Before the advent of the wonderful Sports Illustrated “Vault” archives, the magazine’s only presence had a little more pizzazz than it seems to these days. Maybe the company doesn’t want to devote time or resources to making two versions, so they’re just doing a “vault-like”, no frills version: no pictures, just plain (unattractive fonts).

Case in point: how about this piece on who general managers would use as the cornerstone for their team? Wouldn’t you agree that it could stand a little sprucing up with a graphic or chart? Better yet, why don’t they just offer a digital edition, like their rival The Sporting News Today does? ESPN The Magazine also has a page-by-page replication, although its reserved for subscribers.

The nominative all-time home run king turns 44 today. Despite the accusations, it’s still hard to believe that nobody wanted to sign him for the season. Coincidentally, this week’s Sports Illustrated features a piece on why he can’t seem to find gainful employment these days.

The Amazon report on Barry Bonds:

Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports

Love Me, Hate Me: Barry Bonds and the Making of an Antihero

Barry Bonds: A Biography (Baseball’s All-Time Greatest Hitters)

Barry Bonds (Amazing Athletes)

This Gracious Season: Barry Bonds & The Greatest Year in Baseball

That George Brett went ballistic when his “pine tar” home run was disallowed. The New York Times‘ Tyler Kepner returns to the scene of the “crime” in this piece.

Jim Kaplan (no relation) wrote about the 1984 season in Pine-Tarred and Feathered: A Year on the Baseball Beat (although that was just one small part of the book).

An emotional review of Clay Eal’s new biography of Steve Goodman, who composed “A Dying Cubs’ Fan’s Last Request.”

From collectorsquest.com, this small group of old baseball-related…stuff.