| Erik Klackner. 19th September, 2005 - 6:57 pm
 After 142 games of guesses, hype, website hits, Pedro Gomez reports, steroid rumors, wild conspiracy theories, and Giant struggles, Barry Bonds returned to the lineup this week with the fanfare fit for a player of his immense stature. Whether or not it proves to be a sufficient boost for the Giants' playoff chances remains to be seen (though it gets more doubtful with each passing second), but it has nevertheless re-energized the team and the city.
Bonds' statistics through his first 5 games are rather pedestrian: 3-for-13 with 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 runs scored, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts. But considering the circumstances of the at-bats in question, those numbers are probably to be expected.
The excitement lies in the fact that Bonds has shown flashes of himself in the overwhelmingly limited amount of time he's played. In his very first game back on September 12, Bonds battled Adam Eaton in an 11-pitch AB before crushing a double to the top of the left-center field wall. In that same game, he made a nice running grab, and nearly made a spectacular sliding catch that just bounced in front of his glove. The plate discipline that was behind the 8-ball in the first game came back quickly with 2 walks in the 2nd game, and he even got the traditional Bonds treatment on 9/16 when the Dodgers intentionally walked him.
But hands down the most exciting moment, for me, was career home run number 704. Not because it puts Bonds one step closer to passing Babe Ruth, or because home runs are what we've become used to. The beauty of that home run was in the actual execution of the at-bat. Brad Penny, arguably the Dodgers' best overall pitcher, threw Bonds a tight curveball on a 1-0 count. Bonds hesitated just a little bit, but still had the ability to wait on the pitch and the bat speed to crush it to the deepest part of SBC Park. He looked like Barry Bonds.
Which leads to me two conclusions about two different subjects. First, the Giants' plans for 2005 may yet have life in 2006. Bonds certainly appears capable of still playing at a high level, and should only improve even more with a full offseason and spring training to get himself in baseball shape. Moises Alou will have a full offseason to recover from the nagging injuries he's battled this year, as will Jason Schmidt. And team owner Peter MacGowan has expressed a willingness to stretch the budget a little bit to make sure there is not a repeat of 2005. The chance to see all the pieces that were assembled to make a run at a World Series title this season has a very realistic shot at coming to fruition next season.
Secondly, the steroid rumors may get quieter as time progresses. Perhaps I am the naive one, but Bonds looks every bit as big as he did before his injury. The home run he hit was on an off-speed pitch that he waited on and hit out with his trademark bat speed to a distance well over 400 feet from home plate. And with the new steroid testing policy in place, one would tend to assume that the players are regarding steroids in a whole new light (just ask Rafael Palmeiro). I do not know if there is ever going to be anything that will convince cynics that Bonds doesn't or didn't do steroids, but with the new program, and a chance to play under that program, perhaps Bonds will get a chance to prove something to the doubters.
The return of Barry Bonds may end up paying dividends in a big way. While those dividends may not mature in 2005, the hopes for 2006 spring more optimistic with each and every pitch Bonds is in the game for, and that might end up being more gratifying anyway. |
