FanNation - The Republic of Sport

John Heyman, in his February 27 SI.com column, Inside Baseball, poses the question, "Why is Bonds jobless?" Judging by the remarks of his agent, Jeff Borris, the answer may be that Barry and his mouthpiece are clueless (see previous Indie Sport post, Minimum Wage).

Whether you like it or not, considerate it fair or not, or simply couldn't care less, the reality is that Barry Bonds is the poster child for the "misremembered" steroids mess that has baseball executives and players diving for cover. Unfortunately, Bonds and Borris don't seem to grasp that it's no longer enough to speak disingenously and carry a big stick.

The natural order of 21st century baseball, in which greed calls the shots, has been temporarily disrupted by the politically correct need of the moment to appear clean, outraged, and contrite. Barry Bonds is none of these, and stubborn to boot, skewing his cost-benefit ratio into the red, despite his physical prowess.

Just listen to Borris, who said the following without any apparent trace of irony: "People are being cheated. They want to come out and watch him, to see his immense talent and enjoy his uniqueness." Borris' claim would have been absolutely true had he made it in 2001 and been referring to the way fans were cheated by Bonds' fraudulent assault on the home run record and their desire to see what had previously been an immense and unique natural talent. Trying to spin the story into one in which Bonds is portrayed as a victim of anything other than his own selfish decision making is not likely to enhance his marketability.

Borris goes on to say that, "Barry has one goal, and that is to put a ring on his finger." It would be refreshing to hear Bonds say, "My lone remaining goal in baseball is to contribute in any way I can to help a team win a World Series," but he still hasn't figured out there's no "I" in team. Bonds brings a big bat, but little, if any, in the way of intangibles that make a team greater than the sum of its parts. His ego, churlishness, and utter self absorption arguably subvert winning team dynamics and are factors that make potential suitors gun shy. Every team that has won the World Series since Bonds entered the majors has done so without his services. He is anything but indispensible and it would do him well to get, and convey, the big picture.

But how can he when he's got Borris peddaling this line of nonsense: "The public is being deprived right now and the greatest player of all-time is not being given an opportunity to showcase his skills." Again, Borris is right, but in the wrong context. The public is being deprived because we can't quite discern the greatest players from the greatest cheats.

Barry Bonds may yet find a club desperate enough to offer him a contract. But until such an eventaulity occurrs, it appears clear that he is unemployed because he's brought too much baggage to the check-in counter and doesn't have the moral capital to pay what it takes to get on board for another ride.