miami15 Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 McKeon says Marlins will pitch around Bonds Print this story AIM this story Email this story BY STEVEN WINE Associated Press Sep. 28, 2003 8:26 p.m. MIAMI (AP)? The Florida Marlins want to pitch to Barry Bonds. They really do. Just give them a 10-run lead first. "We're not going to let him beat us," Marlins manager Jack McKeon says. McKeon would rather walk Bonds than see his home-run trot, and the Marlins plan to pitch around the San Francisco Giants' slugger when the teams meet in a best-of-5 playoffs series beginning Tuesday at Pacific Bell Park. The Giants have more tradition, more postseason experience and the NL West title, while the Marlins won the wild card to become the most unlikely playoff entrant. But the teams were virtually even this season in batting average, runs, slugging percentage and fielding. While San Francisco had the lower ERA by one-third of a run, Florida pitchers had more strikeouts and fewer walks. And the Marlins have baseball's best record since late May. So the series may hinge on whether they can contain Bonds, who went into the final game of the regular season Sunday with 45 home runs, 148 walks and a .339 average. "You're always going to be careful with the guy," says right-hander Josh Beckett, one of at least seven Marlins expected to make their postseason debut Tuesday. "You don't want to leave anything right over." McKeon sounds as though he doesn't want to leave anything close. "We'll pitch to him if we're way ahead," McKeon says. "We might even pitch to him the first time up in a 0-0 game. Might. "It might be a situation where you get a guy on first and you still walk him and take your chances on the next guy." McKeon's caution failed to pay off during the regular season. Bonds went 3-for-10 against the Marlins with a home run and seven walks, two intentional, and they lost all four games in which he played. "With people not pitching to Barry, we won it by how many games?" Giants manager Felipe Alou said Sunday night after learning of McKeon's intentions. "Fifteen and a half. So I believe people should change their strategy - next year. "I'll take it any time to win by 15 if they don't pitch to one guy on our club. I believe that all teams fell into a pattern, or sort of a compromising written rule, that they were not going to pitch to him. I know a lot of times it hurt because the majority of the time he wound up scoring, which is the same thing as if he hit a home run." But then the Marlins often have trouble with the Giants, especially in San Francisco, where their record is 14-34. They lost two of three there in August during a 1-8 trip. "We're going out to play the Giants tough," McKeon says. "That's not saying we can't get the stuff kicked out of us. But I sense this is a different team, a much more confident team than it was going out there the last time. We know we're as good as anybody in this league right now." The young Marlins thrived under the pressure of a playoff race and went 18-8 in September to earn their first postseason berth since winning the 1997 World Series. Now: October. And Bonds. In 20 games against Florida over the past three seasons, he has a .388 average with 10 home runs, 22 RBIs and an .896 slugging percentage. And Bonds is coming off a monstrous playoff and World Series performance last year. "He's one of the few guys who, every swing, you think can hit a home run," Florida outfielder Juan Pierre says. So the Marlins will likely give Bonds a lot of free passes and try to retire the hitter behind him, likely Edgardo Alfonso or Benito Santiago. "I'll take my chances with those guys," McKeon says. McKeon has only one left-handed reliever, Michael Tejera, and left-handed batters hit .397 against him. Lefty Dontrelle Willis, scheduled to start Game 4 in Miami on Saturday, will be available to pitch an inning of relief in Wednesday's game. However, McKeon says situational matchups aren't the solution against Bonds. "It doesn't matter to him whether it's a right-hander or a left-hander," McKeon says. "He hits them all." But only if the pitches are within reach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Card Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Good idea, Trader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG Z Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 i'll go after him,then when he hits(or if he hits) the first shot i'll never go after him again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanleylicious Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 We're gonna get a lot of trashy remarks from SF fans about walking him. But i'll take a few bad words to win a ballgame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG Z Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Hey LCastillo,who's the guy in your avatar is it cab's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapeFish Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Would you walk bonds with the bases loaded if you had a two run lead and 2 outs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanleylicious Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Hey LCastillo,who's the guy in your avatar is it cab's? Yeah, Cab's in Carolina with the MudCats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG Z Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Oh,cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanleylicious Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Would you walk bonds with the bases loaded if you had a two run lead and 2 outs? probably, but who bats after him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Card Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Would you walk bonds with the bases loaded if you had a two run lead and 2 outs? Somebody did it before, and it worked. I forget what manager, I want to say LaRussa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanleylicious Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 After thinking about it I would walk bonds. He's the only REAL threat in the SF lineup sure they got guys that can hit but Bonds is the backbone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TehCris Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Would you walk bonds with the bases loaded if you had a two run lead and 2 outs? i would Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTrizzle Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 "Would you walk bonds with the bases loaded if you had a two run lead and 2 outs?" You have to, you have a better chance of trailing by 2 then getting the third out.... I don't believe that this scenario should occur though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugg Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Somebody did it before, and it worked. I forget what manager, I want to say LaRussa. Buck Showalter, in Arizona. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#1 FishFan Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Would you walk bonds with the bases loaded if you had a two run lead and 2 outs? What inning? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabdul Doobakus Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 I wouldn't walk Bonds if it meant advancing a runner. I can't think of a scenario in which I would do that. I wouldn't walk him with a lead of more than 4. And I wouldn't walk him after the 6th inning if it meant I was putting the winning run on base, or bringing the winning run to the plate. I'd probably walk him at all other times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Card Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 What inning? Top of the ninth. He retired the hitter after Bonds, game was over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJC Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 we better hope Edgardo Alfonzo and Benito Santiago go in horrible slumps because Bonds will be on 1st every time they bat... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroadwayBaby84 Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 yea we have to be careful. who r the starting pitchers? beckett, penny, red, willis... thats what i have heard so far. dont know who is pitching the last game if we need it. i think we can handle Bonds this time around but we cant be reckless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geemoney Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 The Mets announcers mentioned something interesting on Sunday about Bonds perhaps not being as big a threat as everyone makes him out to be. They said when the Mets played the Giants in the playoffs a few years ago, Bonds made the last out of an inning 11 times. That is a lot for a 5 game series. But I guess I'd rather see the Marlns make someone else hurt us other than Bonds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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