Save Tonight

First of all, if you're wondering what the title of this post has to do with Barry Bonds (the subject of said post), it's because I figured I should make a pun on the word "bonds," thought of Max Cherry, the bail bondsman character in Jackie Brown, and that led me to 90's one-hit wonder Eagle Eye Cherry. You are already regretting that you asked.

But anyway: on to Mr. Bonds. A recent blog post on boston.com suggested that, with David Ortiz on the DL for a semi-extended period of time, the Red Sox have to at least consider signing the most employable unemployable man in baseball. Sure, he's perhaps the most hated athlete in American history, but he is undoubtedly beneficial to any team, and especially in the American League, where he can DH and never has to move his extremely brittle body.

A lot of Sox fans are coming out in support of such a plan, but in my opinion, they're conflating the role of the team ownership with the role of the fan. Sure, it makes sense from the ownership's point of view. The team owners have one of two goals, depending on how cynical you are: make money or make wins (which, conveniently, make money). Barry accomplishes both of these goals--it's hard to argue he'd OPS less than Ortiz's replacement (Brandon Moss??!??!?!?!?!?!??!@1), and the controversy should be good for a few dollars. Some moralizing fans might be outraged and relinquish their season tickets, but there are always enough fans in Boston to take their place, so it's hard to see how signing a public-image nightmare could realistically cost the team money.

But, in my opinion, the fan has different goals from the team owner. The fan, when you really think about it, doesn't want their team to be as good as possible. They want their team to be as fun to root for as possible. This point often goes overlooked because the two go so reliably hand-in-hand: winning teams are more fun to watch and cheer for, which is why I'm happy I'm a Red Sox fan and not a Yankees fan. But they don't always go together, and the "Don't sign A-Rod!" chant is proof of that. Sure we want our teams to win, but first things first: we want a team that we like, and then we want that team to do as well as possible.

So, maybe that boston.com is right: maybe the Red Sox should consider signing Bonds. It's certainly in the management's best interests. But as fans, we don't have to buy into that. We don't like Barry, and for most of us, I think that's more important than winning a few more games.