Although my esteemed colleague and fellow columnist Mr. Schwab already is looking ahead to the upcoming basketball season, I would like to take one last look back at the now-finished baseball season that culminated in the World Series victory of the Rally Monkey -- I mean, the Angels.
Despite threats of a strike and lockout that loomed over baseball like an ominous thunder cloud most of the summer, this season will have a lasting impact on the sport and one player's place in baseball history.
Before elaborating, I would just like to mention that with Nostredamas-like foresight, I believe a certain Cavalier Daily columnist predicted the clash of titanic proportions that took center stage this past Sunday night: Rally Monkey vs. Barry Bonds. Although Troy Glaus undoubtedly had a great series, the MVP should definitely have gone to the Rally Monkey. Although his mojo wasn't needed in Game 7, it was the work of this capuchin in Anaheim's Game 6 come-from-behind victory that forced the decisive final game. But enough about the Rally Monkey. I would like to devote the rest of my time and space to the other fighter in the ring, Mr. Barry Bonds.
During the regular season, Bonds proved that last year was anything but a fluke. Although he didn't hit 73 home runs, he did win his first National League batting title with a .370 average. Combine that with his 198 walks, plus his on-base percentage was an insanely-high .582!! That means he was on base more than 50 percent of the time -- that's unheard of! Being on base so much allowed him to score 117 runs, and despite smashing the walks record he set last year, Bonds still managed to hit 46 dingers and drive in 110 runs. Throw in 31 doubles and two triples and Bonds' slugging percentage was one point shy of .800.
If all those numbers don't mean anything to you, let me simply say that Barry Bonds has had the most dominating 24 months baseball has ever seen. He undoubtedly will win his fifth National League MVP in a few weeks -- if it's not unanimous then someone has been watching the wrong sport. No one else has earned more than three such awards.
Entering this postseason, the only smudge on Bonds' r
sum
was his sub-.200 batting average in his playoff career. As was widely remarked, Bonds was never part of a team that won a postseason series before 2002. But with Bonds' performance this October, the critics don't have much to talk about.
During the postseason, Bonds not only carried his Giants to the World Series but also broke many postseason records in the process. Fearful of suffering whiplash by watching a Bonds home run, pitchers rarely challenged Barry. He set a World Series record for being walked 13 times -- that's almost two a game! He walked a total of 27 times during the playoffs. Yet despite all the bases on balls, Bonds still hit eight home runs in the playoffs, half of which came on the biggest stage of all. He set World Series records in on-base percentage (.770) and slugging percentage (1.294). He batted .471 (8-for-17) and scored a record eight runs during the series. Put simply, Bonds answered all of his critics with a vengeance and did so symbolically in one swing of the bat in Game 2.
With the Giants losing 11-9 with two outs in the ninth, Bonds stepped up to the plate with nobody on. Facing Anaheim flamethrower and closer Troy Percival, Bonds launched an absolute moon shot 500 feet out of the park. Angels outfielder Tim Salmon said he'd never seen a ball hit so far, and Percival added Bonds is the best hitter he's ever faced.
With that gargantuan home run, Bonds symbolized in one swing what this postseason represented. Bonds no longer can be called a player who choked or didn't step up to the proverbial plate when it comes to the playoffs. In light of his record-breaking 2002 playoff run, Bonds now has to be seriously considered in the debate of who is the greatest baseball player of all-time. Although he didn't walk away with a World Series ring, Bonds may have been able to accomplish the next best thing: cement his legacy as one of the most dominating figures in the history of American sports.
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