Bergen County Record
Sunday, July 22, 2007
There's no use fighting it or denying it, not any longer. Barry Bonds is one night's work from the all-time home run record, which means baseball needs a post-disaster recovery plan. Make no mistake, until Bonds' record is broken, America's pastime will be in a state of disgrace: Its most prestigious honor will be held by a liar and a cheat. The achievement itself stands as proof that crime pays – with interest.
That is, until someone comes along to wipe Bonds off the books. That person is Alex Rodriguez, who is zeroing in on 500 home runs, putting him on a pace to replace Bonds in another six years or so. You had better believe the game's elders are already rooting for A-Rod, no matter if he stays with the Yankees or flees to the Giants, Cubs or Angels. Bud Selig could care less what fans in the Bronx think of Rodriguez. To the commissioner, it's more important to have the HR title belong to an honest slugger, whatever uniform he wears.
Rodriguez's critics have fired slings and arrows for years – he's a mercenary, an October failure, vain, self-centered, not a true Yankee, etc. But there's no denying his work ethic. A-Rod trains harder than anyone in pinstripes, and came to spring training in better shape than Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada or even the much younger Robinson Cano. In an age where steroids taint nearly every accomplishment, no one has even hinted that A-Rod juiced his way to all-world status.
Instead, he's done it the old-fashioned way, by working out before and after every Yankee game. The Red Sox mocked Rodriguez for his ill-timed comments about waking up at 7 a.m. to lift weights, but no one accused A-Rod of making it up. One look at his bat speed and his strength, and it's obvious Rodriguez has the kind of strength that baseball needs as a billboard advertisement.
Bonds' "strength" on the other hand, mocks the game. Remember, he never hit 50 HRs in a single season before 1998. Then, at age 36, Bonds slammed 73 to set the single-season record. There's anecdotal evidence that his helmet size grew dramatically. So did his muscles. His moods, always mercurial, turned darker and more hostile. An entire book was written detailing Bonds' reliance on the syringe. You figure it out.
Selig desperately wanted to stop Bonds as he neared Mays, Ruth, and finally, Aaron. So did most Americans, according to a recent ESPN poll that showed a majority of fans disapproved of Bonds' cheating. It's too late now, but the commissioner might eventually have an avenue to punish Bonds. According to the New York Daily News, a federal grand jury investigating steroids use and trafficking on the West Coast could indict Bonds in September.
It's uncertain if they'll get him on perjury or tax evasion, but since both are felonies, Selig will be empowered to suspend Bonds until his case is resolved. Of course, that won't wipe away the slugger's record-setting 756th home run, but at least the commissioner will have the last laugh, belated as it is. But the truth is, Bonds' legal troubles will only further embarrass an already scandalized sport, and intensifies baseball's need for Rodriguez's next 300 or so homers.
If there's anything baseball has been able to sell to its public, it's the precious unpredictability of its outcomes. Even the worst teams can defeat a pennant-winner 30 percent of the time. Pitchers and hitters engage in thousands of one-on-ones in a season; no two are alike. But Bonds has changed that precious calculus, by using a substance that gave him an unfair advantage over the pitcher. He was able to generate more bat speed than other hitters, saw pitches more clearly, hit balls farther, recover quicker. Hence, his home runs were fake.
Bonds needs to go away as soon as possible. The feds may soon do their part, allowing Selig to act in kind. But the countdown has already started on the new, clean home run champ. The commissioner has turned a desperate gaze toward A-Rod. It needs no translation: Please hurry.
E-mail: klapisch@northjersey.com
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By the numbers
21
Hitless at-bats by Barry Bonds, which began on July 6 and was finally snapped on Thursday. The longest drought of his career was 0-for-23 in 1986.
25
Dollars for a ticket to the all-you-can-eat (but no beer) section at Turner Field. Beer is included in a separate section; that ticket costs $60.
500
Career strikeouts for Scott Kazmir, all before his 24th birthday. Only 14 other lefties had made it to 500 this fast. Frank Tanana is the leader, having fanned 865 before he turned 24 in 1977.
5½
Years for the average major league career, according to the August issue of Population Research and Policy Review, which said rookies face a 20 percent chance that their big league career will be over in one year.
120
New baseballs are rubbed up and ready for use in every ballgame.
Power rankings
Tigers: Climbing to the top spot after the Red Sox had their noses bloodied by the Royals.
Indians: Flip a coin to see who wins the wild card in the AL Central.
Red Sox: Hit a minor bump last week, but Ortiz's long-term durability is of greater concern to the Nation.
Brewers: Feeling Lou Piniella's hot breath on their necks.
Angels: Feeling equally queasy about the Mariners.
This date in baseball
Mickey Mantle 1954 Red Heart
1954: In an attempt to strengthen his lineup, Yankee manager Casey Stengel inserts Mickey Mantle in the infield as the shortstop. The experiment works as Mantle homers in the 10th inning, giving the Yankees a 3-2 victory over the White Sox.
Jim Kaat 1972 Topps
They said it
"Years later, I would ride my bike around Boca Raton [Fla.] and I would go past [Carl Yastrzemski's] house. If he was out front, he would say, 'We wouldn't have won that year if you hadn't hurt your arm.' It sounds kind of boastful, but I agree with that."
-- Jim Kaat, in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, re-living the Twins' failed run at the Red Sox in 1967.
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Pedro's Dominican rehab
Strange, isn't it, that Pedro Martinez's rehab has resumed beyond the tentacles of the Mets' control. The club announced their star right-hander threw a bullpen session on Thursday in the Dominican Republic, not in Florida, where trainers and coaches could monitor him. Does this mean Martinez is hiding something about his convalescence? The Mets insist all is well, but this wasn't the blueprint they originally mapped out: GM Omar Minaya said Martinez would complete his work in Port St. Lucie before finally returning to Shea sometime in August.
There are baseball executives who wonder about the Mets' casual supervision of their $53 million investment. Martinez took a 13-day break to combat the "mental fatigue" of a long rehab. And then he left the country without the club's knowledge. "[The Mets] probably don't want to upset Pedro by telling him it's wrong to do that, but that's not the way we would handle a guy coming off surgery," said one major league official.
If you ever wondered who gets the star treatment in this organization, the answer is now fairly clear.
Yankees' trade talk
The Bombers have had just enough success in the last week to put on hold any plans to be sellers before the July 31 trade deadline. There's still a strong internal belief they can at least catch the Indians (or Tigers) for the wild card, and might be lucky enough to see the Red Sox collapse, as well. GM Brian Cashman made a highly visible trip to Trenton on Wednesday to see Phil Hughes continue his rehab. It becomes more and more obvious that the best move the Yankees make will be no move at all – simply add Hughes to the rotation as soon as he's ready.
Cashman may not stop there, however. He could raid the Class AA roster and promote Joba Chamberlain, who is routinely clocked at 98 mph, as well as Ross Ohlendorf. Kei Igawa, on his way to becoming one of the more expensive mistakes in Yankee history, would certainly lose his spot in the rotation to Chamberlain. Ohlendorf could replace Kyle Farnsworth, who is the one reliever likely to be dealt.
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