Game of Chess

On Thursday, September 7th, Ray Ratto wrote:

"The whole key to signing Bonds is this: Can Jeff Borris, his agent, convince Peter Magowan that (a) Bonds is worth having and (b) has other bidders for Bonds' services? If he can't manage (a), (b) doesn't matter. If he wins on (a), then (b) determines how much money Bonds will command. And that determines whether Brian Sabean can begin the restructuring of the roster he has wanted to undertake for at least two years.

But know this: Bonds doesn't have to leave for that to happen. It just takes a little more thought than most of us media slobs have given it."

While Ratto may not be a slob, he is certainly sloppy. Here is a classic example. He attempted to simplify the issue into two components; is Bonds worth having and are there others who want him. If only it were that simple.

Lets begin with Jeff Borris, who is quite simply one of the best agents out there for Bonds' specific situation. We are talking about a guy that somehow convinced San Diego that 100 year old Rickey Henderson could still contribute. It's a chess game and nobody understands it better than him.

The game began in the beginning of the season. Going through a PR nightmare with the BALCO investigation (you all know the story) Bonds still had value; he could still hit. While he had a shortened 2005 campaign in which he played only 14 games, he still had managed to hit 5 home runs on one leg. Seeing this leverage, Borris did the wise thing and advised his client to promote what he could still do which is hit. "I'd love baseball if I was a DH," Bonds told reporters. "I'd love baseball if I played every day. The game's the same."

Bonds had made his move. One thing they failed to realize however was the degree to which Giants owner Magowan understands public relations. Just years earlier, the owner single handedly convinced a group of investors to buy the team and later negotiated with the city to build a new stadium in the North Beach area. This guy is no slouch. While acknowledging Bonds' presence in Giants history, he told SI, "It might be better for Barry to be a DH than going out there in left field and standing on his feet after he's been standing on his feet on first base. It doesn't give him any time to rest. It may be a healthier situation for him to be a DH."

The wisest move on Magowan's part however was that he repeatedly told the press that negotiations will wait until the end of the season. Not only did this place pressure on Bonds to perform, but it also gave time for the BALCO scandal to drag on. Don't get me wrong, it's not like the Giants owner enjoyed the bad press, but he recognized it and used it to his advantage. Every time Bonds' longtime friend Greg Anderson has returned to jail, every owner and GM in baseball is reminded of the baggage that would come with the slugger.

So now if we return to Ratto's simplistic two points, the answers are a little more evident.

Is Bonds worth having?

It is obvious Bonds' health lately has dramatically improved. Even before his resurgence however, it has been pretty obvious his contributions to the team when he is in the lineup. Even before the injury, over the three previous seasons the team was 258-161 when he was in the lineup and just 28-37 without him. There is absolutely no question that he can provide the team a high value if he is willing to except a contract alla Frank Thomas (low base with incentives).

This is where Ratto misses. Magowan is not in the hot seat, Borris is. There are no other takers for Bonds other than San Francisco. Nobody wants the drama, PR nightmare or the baggage the slugger would bring. Why? Because Magowan won the PR game. That's all it is. A game.

Here's the obvious question. How do I know Magowan won?

In a postgame interview last August, Bonds said, "My choice is not to leave San Francisco. I'm going to wait though, do some things. I'll let you guys know, and I'm pretty sure (the Giants) will let you know, too."

If you listen closely, somewhere you can hear Magowan sitting in his office, chuckling, "checkmate".