Bonds' Marks Will Never Be Broken
Barry Has Set Records That Will Stand Forever
Barry Bonds has set some remarkable records. What is notable is not the fact that he set them, but that he broke the old marks by such a wide margin.
Barry Bonds has set some remarkable records. What is notable is not the fact that he set them, but that he broke the old marks by such a wide margin. In 2004, Bonds walked 232 times, shattering the record of 198 that he had set in 2002, after having already broken Babe Ruth’s long-standing record of 170 walks in a season when he walked 177 times in 2001. Barry’s new record exceeded Ruth’s mark, set in 1923, by 62 walks.
Record for Intentional Walks
When Barry walked 232 times in 2004, 120 of the free passes were intentional, which broke the record for intentional walks that Barry had set in 2002 with 68. The year before, Barry had broken Willie McCovey’s record of 45 intentional walks when he was intentionally walked 61 times. Willie had set the record in 1969. The most intentional walks Ted Williams ever received was 33, the most Ryan Howard has received is 37, and the most Henry Aaron received was 23.
On Base Average and Slugging Records
In 2004, Barry batted .362 with a .609 on base average. The latter is a single season record, which broke Barry’s .582 set in 2002, which broke Ted Williams’ .553 set in 1941. Babe Ruth’s highest on base average was .545, while Henry Aaron’s was .410. Bonds’ set a new single season slugging average in 2001 with a mark of .863, eclipsing Ruth’s .849 set in 1920.
Seventy Three Home Runs Will Stand Forever
Of course, Barry’s 73 home runs is a record that, for reasons obvious to many, will never be broken. Roger Maris’ 61 beat Ruth’s 60, and then Mark McGwire, who for some reason didn’t make the Hall of Fame in his first season of eligibility, broke Roger’s record with 70. That same season, 1998, Sammy Sosa also beat Roger’s record when he hit 66.
More Than Twice As Many MVP's as Joe DiMaggio
But the most significant of all of Barry’s records is one that depended on those who don’t play the game. Barry Bonds has won the National League Most Valuable Player Award 7 times. The most MVP awards ever won had been 3, first done by Jimmy Foxx and equaled by Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, and Mike Schmidt. Barry Bonds has won more than twice as many MVP awards as Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial or Mickey Mantle. Willie Mays has won the award twice.
Corporate America is Ignoring Barry
Barry Bonds set his records playing in his home area of San Francisco. He has set single season and career home run records, is the son of another great Giants’ player, Bobby, and his godfather is Willie Mays, the greatest player to ever play for the Giants, but corporate American does not want to exploit Barry’s accomplishments. Why has corporate America chosen to virtually ignore Barry Bonds?
A spokesperson for a cereal that graces its boxes with pictures of great athletes announced this week that “We simply have no plans at this point to work with Bonds.” It seems that a possible federal indictment for tax evasion and perjury, marital infidelity rumors, links to alleged supplement use, and a combative attitude have made large corporations, the bastions of morality and fairness, shy away from Barry. In this day and age, it is comforting to know that if the government doesn’t protect the youth of America from immoral behaviors, corporations will.
