bonds worst year since 2001 was better, by far, than any ofthese players best. only manny ramirez can even stand up on stage without being laughed off. no amound of fielding makes up for this

[kcchief19]

On Sack's original question, it depends on the time frame. Right now, I'm pitching to the Griffey and want nothing of Bonds. If it's the mid 1990s, I'll pitch to Bonds and dance around Griffey. In their primes, I'd walk Bonds and deal with Griffey.

If Bonds is clean, he's the best hitter ever, bar none. If he's on the juice, technically he didn't break a rule, but he's a fraud. However, the key to Barry's success to me is two fold: he's a brave SOB and teams let him get away with murder.

He's not that brave in that he goes to the plate where everything of armor imaginable and stands right on top of the plate. If you're going to dig in like Barry and you aren't afraid of getting plunked, it's a heck of a lot easier to hit the way he's hitting. Pitching inside is the key to good defensive baseball. If guys aren't afraid of being hit inside, then you lose the advantage of pitching inside.

If this were the 1950s, Barry would be drilled in the head once a week, if not more. He gets plunked plenty today, but that's usually because someone leaves a pitching up and inside over the plate and Barry's shoulder pad is already there. Don Drysdale would have drilled this guy in the head every time he stepped in and then would have run him over in the parking lot after the game.

Guess, i'm just too Old Skool.