Barry Bonds is now in position number two regarding home runs. If his body holds up, or if he wishes, he should be able to pass Hank Aaron for number one. That is a heck of an accomplishment, but as everyone knows, controversy surrounds Bonds big time.
Barry has been a great player for a long time. He has hit many home runs well before his alleged steroid use. Stolen bases, gold gloves, etc., he has been a dominant player for sure. But passing Babe Ruth on the home run chart does not make him a better player or a better home run hitter. He simply is not.
Ruth dominated his era so much that it was almost comical. "Playstation stats" like the year he hit 60 home runs which in his era accounted for 14% of all homers. Today, a guy would have to hit about 350 dingers in one year to accomplish that according to one study.
Babe was also a great pitcher racking up 20-win seasons. Thus, when he could have been cranking out home runs, he was busy on the mound. Add more to the homer total.
The 154 game season compared to today might not seem like a big deal, but Ruth played 22 years. Therefore, that is one season of hitting more dingers.
Barry Bonds has had more than 1,000 extra at-bats. Hank Aaron around 3,000. Who are we kidding? Ruth is the best at the dinger.
Throw in the fact bats were made with softer wood and the balls not being wound as tight. What about the ballparks in many cases from the past? They were tougher to hit homers.
Of course, there is the steroid issue. Barry looks like a different human being compared to 10-12 years ago. He is far bigger. Before the age of 35, he hit a home run every 15.7 at bats. After 35, it became 1 in every 8.2.
Hmmmmm......
His trainer, Greg Anderson, was busted in the BALCO steroid scam. Basically, Bonds admitted to applying a cream given to him by Anderson. Plus, Human Growth Hormone has not been tested for by MLB. Bonds looks like "Human Growth Man." Worse, those involved in the BALCO scandal were allowed to stay away from naming names. Was Barry one of the names?
Barry Bonds is a great player. But what happened to him physically is strange. To hit more home runs per-at-bat after age 35 is strange, too. To have your trainer get in trouble in a steroid scandal is strange, three. Plus, he is generally not liked by media and teammates. It all adds up to strange things.
Bonds is basically the equivalent of a guy who gets more chances to knock someone out. Eventually you will get there compared to the guy who gets one or two swings. But it still does not change who has the bigger punch. The Babe had the bigger punch.
Robert Carberry is a freelance writer from New York
