Around the Majors: The great Barry Bonds

by
August 14, 2004

1) Barry Bonds watch–hit #689, is 11 away from 700, is 25 behind Ruth, is 66 behind Aaron.

Bonds reached 100 RCAA for the 5th time and 4th consecutive year. After 161 RCAA/1.381 OPS and 115 RCAA/1.278 OPS seasons, Bonds is hitting .780 SLG, .606 OBA, 1.386 OPS, 103 RCAA in his first 102 games. He has a 1.047 career OPS, compared to his league average of .749, and 1447 RCAA in 2671 games.

Bonds became the 4th player to have at least 5 years with 100+ RCAA–

1    Babe Ruth                10   
T2   Lou Gehrig                7   
T2   Ted Williams              7   
4    Barry Bonds               5   
5    Rogers Hornsby            4   
T6   Jimmie Foxx               3   
T6   Mickey Mantle             3   
T8   Ty Cobb                   2   
T8   Ed Delahanty              2   
T8   Jason Giambi              2

He tied the major league record for consecutive 100+ RCAA seasons–

T1   Ted Williams             1946-49    4   
T1   Barry Bonds              2001-04    4   
T3   Babe Ruth                1926-28    3   
T3   Babe Ruth                1930-32    3   
T5   Ty Cobb                  1911-12    2   
T5   Babe Ruth                1920-21    2   
T5   Rogers Hornsby           1921-22    2   
T5   Babe Ruth                1923-24    2   
T5   Rogers Hornsby           1924-25    2   
T5   Lou Gehrig               1927-28    2   
T5   Lou Gehrig               1930-31    2   
T5   Jimmie Foxx              1932-33    2   
T5   Lou Gehrig               1936-37    2   
T5   Ted Williams             1941-42    2   
T5   Mickey Mantle            1956-57    2   
T5   Jason Giambi             2000-01    2

2) The Giants set the major league record for IBB in a season.

The new top 10–

INTENTIONAL WALKS             YEAR     IBB    
1    Giants                   2004      104   
2    Giants                   2002      103   
3    Pirates                  1979      102   
4    Phillies                 1967      101   
5    Pirates                  1967       97   
T6   Reds                     1968       95   
T6   Dodgers                  1974       95   
T6   Giants                   1970       95   
9    Pirates                  1968       93   
T10  Dodgers                  1973       92   
T10  Phillies                 1990       92

Barry Bonds accounts for almost all of them–

INTENTIONAL WALKS   
1    Barry Bonds                  86   
T2   Neifi Perez                   3   
T2   Dustan Mohr                   3   
T4   Yorvit Torrealba              2   
T4   A.J. Pierzynski               2   
T4   Marquis Grissom               2   
T4   Ray Durham                    2   
T4   Deivi Cruz                    2   
T9   Michael Tucker                1   
T9   Edgardo Alfonzo               1

Bonds is on pace for 119, which would easily allow him to single handily set the record for teams.

The Giants have also easily set the record vs. the league average–

INTENTIONAL WALKS             YEAR     DIFF   PLAYER   LEAGUE   
1    Giants                   2004       59      104       45   
2    Giants                   2002       39      103       64   
3    Giants                   1993       31       88       57   
T4   Pirates                  1979       27      102       75   
T4   Giants                   2003       27       79       52   
T4   Mariners                 2002       27       62       35   
7    Pirates                  1992       25       88       63   
T8   Whitesox                 1996       24       68       44   
T8   Reds                     1965       24       89       65   
T8   Giants                   1997       24       72       48

Bonds is 84 above average, so the rest of the team is 25 below.

To put that into perspective, let’s look at the top and bottom 5 figures for teams, or more accurately “teams”–

INTENTIONAL WALKS               DIFF   PLAYER   LEAGUE   
1    Barry Bonds                  84       86        2  
2    Cardinals                     8       51       43   
T3   Mariners                      7       35       28   
T3   Indians                       7       35       28   
5    Angels                        4       31       27   
...
27   Dodgers                     -11       32       43   
28   Reds                        -14       30       44   
29   Pirates                     -17       26       43   
30   Marlins                     -18       25       43   
31   Giants other than Barry     -25       18       43

3) The Giants released SS Neifi Perez and called up P Kevin Correia.

After -57 RCAA/.564 OPS and -20 RCAA/.632 OPS seasons, Perez is “hitting” .295 SLG, .276 OBA, .571 OPS, -26 RCAA in his first 103 games. He has a .677 career OPS, compared to his league average of .777, and -305 RCAA in 1085 games.

Perez tied the major league record for consecutive years with -20 or worse RCAA–

T1   Doug Flynn               1977-83    7   
T1   Neifi Perez              1998-04    7   
T3   Bill Bergen              1901-06    6   
T3   George McBride           1911-16    6   
T3   Wally Gerber             1919-24    6   
T3   Rabbit Warstler          1932-37    6   
T3   Hal Lanier               1965-70    6   
T8   Tommy Corcoran           1902-06    5   
T8   Everett Scott            1920-24    5   
T8   Frank O'Rourke           1926-30    5   
T8   Rabbit Maranville        1929-33    5   
T8   Ski Melillo              1932-36    5   
T8   Ed Brinkman              1963-67    5   
T8   Alfredo Griffin          1980-84    5   
T8   Andres Thomas            1986-90    5

He’s also moved into the top 10 for worst career RCAA (since 1900)–

RCAA                           RCAA    
1    Ski Melillo                -355   
2    Tommy Thevenow             -351   
3    Bill Bergen                -312   
4    Tim Foli                   -309   
5    Larry Bowa                 -307   
6    Alfredo Griffin            -306   
T7   Neifi Perez                -305   
T7   Don Kessinger              -305   
T7   Ozzie Guillen              -305   
10   Ed Brinkman                -300

4) The Royals claimed P Matt Kinney off waivers from the Brewers and designated minor league C Mike Tonis for assignment.

A Hardball Times Update
by RJ McDaniel
Goodbye for now.

Kinney has a 5.18 ERA/-28 RSAA in 87 career games, including a 5.78 ERA/-10 RSAA in 32 games (6 starts) in 2004.

Tonis was 0 for 6, with a BB and -1 RCAA, in his first 2 career games.

5) The Royals may place P Nate Field on the 15 day DL today, which will make room on the roster for Kinney.

Field has a sore muscle in his left rib cage. He has a 4.56 ERA/1 RSAA in 67 career games, including a 4.26 ERA/1 RSAA in 43 games in 2004.

6) Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez was scratched from yesterday’s game, due to the flu.

After 58 RCAA/1.015 OPS and 53 RCAA/.995 OPS seasons, Rodriguez is hitting .515 SLG, .366 OBA, .881 OPS, 21 RCAA in his first 114 games. He has a .956 career OPS, compared to his league average of .775, and 421 RCAA in 1389 games.

7) Dr. James Andrews examined Marlins P Chad Fox and, while he won’t need another elbow injury, Fox is out for the rest of the season.

Fox hasn’t pitched since April. He has a 3.45 ERA/22 RSAA in 203 career games, including a 6.75 ERA/-3 RSAA in 12 games in 2004.

8) Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella says CF Rocco Baldelli will probably go on the DL, due to a strained right quad.

After starting his career with -3 RCAA/.742 OPS in 2003, Baldelli is off to a .413 SLG, .327 OBA, .740 OPS, -4 RCAA start in his first 109 games.

9) Reds SS Barry Larkin aggravated his strained oblique muscle and might not be able to start over the weekend.

After -27 RCAA/.672 OPS and -3 RCAA/.726 OPS seasons, Larkin is hitting .447 SLG, .358 OBA, .805 OPS, 4 RCAA in his first 86 games. He has a .816 career OPS, compared to his league average of .751, and 275 RCAA in 2155 games.

10) Pirates P Brian Boehringer had season ending shoulder surgery.

Boehringer has been on the DL since June 2. After 3.39 ERA/9 RSAA and 5.49 ERA/-9 RSAA seasons, he had a 4.62 ERA/-1 RSAA in 21 games. Boehringer has a 4.36 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.43, and -5 RSAA in 356 games.

11) The Mets placed 2B Jose Reyes on the 15 day DL and called up P Pedro Feliciano.

Reyes has a stress fracture in his left fibula and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. After starting his career with 4 RCAA/.769 OPS in 69 games in 2003, he has a .383 SLG, .276 OBA, .659 OPS, -5 RCAA in 44 games.

Feliciano had just been sent down.

12) The Tigers activated P Gary Knotts from the DL and sent P John Ennis to the minors.

Knotts has a 5.86 ERA/-40 RSAA in 73 career games, including a 6.14 ERA/-19 RSAA in 23 game (14 starts) in 2004.

Ennis has a 8.22 ERA/-3 RSAA in 4 career games, including a 12.27 ERA/-3 RSAA in 3 games in 2004.

13) The Phillies sent P Paul Abbott to the minors. Abbott had been removed from the 25 and 40 man rosters when he was designated for assignment on Tuesday.

14) The Orioles sent C Ken Huckaby to the minors. Huckaby had been removed from the 25 and 40 man rosters when he was designated for assignment on Tuesday.

15) The Tigers traded minor league P Eric Eckenstahler to the Cubs as the player to be named later in a minor league trade from April.

16) The Devil Rays released DH Robert Fick, sent P Jeremi Gonzalez to the minors and called up INF Jorge Cantu and P Franklin Nunez.

After 3 RCAA/.764 OPS and 0 RCAA/.753 OPS seasons, Fick is off to a .327 SLG, .273 OBA, .600 OPS, -12 RCAA start in his first 76 games. He has a .755 career OPS, compared to his league average of .768, and -5 RCAA in 562 games.

Gonzalez has a 4.69 ERA/-14 RSAA in 79 career games, including a 6.97 ERA/-15 RSAA in 8 starts (11 games) in 2004.

Cantu has a .382 SLG, .265 OBA, .647 OPS, -2 RCAA in his first 11 career games.

17) Cubs P LaTroy Hawkins’s appeal of a 3 game suspension was denied and he started serving it yesterday.

After 2.13 ERA/20 RSAA and 1.86 ERA/24 RSAA seasons, Hawkins is off to a 2.67 ERA/11 RSAA start in his first 57 games. He has a 4.89 career ERA, compared to his league average of 4.66, and -8 RSAA in 423 games. But, he’s had at least 11 RSAA in 4 of the past 5 years.

18) Expos 1B Wil Cordero was acquitted of drunk driving charges. Cordero claimed that his car to rolled onto its side because his bad sense of direction made him confused and it wasn’t the alcohol he drank that day.

After -12 RCAA/.772 OPS and -7 RCAA/.803 OPS seasons, Cordero is hitting .311 SLG, .269 OBA, .580 OPS, -4 RCAA in his first 22 games. He has a .764 career OPS, compared to his league average of .770, and -40 RCAA in 1213 games. Cordero’s been on the DL since May.

19) The Rangers moved into a virtual tie, with the Angels, for 2nd place in the AL West. The Rangers lead in PCT.

20) The Brewers passed the Pirates into 5th place in the NL Central.

21) The Diamondbacks clinched a losing season for the first team since their first season, in 1998.

22) Manny Ramirez passed Mike Piazza and tied Carlton Fisk for 54th place on the all time HR list, with 376.

23) Tino Martinez passed Ron Cey and tied George Brett for 89th place on the all time HR list, with 317.

24) Padres LF Ryan Klesko hit his 250th career HR.

After 49 RCAA/.925 OPS and 8 RCAA/.810 OPS seasons, Klesko is hitting .418 SLG, .373 OBA, .791 OPS, 6 RCAA in his first 88 games. He has a .885 career OPS, compared to his league average of .774, and 248 RCAA in 1438 games.

25) Yankees C Jorge Posada hit his 150th career HR.

After 13 RCAA/.837 OPS and 37 RCAA/.922 OPS seasons, Posada is hitting .495 SLG, .415 OBA, .910 OPS, 16 RCAA in his first 98 games. He has a .855 career OPS, compared to his league average of .773, and 114 RCAA in 964 games.

26) Giants 1B J.T. Snow hit 3 HR in a game.

After -4 RCAA/.704 OPS and 8 RCAA/.806 OPS seasons, Snow is hitting .521 SLG, .417 OBA, .938 OPS, 21 RCAA in his first 72 games. He has a .787 career OPS, compared to his league average of .777, and 46 RCAA in 1525 games.

I will be going on vacation starting tomorrow. The ATM reports will resume either next Saturday or Sunday.

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