Bonds presented some interesting lineup issues.JUST BEFORE his first spring training as Giants manager last year, Felipe Alou announced that he wanted Barry Bonds to bat third instead of his customary fourth. But, Alou says, when he ran the idea by Bonds at camp in Scottsdale, Ariz., the slugger "told me he was feeling more like a cleanup hitter." The manager deferred to Bonds's preference. It may have cost San Francisco a playoff spot.
By hitting fourth instead of third, Bonds loses about 20 plate appearances over a season, is not guaranteed to bat in the first inning and sometimes misses crucial turns in the ninth. In the 2002 World Series, for instance, hitting fourth for then manager Dusty Baker, Bonds did not bat in the ninth inning of San Francisco's final three losses. Those games all ended with leadoff hitter Kenny Lofton or number 2 hitter Rich Aurilia making the last out.
."I would consider hitting Bonds first," says one AL general manager. "They're not going to walk him to lead off the game, and you're going to pinch-hit for the pitcher his last time in front of him. You put a good on-base guy eighth. Now you get the best hitter in the history of the game as many as 60 to 90 extra plate appearances."
Says Alou, "When I was thinking about different batting orders last [season], I thought about hitting Barry second but not leadoff. I don't think Barry would like leading off just to get a few more at bats. They'd probably walk him, and I'd rather have him up with men on base."
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https://vault.si.com/vault/2005/04/04/w ... -bat-bonds
