Bear with me here. Let's play a game. Pretend, just while reading this, that Barry Bonds never did steroids. But he hit No. 714 this past weekend just the same. So all you have to go against the guy on is that he's a dink (great word to describe him, by the way). He hit the bomb cleanly, but acts like a jerk, and now baseball - and Bonds himself - has to decide what to do next.
I saw Bonds play in person just last weekend. And let me tell you something. He's done. Finished. Over. That doesn't mean he can't still mash. It means his body isn't going to let him continue playing any longer. He's done. So what does he do next?
Obviously, he'll get that 715th home run, and obviously he'll have Hank Aaron in his sights. But how does he continue to play through the obvious pain he's in and through his body's obvious signals that it doesn't want to continue? Home run No. 755 is not going to happen this year. No way. So that means it'll take another year entirely. That's the rest of this year, an offseason of constant media scrutiny, spring training, and another 120+ baseball games before Bonds is sniffing 755. Can he do it?
On one hand, I have to say he can. If the guy can live through what he's already lived through coming into this year, he can do just about anything. And people should admire that. Again, forget why he's going through it, just understand that he is going through it. How do you not admire that? With the ability he's shown to disregard all that's around him and still hit bombs, you have to think that if he decides to come back, it'll only be because he trusts his body to do so. But that's the major issue.
Article comments
1 - sal m
good item...
if bonds continues to hit home runs at the pace he is currently on, he wouldn't be able to break aaron's record until early 2008 which means two full seasons from now. it ain't happening.
if you look at what happens to a 40+ slugger there's no way that bonds is going to be able to hang around. guys like aaron, mays, robinson who didn't have the big injury at the end of their careers fizzled out bigtime. given bonds' state of physical deterioration, his productivity fall off will be even more drastic.
as is the case with guys who come off the juice - especially older guys - the end is quicker and uglier than if one just decided to age gracefully and fade away.
2 - Matthew T. Sussman
Bonds would make the perfect Oakland A because of his on base percentage.
His line this year: AVG .242 | HR 6 | RBI 15 | OBP .486
That last stat is first in the NL. Aberration, schmaberration. That's a hot OBP.
3 - mrjerz
Sal,
I see him picking the pace back up a bit. I think the pressure of sitting at 713 got to him, but he'll right his hitting. Not hitting one for 9 games or whatever it was artificially deflated his pace. He's going to hit them more frequently than that. I liken his deterioration to a cliff effect with the juice. He was able to play so much longer because of it, but now it's gotten to a point that he's just done, and you can see it.
Suss,
Bonds has been the prototypical Moneyball player for a long time. Astronomical OBP and astronomical SLG. I've even heard staunch Moneyball guys actually say he's worth the $18 mil he makes every year. That's saying a lot about his numbers.
4 - chancelucky
first Bonds already has 10 home runs as a dh in interleague play
second Aaron spent the end of his career as a DH
5 - Matthew T. Sussman
By gum, you're right -- the last two years of Hank's career was spent back in Mill-e-Wah-Kay.
But it looks like he had 733 before he became a DHer. Therefore, if Barry hits 19 more this year and then ... oh, snap, that'd be scary.
6 - Matthew T. Sussman
Congratulations, I chose this story as an editor's pick of the week.
Now you are entitled a pick of your own from all stories published May 24-30. E-mail Lisa McKay (address is on the editor's pick page) with your pick by next Tuesday.
Again, congratulations.
--Suss
7 - Michael Herron
Boy did you speak too soon. Barry Bond is all healed up and is in rare form. He leading the National League in Home Run, Slugging percentage, Walks and in the top 10 in Batting Average. He has 745 homers and needs only 11 to pass Henry Aaron. He has tested negative for steroids this year and he is still kicking ass....Big Time!!