But then something happened. Bonds bulked up, but his powerful uppercut swing did not slow down. His plate coverage and judgment of the strike zone – always strong suits – got even better. Suddenly he began soaring up the offensive charts like Beatles records in the 1960s.
In 2001, Bonds blasted 73 homers, obliterating McGwire’s 1998 mark of 70, drew 177 walks and compiled an all-time best .863 slugging percentage. In 2002, he hit 46 homers, drew an all-time record 198 walks, batted a phenomenal .370 and had off-the-charts on-base (.582) and slugging (.799) percentages. In 2003, he hit 45 homers, drew 148 walks, batted .341 and had impressive on-base (.529) and slugging (.729) percentages yet again.
He won the National League MVP award in each of those seasons, giving him six. No other player has won more than three. He is a strong candidate for No. 7 in 2004, as he is among the NL leaders in batting average, home runs, walks, on-base percentage and slugging percentage for the Giants.
Along the way, he stole his 500th base, by far the most of any slugger in history. Even his godfather, the great Willie Mays, whose 660 home runs is the next milestone for Bonds, stole “only” 338. Once, you would use the word “incomparable” to describe Mays. But Bonds’ late-career surge has moved his lifetime statistics into a stratosphere that allows him to be favorably compared to EVERY great slugger in baseball history.
How does Bonds measure up as an all-around player to the Magnificent Seven of Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Frank Robinson and Joe DiMaggio? MSNBC dares to compare.";
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barry_bonds_comparo[i-1].body = "vs. Babe Ruth
Bonds, better than ever at age 39, should catch the Babe’s 714 in a couple more healthy seasons. But he won’t approach Ruth as a complete hitter. Ruth batted .342 and led the league in homers 12 times, RBIs six times and runs eight times. Bonds has led the league in homers twice, runs once and RBIs once.
How much better than the players of his era was the Babe? He was the first player ever to hit 30, 40, 50 and 60 home runs in a season. When Ruth hit what was then a single-season record 60 homers in 1927, he had more home runs than every TEAM in the American League and five of the eight teams in the National League. Bonds is a magnificent player but he isn’t going to approach 200-plus homers in a season, which is what he would have to do to match Ruth’s single-season accomplishment.
Bonds is clearly a better fielder and baserunner than Ruth, but don’t forget that Ruth was the premier pitcher of his time for several seasons before making the switch to fulltime outfielder in 1920.
EDGE: Ruth. The Babe is the one player left from the early days of baseball who remains “incomparable.” He is the greatest. Bonds and all the rest are pretenders. ";
barry_bonds_comparo[i++] = new Array("","Hank Aaron","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Interactives/_prod/barry_bonds_comparo/_aaron.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "", "250", "165", "", "", "", "", "");
barry_bonds_comparo[i-1].body = "vs. Hank Aaron
Consistency along with lightning-quick wrists at the plate were the hallmarks of Aaron’s career. He never hit more than 47 homers in a season, but became the all-time leader with 755. Even Hammerin’ Hank didn’t think much of Bonds’ chances to catch him back in 1999 when he was on a book tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his record-breaking 715th homer. Aaron said he thought Ken Griffey Jr., if he stayed healthy, would have the best chance.
Now, it appears that injuries have taken Griffey out of the all-time home run derby, but Bonds remains in the chase, as does Sammy Sosa and perhaps one day Alex Rodriguez. Aaron was an outstanding baserunner, who did not pile up stolen bases the way Bonds has because he played in a station-to-station era. He was a superb right fielder and dependable clutch hitter. He had 3,771 career hits, a .305 lifetime batting average and the all-time RBI mark of 2,297.
The classy Aaron never sought publicity – again this was the era before talk radio and cable television – so he was always overshadowed by Mantle-Mays arguments when hit came to discussing the best players of his era.
EDGE: Aaron. This is not an easy call, especially with Bonds’ staggering on-base numbers because of all those walks. If Bonds catches him in homers, we’ll reconsider our vote.";
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barry_bonds_comparo[i-1].body = "vs. Willie Mays
Mays missed nearly two years for military service or he surely would have joined the 700 Club. Still, 660 homers, 3,283 hits, 2,062 runs and 1,903 RBIs ain’t bad. There wasn’t a thing he couldn’t do on the field.
He won 12 straight Gold Gloves patrolling center field at the vast Polo Grounds in New York and wind-swept Candlestick Park in San Francisco. He had blazing speed, a strong arm and charisma, which manifest itself in his trademark basket catch, his one-size-too-small cap that flew off when he flew into high gear, and a wide smile.
Four times he led the NL in home runs and stolen bases and undoubtedly could have stolen more bases if he played in a different era. Mays was a tremendous clutch hitter and would have hit more home runs if he didn’t play in Candlestick. That Bonds has moved into his godfather’s company on the all-time lists because of what he has done in the last decade is truly remarkable. Bonds had much more patience at the plate than Mays and a superior on-base percentage. But his glove work can’t compare to the Say Hey Kid.
EDGE: Mays in another close call because of his truly spectacular defensive ability and all-around hitting.";
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barry_bonds_comparo[i-1].body = "vs. Frank Robinson
The only player ever to win the MVP award in both leagues (for the Orioles and Reds), Robinson is one of the most revered players of all-time. He was a team leader, a fierce competitor who ran hard and slid hard, and was so respected that he became the first black manager in the major leagues. When Bud Selig needed someone to run the vagabond Expos, he called on Robinson.
Still, despite 586 home runs and 2,943 hits, a Triple Crown season in 1966 and all that respect, he is no match for Bonds when it comes to all-around ability. Robinson could steal a base, but Bonds was a demon on the basepaths during his Pittsburgh years when he hadn’t discovered the weight room.
Robinson was a solid fielder, but Bonds was a spectacular left fielder when he was a Gold Glove staple with the Pirates. Robinson was more of a free-swinger than Bonds and did not have nearly as many walks. Bonds’ last few seasons launched him past Robinson in the power numbers as well. Robinson never watched his homers in the batter’s box nor incurred the wrath of his teammates for being aloof, but he never came close to 73 homers, either.
EDGE: Bonds. He’s a better hitter, fielder and baserunner than Robinson and has the numbers to prove it.";
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barry_bonds_comparo[i-1].body = "vs. Mickey Mantle
It’s hard to think of a player who hit 536 home runs and won the coveted Triple Crown in 1956 as one who did not fulfill his potential. But that’s part of the legacy that the switch-hitting Mantle left behind. The Yankees’ all-time leader in games played suffered many serious injuries because he played hard. But he also partied hard and was soft on rehabilitation.
He was faster than Bonds in his prime with more power and a better hitter for average until he spiraled downward in the last four years of his career. Though Mantle was the ultimate tape-measure home run hitter, he was not helped by the Death Valley dimensions of Yankee Stadium: 457 to left-center; 461 to dead center; 407 to right-center. He played a fine center field, although his throwing arm got progressively worse after shoulder injuries.
To Bonds’ credit, he is a far better player late in his career than Mantle, or just about anyone else in history. In fact, Mantle retired at age 36, just about the time Bonds began turning his career up a few notches.
Until last season, Bonds was a failure in postseason play, while Mantle has the most World Series home runs (18) of any player in history. Of course, he got to play in a dozen World Series during his 18-year career.
EDGE: Bonds. Anyone who ever saw Mantle play thought he had more all-around ability than any player who ever lived. But the numbers don’t lie and Mantle’s prime was too short.";
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barry_bonds_comparo[i-1].body = "vs. Ted Williams
Teddy Ballgame has been referred to as the best “pure hitter” of all-time because he combined a .344 lifetime average with 521 home runs and a .483 on-base percentage, second only to Ruth. Most remarkably, he missed nearly five full seasons because of two tours of military duty.
Williams had a keen batting eye but was a tad stubborn. He would rather take a walk than chase a pitch off the plate and drive it off the Green Monster at Fenway Park. He also refused to hit the ball to left field against the overshift, the use of three infielders to the right of second base. He was a tough customer and a tough out.
But he was not a good baserunner and only an adequate left fielder, who did finally master the intricacies of the Monster. Bonds has a distinct edge in speed and defense and has Williams-like patience at the plate. In fact, Bonds may have emerged lately as the most feared hitter of all time when you look at his recent walk totals.
Williams surely would have approached 700 home runs if not for his service time, and if he got close to Ruth’s 714, he would likely have stuck around to break what was then the all-time home run record.
EDGE: Bonds. No doubt Williams was the better hitter, but Bonds has become a better slugger and is clearly the better all-around talent.";
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barry_bonds_comparo[i-1].body = "vs. Joe DiMaggio
We’re getting into the area of blasphemy here for old-time fans, many of whom cannot stand the thought of even daring to compare the elegant Yankee Clipper with the edgy Giants superstar. But who knew Bonds was going to age better than wine from the Napa Valley?
No doubt, DiMaggio is the better pure hitter. He had a .325 career batting average and struck out just 369 times while hitting 361 home runs, an incredible ratio. DiMaggio lost three full seasons to World War II during his prime and had a couple of serious injuries or he would be a member of the 500 Club. He also was a gap hitter who lost many home runs to Yankee Stadium’s Death Valley, hitting 213 of his career homers on the road.
There may never have been a better or smoother outfielder than Joltin’ Joe. He made every catch look routine, even when he had to run long distances to track down fly balls. He had a strong, accurate arm, never threw to the wrong base and was considered one of the smartest baserunners of his era. Bonds has the edge for raw power and pure speed, but DiMaggio drove in runs at a better rate.
EDGE: DiMaggio. All-around hitting and fielding trump Bonds’ superior power numbers. And that 56-game hitting streak is worth a few points, don’t you think?"; barry_bonds_comparo[i++] = new Array("spt_0223_greatestslugger","Who's the best?","","","","", "lv2", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); // END editorial data