Kyle Galdeira  -  K-Zone
SID/Web Editor

kyleg@hawaiiwinterbaseball.com


Bonds' Big Blast
Posted on Mon Aug 06, 2007 at 02:00pm HAST

Wow, what a day.


After all the hype, all the anticipation, the deluge of media coverage--and, of course, the controversy--Barry Bonds finally connected for his record-breaking 756th home run tonight at San Francisco's AT&T Park. Sure, the rumors of Bonds' alleged use of performance enhancing substances have put a damper on this historic event, but give the guy some credit. He broke the record, and until it is proven that Bonds cheated, we should honor and celebrate the mark.


It didn't surprise me that Bonds did indeed hit No. 756, but that he did it in such close proximity to some of the other recent milestones achieved this season. We have been treated to Tom Glavine's 300th win on Sunday, Alex Rodriguez's 500th home run on Saturday, and Craig Biggio's 3000th hit earlier in the year, just to name a few. Couple those with the recent induction of Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn into the Hall of Fame, and you can see why baseball fans have been spoiled in 2007.


So what's next? Who, if anyone, will be the next Home Run King? Will it be A-Rod, who many predict has a legitimate shot at 800 bombs? Or how about Ken Griffey Jr.; he'll need to string together a handful of successful and healthy years to have a shot, but don't count him out. And of course, Ryan Howard has shown signs of becoming possibly the greatest power hitter of all time.


It will be an interesting couple of years as we watch and see if anyone can encroach on Bonds' new mark. But for now, let's celebrate the feat, and give Barry the credit he's due.

 


Posted under - Records | 14 comments


Comments

  1. Mitch said on 08/08/2007:
    Credit? Did you see what BB used to look like? About 50 pounds lighter and 5 hat sizes smaller. He don't get no credit from me.

  2. Kyle said on 08/08/2007:
    OK, I hear what you're saying, but even if he did get bigger and "enhanced," it still takes skill and raw talent to put the kind of bat speed, timing and coordination together in such a way that allowed him to hit that many home runs. It wasn't brute strength alone.

  3. Lance Coughlin said on 08/09/2007:
    Sorry for speaking off topic, but I am seriously bummed that all of the games are going to be at Hans L'Orange. I booked just under seven weeks in Waikiki just to watch HWB at Les Murakami and with the change I am wondering how the heck I'm going to get from Waikiki to Waipahu. I'm assuming I'll have to leave Waikiki by bus at around 10 AM and catch a 9:30 PM bus back to Waikiki...........What a drag. Any alternative suggestions would be appreciated. I hope the league might offer some type of shuttle from Waikiki or UH, the crowds at Hans L'Orange were quite sparse, maybe this will help with attendance. I'm also assuming the league was somewhat motivated to hold day games so they could have schools attend to fill seats.

  4. Lance said on 08/13/2007:
    Any idea when the HWB rosters will be announced? Also, any tips on the bus route from Waikiki to Hans field would be appreciated.

  5. Phil Higa said on 08/13/2007:
    The ironic thing about the whole saga is how almost none of Bonds' contemporaries speak out about him. Moises Alou more or less summmed it up when he said (paraphrasing) that he could give credit to Bonds because 1. He's never been caught, and 2. Bonds is the best hitter he's ever seen. Most of the players understand how difficult it is to hit in the first place. I don't really like him- he's always seemed too smug to be the face of any team- but 750 home runs is still 750 home runs.

  6. Kyle said on 08/13/2007:
    Lance: We are hoping to hear more about players later this month...it all depends on when teams send in their list(s) of guys they will send. As far as bus routes, check out www.thebus.org for routes and time schedules...hopefully you can make it out to Hans! I'll keep you posted if any more transportation options open up

  7. Lance said on 08/13/2007:
    Thanks Kyle. I am looking forward to the games but not the ride. Joe Thatcher was called back up by the way. A great story- from the independent league to the majors. There is a buzz here on the mainland East Coast about Ian Kennedy being called up to the Yanks also. Perhaps the most exciting player to watch from last year, Nyjer Morgan, has been on the DL most of the season after a hand injury and subsquent operation. Hopefully he'll make a full recovery. Another hWB on my watch list, Alex Hunshaw, has also been injured for a while and will be out the remainder of the season. He was kicking butt for the Giants AA team here in CT. Still hoping for some info on the Japanese players from 2006 as I can't find an English Nippon stat site on the web. I'll be out the last week in October and I'm staying for the remainder of the season. I'm getting pumped in case you can't tell. I check the site regularly for updates so keep the good info coming.

  8. Kyle said on 08/13/2007:
    Mahalo Lance, I saw that Thatcher got called up too, and it looks like Michael Barrett might be on the shelf for a while after getting hit in the head a few times last week. We are working on the Japan player updates, and hopefully will have those up soon as our writer over there compiles stories and translates them into English. That's too bad about Nyjer, I predicted that he would have been one of the first guys called up, especially with the Pirates playing so poorly. Hopefully he can get rid of the injury bug soon. If you hear any news, let us know!

  9. Phil said on 08/13/2007:
    There will probably be a bunch of guys getting called up when the rosters expand. Can't wait.

  10. Al Oha said on 08/14/2007:
    Joba Chamberlain is kicking some serious butt. I don't remember him throwing in the high 90s when he was playing here.

  11. Kyle said on 08/14/2007:
    Al: Yes, Joba is doing very well with the Yankees...they have been featuring him on SportsCenter pretty much every time he pitches. I believe he actually hit 98 mph on the radar gun at one point when he was here, so it was not surprising to see him hit 99 against Toronto in his debut.

  12. Lance said on 08/22/2007:
    Darn brother, throw us something new! :) My team of choice out here, the Defenders (featuring some Beach Boys), are in dead last, so I'm already moving on to the start of hwb. When are some names going to be announced? Just noticed that Mayberry Jr. has 30 dingers this year, and Clement seems to be coming around (six rbi's today). Also E Young is hitting close to .300 after a somewhat slow start. Go EY! Saw Joba chillin' in the pen Saturday in the Bronx. Can you tell us if any new parent organizations are expected to send players this year?

  13. Kyle said on 08/23/2007:
    Sorry Lance, I just posted something on Joba yesterday, check that out when you have time. As far as players go, we're still waiting for teams to a)decide if they will send players b)designate players to send, so I'll keep everyone in the loop when I find out. I noticed Mayberry's power surge as well...maybe Texas will elevate him because at this point they're trying to get their young guns ready for next season. I'm also keeping track of Whittleman, who is on the track to the majors by late next year, or 2009 if all goes according to plan. Keep the comments coming! Kyle

  14. lisa said on 11/16/2007:
    What's up my bro; how life has been treating you so far....Viola said hello. Give me a hallow someday.