BONDS BEST EVER?
By Joe Becker
Barry Bonds is now just ten homers away from Hank Aaron's all-time homer record.
I love talking sports trivia...and my friends and I have done that for years. We still do around the office.
I was asking people around the Newsroom today to see what they thought...who is the best ever in baseball? A few said Bonds. The guy is an unbelievable player. However, I still think Babe Ruth is the best ever. I know, people say he was fat and couldn't stand up to today's players...however, Ruth did things no one has done.
You can compare the hitting stats all you want. When that is said and done...how many wins does Bonds have as a pitcher?
Babe Ruth was one of the American League's best pitchers before he became the most feared hitter in the game. In 1919, Babe Ruth led the AL in Homers with 29. Only five other players hit even 10...and the second most was 12. Babe was also 9-5 as a pitcher. In fact, Ruth won 65 games between 1915-1917. He won 24 games in 1917 and led the league with 35 complete games. During his career he won 94 games...plus two more in the World Series.
Cardinals Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson was considered a good hitter and had 24 career homers.
By the way, regarding Ruth's conditioning....early on he wasn't fat. Get this...in 1921, ruth played 152 games. He hit 59 homers, scored 177 runs, had 171 rbis, 145 walks, 44 doubles and 16 triples. The most triples Ichiro has ever had in one season is 12.
Bonds is great....but Ruth is the Babe...AND THE BEST EVER.
What do you think. Let me know with a comment or two.
Comments
I've stopped following baseball regularly because of Bonds, McGuire, Sosa, and a host of others that, to me, obviously doped during their careers. Bonds? He brings nothing to the game other than that fake electricity of maybe hitting it out. He's got a crappy attitude, just like the rep on Honus Wagner and the Babe, however, the old guy didn't juice. I grew up not too far from Shea and Yankee Stadiums, count Randy Myer, Doug Houser, and John Jaha as past and present friends. I used to live and breathe the game. The sports media spends far too much time focused on Barry Bonds - the game has far more elegance than just what Bonds has to offer the sport. I regret to write that Bonds is a part of the reason I don't waste my time with pro baseball anymore. Sigh. I do miss the game.
Posted by: Chris B. | May 9, 2007 7:43 PM