Spring Break
756 reasons Bonds' numbers will boggle your mind
Commentary
By: Mike Mazzeo
Issue date: 8/10/07 Section: Sports
Originally published: 8/10/07 at 3:32 AM EST
Last update: 8/10/07 at 3:31 AM EST
Originally published: 8/10/07 at 3:32 AM EST
Last update: 8/10/07 at 3:31 AM EST
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While Barry Bonds admired his 756th home run fall amidst the throngs of ravenous fans as they battled for the ball in the right center field bleachers, a piece of history, (and might I add, a big payday), he must've felt a sigh of relief.
Regardless of whether or not Bonds is found guilty of taking steroids and other performance enhancing drugs, for that one moment as he trotted around the bases for the 756th time, he was king of the baseball world.
Whether you hate him, love him or are very envious of the man, the numbers truly speak for themselves.
Consider this: the most RBIs Bonds ever recorded in a season was 137 in 2001, the year in which he hit a record 73 home runs.
While 137 seems like a big number, it certainly falls short of the single season RBI record of 190 that Hack Wilson recorded in 1930. Wilson recorded his 190 RBIs in 585 at-bats. Bonds totaled his 137 RBI in a mere 476 at bats.
That amounts to an 89 at-bat difference. Comparing the walks total, Bonds walked to first 177 times compared with Wilson's 105 times.
Bonds was walked intentionally 35 times in 2001 and was almost automatically put on with runners in scoring position.
Only 27 of Bonds' 73 home runs were hit with runners on base meaning 46 (or 63 percent) of Bonds' homers were bases empty home runs.
Could Bonds have neared Wilson's record, all numbers being equal? No doubt.
And 2001 is barely the tip of the iceberg.
While Bonds walked 177 times in 2001, he shattered that mark in 2004 by walking 232 times. He also was intentionally walked 120 times, more than three times his number of walks during his home run record-breaking season in 2001.
Bonds had only 373 at bats during that 2004 season. Adding his 232 walks, that amounts to 605 at-bats, meaning Bonds was walked 38% of the time.
Many hitters in Major League Baseball would kill to have a .380 on base percentage, let alone get to walk approximately three out of every eight times they go up to bat. Bonds' on base percentage that season was a godly .609. The second best on base percentage was Ted Williams' .553 in 1941.
Regardless of whether or not Bonds is found guilty of taking steroids and other performance enhancing drugs, for that one moment as he trotted around the bases for the 756th time, he was king of the baseball world.
Whether you hate him, love him or are very envious of the man, the numbers truly speak for themselves.
Consider this: the most RBIs Bonds ever recorded in a season was 137 in 2001, the year in which he hit a record 73 home runs.
While 137 seems like a big number, it certainly falls short of the single season RBI record of 190 that Hack Wilson recorded in 1930. Wilson recorded his 190 RBIs in 585 at-bats. Bonds totaled his 137 RBI in a mere 476 at bats.
That amounts to an 89 at-bat difference. Comparing the walks total, Bonds walked to first 177 times compared with Wilson's 105 times.
Bonds was walked intentionally 35 times in 2001 and was almost automatically put on with runners in scoring position.
Only 27 of Bonds' 73 home runs were hit with runners on base meaning 46 (or 63 percent) of Bonds' homers were bases empty home runs.
Could Bonds have neared Wilson's record, all numbers being equal? No doubt.
And 2001 is barely the tip of the iceberg.
While Bonds walked 177 times in 2001, he shattered that mark in 2004 by walking 232 times. He also was intentionally walked 120 times, more than three times his number of walks during his home run record-breaking season in 2001.
Bonds had only 373 at bats during that 2004 season. Adding his 232 walks, that amounts to 605 at-bats, meaning Bonds was walked 38% of the time.
Many hitters in Major League Baseball would kill to have a .380 on base percentage, let alone get to walk approximately three out of every eight times they go up to bat. Bonds' on base percentage that season was a godly .609. The second best on base percentage was Ted Williams' .553 in 1941.
James Mason
posted 8/10/07 @ 3:47 PM EST
Good read Mike. Growing tired of hearing about how steroids powered Bonds to everything he ever did, i conducted an experiment this morning. I calculated Bonds' games played per home run during the 90s, which came out to 4. (Continued…)