Bonds doesn't need sympathy votes - Baseball

The loss of a parent creates a void like no other, but if you're wondering how it will affect Barry Bonds' ability to hit a baseball, consider his remarkable performance this season while his father was ailing.

Bobby Bonds underwent surgery on a brain tumor in April, was hospitalized for pneumonia in June and required open-heart surgery in July. He had been ill for nearly a year with lung cancer, yet Barry continued to leave his mark as one of the greatest players of all time.

It's obvious Bonds cared deeply about his father; he left the Giants to be at Bobby's side for five days earlier this month, then again to mourn his death last Saturday. But in the batter's box, Barry's focus never wavered. His season is almost unimaginable considering the emotional strain.

Losing his father will humanize Bonds, a player many fans find it hard to relate to. But it shouldn't be necessary for them to gain a full appreciation of his accomplishments. Bonds' feats are recorded in greater detail and receive greater exposure than Babe Ruth's, Willie Mays' or any of the game's other all-time legends. And still not everyone grasps what is before them, even now, when Bonds, 39, leaves us breathless almost once a week, sometimes more.

Bonds vs. Albert Pujols? Stop it. Bonds is the National League MVP. Pujols is king of all mortals. Actually, that's not fair to Pujols, whose season, too, is otherworldly. Bur it's a testament to Bonds' greatness that the MVP voting should not be close even though Pujols, according to STATS Inc., could become the first N.L player to finish in the top two in each Triple Crown category over a 162 game schedule. Heck, even if Pujols becomes the first N.L. Triple Crown winner since Joe Medwick in 1937--doubtful, given that he began the week trailing Bonds by five homers and Preston Wilson by 13 RBIs--he shouldn't be MVP. For precedent, remember Ted Williams was an A.L. Triple Crown winner but not the MVP in 1942 (Joe Gordon) and 1947 (Joe DiMaggio).

Pujols, 23, is a wonderful player, the first to finish with 30 homers, 100 RBIs and 100 runs scored in each of his first three seasons. But he is surrounded by better hitters with the Cardinals than Bonds is with the Giants. Pujols' home park is neutral, nor favoring pitchers or hitters. Bonds' home park is the most difficult to hit homers in in the majors. And Pujols doesn't force opponents to alter strategy, as Bonds does.

"The game changes around Barry," says Cubs center fielder Kenny Lofton, a teammate of Bonds' last season with the Giants. "That's the bottom line."

Last week, just when the Bonds-Pujols debate was beginning to stir, Bonds interrupted the discussion with one of the most dramatic home runs of his career. It came after he had missed four games in Montreal while spending time with his father. The Giants, also playing without injured regulars Rich Aurilia and Ray Durham, lost all four games, scoring only four runs. The Cardinals went 2-2 in a similar stretch without Pujols, scoring 19 runs in their two victories.

Bonds' walkoff shot leading off the 10th inning against Braves lefthander Ray King snapped a five-game losing streak and was the first extra-base hit by a lefthanded hitter allowed by King in 78 at-bats this season. Two nights later, Bonds again stunned the best team in the majors, connecting with one out in the 10th against righthander Trey Hodges.

"This built-in flair for the dramatic ... forget that series; it's every series," Braves general manager John Schuerholz says. "He has more ability than any player on any other team to turn a game around, to win a game single-handedly."

Considering the backdrop, Bonds' season is proving to be as distinctive as his record 73-homer performance in 2001. But the award is for most valuable player, not most sympathetic figure. Just as voting baseball writers avoided penalizing Bonds for his prickly personality when awarding his five previous MVPs, they should not get all warm and fuzzy over him now. Nor should they take a different type of subjective view and anoint Pujols because of his Fresh-Face Factor.

Bonds began the week leading Pujols by 90 points in on-base percentage and 77 in slugging percentage despite Pujols' league-leading .365 batting average. Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus points out two other sets of statistics that are especially revealing. Bonds' on-base percentage and slugging percentage at Pac Bell, a park that negates lefthanded power, are the best home marks ill the N.L.--yes, even better than Todd Helton's numbers at Coors Field. And after an 0-2 count--a hitter's most difficult situation--Bonds' combined percentage was 1.107, better than Helmn's overall on-base plus slugging percentage of 1.083, which ranked third in the majors. Bonds, though, had trailed in only 48 of his 455 plate appearances.

When will people understand? Bonds J the Michael Jordan of baseball. You may recall Jordan crying and shuddering and hugging a basketball after the Bulls won the 1996 NBA title, the first after the deal of his father, James, three years earlier. It's not difficult to imagine a similar scene this October involving Bonds.

kenrosenthal@sportingnews.com

M@IL BONDING: KEN ROSENTHAL ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS

Which team will sign Vladimir Guerrero as a free agent?

Jon-Paul Barbier, Monterey, Calif.

Jon-Paul: The team that should sign Guerrero is the Expos, who need him to increase the franchise's appeal to prospective buyers. If Major League Baseball is smart, it will allow the Expos to raise their payroll enough at least to retain Guerrero through salary arbitration. MLB would recoup its investment when it sells the club, and Guerrero is comfortable enough in Montreal that he might accept the one year offer, knowing the market might be better in 2004.

If Guerrero truly prefers a low-profile environment--and Mike Mussina was said to have the same inclination before he signed with the Yankees--then the Oriole might be the best fit. The team is ready to spend. Guerrero is familiar with V.E Jim Beattie, the Expos' former general manager. And Camden Yards is conducive to Guerrero's righthanded power.

One caveat: Guerrero's herniated disk could be a red flag for Orioles owner Pete Angelos, a stickler for clean medical records. Teams face increasing difficulty obtaining insurance on big contracts, and insurers likely will require an exemption for Guerrero's back.

SPEED READS

* The A's face a tremendous challenge trying to reach the postseason after losing Mark Mulder to a stress fracture in his right hip. The past two seasons, the Big Three of Mulder, Barry Zito and Tim Hudson were 49-9 after August 1, including 16-3 by Mulder. No trade: acquisition or Class AAA call-up can fill that void.

* Tigers manager Alan Trammell is doing the fight thing by keeping Mike Maroth and Jeremy Bonderman in the rotation. Neither pitcher will be scarred permanently if he loses 20 games, and managers who attempt to manipulate statistics violate the sport's integrity. The games should dictate stats, not the other way around.

* Memo to the Red Sox: Stop complaining about perceived negativity from fans and media. Sox fans might be pessimistic, but they're among the most passionate in the game. The players should ignore side issues and remain focused on winning the franchise's first World Series since 1918, Think the fans wouldn't like to see that?

INSIDE DISH By KEN ROSENTHAL

3B Adrian Beltre's revival demonstrates anew that the Dodgers should remain committed to him. Beltre, 24, could make more than $5 million in his final year of arbitration. He began the week leading the majors with 22 RBIs in August, including six game-winners. His resurgence coincides with the August 4 hiring of George Hendrick as hitting coach.... The Giants expressed strong interest in Indians LHP Brian Anderson, but Brewers 2B Eric Young filled a more urgent need and came at a lower price. The Indians' primary motive in trading Anderson is that it will be easier to re-sign him as a free agent if he is with another dub. They want to avoid the deadline to offer him arbitration, the same desire the Rangers had with DH/1B Rafael Palmeiro.... The Braves, seeking to strengthen their eighth-inning relief, had interest in RHP Mike DeJean, who went from the Brewers to the Cardinals, and RHP Chris Reitsma, whom the Reds won't trade. Braves G.M. John Schuerholz says RHP Jason Marquis has "as much stuff to fill the role as anybody on our staff," and the team's options will increase once RHPs Roberto Hernandez and Darren Holmes come off the D.L.... Give Carlos Baerga an assist for the emergence of switch hirer Alex Cintron, who eliminating any possibility that the Diamondbacks will pursue another shortstop for 2004. Baerga's .375 on-base percentage off the bench and his mentoring of Cintron could get Baerga an invitation to return. ... The Expos signed Todd Zeile because they were last ha the National League in on-base/slugging percentage at third base. The Reds made Zeile an interesting offer, telling him they would showcase him before Sunday's deadline for setting postseason rosters, then trade him if a contender had interest.... As if LHP Mike Mussina didn't have enough weapons, his new split-finger pitch gives him another option, particularly against lefthanded hitters. "Lefties had no chance," says one A.L. coach whose team recently faced Mussina. "And he wasn't even throwing the pitch for strikes." ... Don't look now, but the Devil Rays are building an impressive bullpen, and none of their relievers is older than 28. "That's almost as good of a bullpen as we've seen this year," Indians G.M. Mark Shapiro says.... Club remain skeptical of RHP Livan Hernandez's motivation, especially as he nears the 217 innings he needs to vest his $6 million option for next season. "It's all about mood with him," one executive says. "I'll be very curious to see how he pitches once he gets past the innings threshold." ... Six A.L. pitchers who were selected in last year's Rule 5 draft had combined for 236 appearances at the start of the week the most out of one such group that one longtime scout can remember. Two of those pitchers, RHPs D.J. Catrasso of the Royals and Chris Spurling of the Tigers, came front the pitching-poor Pirates. Another, A's RHP Michael Neu, came from the rebuilding Reds.... Scouts are drooling over Dodgers Class AA LHP Greg Miller: "I thought (Class AA RHP) Edwin Jackson was the gem of the system until I saw Miller," one says. He might be the best young pitcher in the game. He has a curveball to rival (LHP Barry) Zito's, and his fastball is way better than Zito's. The only thing he lacks right now is stamina."

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