Raf – does that study explain why Bonds had 120 intentional passes in 2004?
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No, but whoever was hitting behind Bonds couldn’t have been worse than anyone who was hitting behind him during his time in SF.

I suppose managers were afraid that he was going to go deep, but it seems that strategy hasn’t worked

Year-HR-IBB

2001-73-35
2002-46-68
2003-45-61
2004-45-120

I would like to see the “typical lineup” for all those years.

Raf – does that study explain why Bonds had 120 intentional passes in 2004?

Given the trade demand, and his salary, the Sox should get nothing in return for Manny.
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I don’t know about that. The M’s were able to flip Griffey into Cameron & Tomko.

I figure they should be able to do just as well as the M’s did, even after eating a chunk of Manny’s contract. Who knows, maybe the Sox somehow work out a 3-4 team deal, like the way the Braves got Hampton.

Steve, Jason, You guys are missing the point;

http://www.baseball1.com/bb-data/grabiner/protstudy.html

“The evidence thus suggests that protection doesn’t matter at the major-league level; it doesn’t help to bat in front of a big-name hitter.”

Given the trade demand, and his salary, the Sox should get nothing in return for Manny.

Before we can toll the bell for the death of Big Papi, we all have to remember two things:

1) We don’t know what will come to Boston in this trade; and

2) They might get Carlos Delgado from the Marlins for two slices of pumpkin pie and a side of stuffing (since the Marlins apparently love getting fleeced by Boston).

I’m not saying that Delgado or anything the BoSox get back for Manny will be as good as Manny singularly was for them but it is possible that the Red Sox do manage to pull off both deals and get marginally better by adding two or more productive players.

Raf: Royal air force,

To paraphrase Lloyd Bentsen:

I’ve watched Barry Bonds.
I’ve disliked Barry Bonds.
I’ve been astonished by Barry Bonds,

and, let me assure you, David Ortiz is no Barry Bonds.

Ortiz’s numbers (except OBP) will suffer to the tune of a 25% or so decrease next year.

You saying that Ortiz is equal in talent to Bonds?

It wouldn’t matter. Bonds has never had anyone “protecting” him in the batting order, and he manages to put up his numbers.

If Manny’s traded, Ortiz’ll be fine