Why stats can't measure Bonds' true worth

By Piet Van Leer Sports Central Columnist

He had just turned 30, and yet, he was a bona fide, first ballot Hall of Famer. A resume that already boasted 400 home runs, it wasn't so much a question of if Ken Griffey, Jr. would pass Hammerin' Hank, but when.

It was first year of the millennium, and Cincinnati was proud to have its native son return. And if you had said then that not only was Barry Bonds a better player, but within four years, Bonds would be so infinitely superior that the two would never be mentioned in the same sentence, the term blasphemous immediately leaps to mind.

As of Monday though, Bonds had absurdly reached base safely in 36 of his last 44 plate appearances. Bonds has hit more home runs this season than he has swung and missed. It's statistics like that which make it not only unfair to compare Bonds to Griffey, but unfair to compare Bonds with anyone.

It was Friday, April 16th, bottom of the ninth, one on and one out, and his team down 3-0 to the hated division rival Dodgers. Bonds strolled to the plate against Eric Gagne, the Canadian flamethrower who had converted to that point a record 65 consecutive saves dating back to 2002.

With the count locked at a pair of balls and strikes, Gagne rifled a fastball, clocked at 101 MPH, down and in, to the man sitting third on baseball's all-time home run list. Ordinarily, one does not pull that kind of pitch. But Bonds proved how extraordinary he is by yanking it into McCovey Cove, albeit foul.

The next pitch from the French-Canadian was a 98 MPH fastball down the chute that Bonds repelled into the centerfield bleachers for yet another memorable blast. Rarely do you see the same batter hit two consecutive pitches a combined 850 feet. But again, Bonds proved just how extremely rare he is.

It was exactly one week later that Bonds came up to bat against Gagne. This time, the game was tied in the ninth with none on and two outs. And the reigning National League Cy Young award winner, who had extended his consecutive save record to 68 games, did the unthinkable.

He didn't pitch around Bonds, otherwise known as the "unintentional" intentional walk. The top closer in the game (apologies to Mariano Rivera) issued Bonds four consecutive pitch-outs, with the bases completely vacated.

What makes this instance, and many like it, completely inconceivable is the rate of failure in baseball. A base hit every three times at-bat is considered to be excellent, Hall of Fame quality if you display that type of consistency throughout the duration of your career.

Ted Williams was the last person to hit .400 in a season, and that was more than 60 years ago. And even if you do pull off the unthinkable and hit .400, that's still only two hits every five times at-bat. But Bonds is revered with such deference that one of the best pitchers in the game views the outcome as better than probable that Bonds will hit a home run. Not even the Babe was treated with that kind of reverence.

And let this thought sink in: the gargantuan numbers Bonds has amassed are not indicative of his greatness! It's generally assumed that every batter gets one pitch an at-bat to hit. Bonds is lucky if he gets one hittable pitch a game. And generally, he deposits that one pitch somewhere indefensible.

Because he so often deals with a short deck, Bonds' greatness is incalculable by statistics alone. But I guess he could always hit .500 to solidify his place among the immortals.

Of course, one cannot gush over Bonds' immeasurable standing without mentioning BALCO. Bonds might have used steroids, and if that dampens your view of him, I can't say you're not without your reasons.

The only point I would make is that Gary Sheffield and Jason Giambi, heck, Armando Rios, were named in the same story, and none of them will ever be mistaken for Bonds. Certainly steroids could have helped Bonds if he did indeed use them, but they're not the sole determining factor for his awe-inspiring achievements. Otherwise, there would be many more instances of people being treated with the respect Bonds is afforded.

I am not a fan of non-quantifiable terms, but it's hard to resist statements like "Barry is the best player you will ever see" or "Barry plays baseball better than anyone does anything in the world."

I don't really know how you could support either statement, but I do know that I have never seen anyone even close to Bonds' skill step into a batters box, someone who tips the scales squarely in favor of the batter, and I have serious reservations as to whether I will ever see it again.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.