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Monday, May 05, 2008

Piniella compares Soriano to Bobby Bonds (RR)

Lou Piniella…desperately trying to have his own chapter in Neyer’s follow-up book.

“I played with Bobby Bonds in New York, and we traded for him from the Giants for Bobby Murcer,” Piniella told Joe Morgan. “And we put him in the 4 hole, and boy, he floundered. And all of a sudden, two months into the season, we put him back where he was familiar in that 1 hole and he really, really flourished and just had 40-40 (steals and home runs) and over 100 RBIs and was the great player he always was.

“I think Soriano is the same type of player as Bobby Bonds, so I like him in the 1 hole. He feels comfortable there.”

Piniella was referring to Bonds’ 1975 season in New York, though his memory was a little off. Bonds was moved to the No. 3 hole, where he hit .190 with a .301 on-base percentage, not the 4 hole, where he received only four at-bats. In the leadoff spot, Bonds hit .303 that year with a .408 on-base percentage and 25 home runs. And Bonds actually was a 30-30 man in ‘75, not 40-40. He finished with 32 homers, 30 steals and 85 RBIs.

Repoz Posted: May 05, 2008 at 10:52 AM | 12 comment(s) | Login to Bookmark
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1. whoisalhedges Posted: May 05, 2008 at 12:02 PM (#2769104)

Bobby Bonds, 1975, 89 bases on balls.

Alfonso Soriano, career high, 67 BBs in 2006 for a Washington team that had nobody of consequence hitting behind him (second best total, 38 in 2003).

2. Van Lingle Mungo Jerry Posted: May 05, 2008 at 01:03 PM (#2769148)

The interview ended with Piniella muttering profanities on his way out the door.

3. Moses Taylor demands to be housewarmed Posted: May 05, 2008 at 02:11 PM (#2769194)

I'm getting deja vu here.

4. Robinson Cano Plate Like Home Posted: May 05, 2008 at 03:18 PM (#2769252)

Bobby Bonds, first name: Bobby
Alfonso Soriano, first name: Alfonso

Lou is way off. They're not similar at all.

5. Ron Johnson Posted: May 05, 2008 at 06:18 PM (#2769533)

Well Pinella's right about Bonds' splits in 1975 (though he was batting 3rd, not 4th)

Bonds hit .190 /.301 /.355 bating 3rd and .303/.408/.566 batting leadoff.

But Pinella's wrong about batting any place but leadoff being new to Bonds.

In 1969 he led off less than half of the season. No difference in his stats as a leadoff hitter. (Mays missed a lot of time in 1969 and basically when Mays was out, Bonds batted 3rd)

Coming in to 1975 he'd led off something close to 70% of the time and hit slightly better there. (though his single most effective batting order spot was 5th over his whole career -- 222 games started there)

It's also worth noting that in 1975 he didn't hit while playing center. Who knows if his struggles were position related, batting order position related, a mechanical flaw that he corrected or (my bet) just one of those things. But you can see why 1975 would have made an impression on Pinella

6. Walt Davis Posted: May 06, 2008 at 02:21 AM (#2770258)

Except for that whole pesky walking thing, Bonds is a pretty good comp for Soriano.

Well, that whole era thing doesn't work in Soriano's favor either.

Still, here's hoping the Cubs draft little Barry Soriano 7 years from now.

7. mashimaro Posted: May 06, 2008 at 02:49 AM (#2770324)

The same goes for Frank Thomas' memory, too. How could Lou be that factually inaccurate? All he got right was that he was moved to leadoff. Absolutely mind bottling.

8. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: May 06, 2008 at 03:10 AM (#2770360)

Little Barry Soriano is a lying, cheating sack of ####.

9. SouthSideRyan Posted: May 06, 2008 at 03:31 AM (#2770390)

Ya see it's like striped bass fishing, ya got some lures that are great for going out and catching catfish, but then those same lures don't work when you go bass fishing. I'm just keeping the lures in the right spots to catch the right fish.

10. Elston Gunn Posted: May 06, 2008 at 04:00 AM (#2770419)

1) Fukodome 2) Soto 3) Lee 4) Ramirez 5)Soriano 6) Johnson/Pie 7) DeRosa 8) Theriot

Isn't that beautiful? And I'm not even a Cubs fan.

11. Tuque

Posted: May 06, 2008 at 04:25 AM (#2770441)

I think little Barry Soriano would probably be way too black for the old-school baseball types.

Little Kenneth Samuel Griffey-Sosa, however, would be considered the best in baseball, and a real team player.

12. Robert Machemer Posted: May 06, 2008 at 05:48 AM (#2770466)

Lou Piniella was managing the Yankees in the year that Jose Canseco was the first 40-40 man (and league MVP). I'm surprised he wasn't aware, given what a big deal was made of it at the time.

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Piniella compares Soriano to Bobby Bonds (RR)

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