data.3news-bydate.train.rec.sport.baseball.104861 Maven / Gradle / Ivy
From: [email protected] (Ken Kubey)
Subject: Re: Why is Barry Bonds not batting 4th?
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I like the Clark-WIlliams-Bonds order.
Pitchers can only walk Clark with 2 outs (unlike last year).
Williams is getting better pitches to hit with Bonds looming
in the on-deck circle. Since Matt has a terrible batting eye,
this helps the Giants a lot.
When Bonds gets on base all by himself, he can try to steal 2nd
and then be driven in with a single by Thompson, Manwaring, or Clayton.
If you bat Bonds before the other sluggers, then you don't want
him to run because a "caught stealing" could take you out of a
big inning.
Also Bonds is less in need of protection behind him because he
is such a good base stealer (a walk is a potential double).
The only draw back is when Clark and Williams are clogging up the
bases infront of Bonds... and I think that's a problem the
Giants will be glad to see especially if Robby Thompson gets hot.
Ken Kubey [email protected] (415) 390-3536