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05/01/2004 9:43 PM ET
Bonds sets intentional-walk record
Four purposeful passes a new nine-inning mark
By Rich Draper / MLB.com
SAN FRANCISCO -- It was fitting that on the day the Giants unveiled Major League Baseball's first-ever Fitness Walking Course at SBC Park and handed out pedometers to fans, megaslugger Barry Bonds strolled into history himself. Intentionally.
Walking is good for your health, but Bonds' 39-year-old legs are admittedly getting weary with the veteran being walked 43 times this season, including 22 intentional walks by opposing pitchers.
Bonds set a big league record for a nine-inning game Saturday, being walked four times intentionally by Marlins pitchers. The standard for a game of any length is five by Chicago's Andrew Dawson (1990) in a 16-inning marathon. Bonds was given four intentional passes against the Dodgers on April 23, but that was in a 12-inning contest.
His third free pass Saturday didn't pay off for Florida, as Bonds eventually scored the go-ahead run in the Giants' 6-3 victory.
The outfielder nearly didn't play in the game but told manager Felipe Alou rather than possibly pinch-hitting once, he'd try to get a couple of at-bats.
"Even if they walk me," Bonds told the skipper.
"He's really dragging," said Alou. "No question about that. It's his legs. He gets on base four or five times a day plus the outfield play."
It's possible Bonds will not play in Sunday's game and then rest during the team's off-day Monday before playing against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium on Tuesday night.
Walks, however, seem his destiny this season, as opposing managers don't want the big man -- he has 668 career homers and 10 this season -- to beat them with his bat.
The San Francisco fans will do the "Chicken Dance" and squawk about the intentional walks, but competition rules.
"He's the only single guy in baseball who can turn the game around," Marlins manager Jack McKeon said. "If you walk him, they have a chance to score one run. If you don't, they could get three. I sympathize with the fans who come to see him play. And I sympathize with Barry. But I think Barry's a big boy and he understands the fact that we're in this game to win."
The opposing pitcher in Saturday's game, Marlins right-hander Carl Pavano, however, would like to pitch to baseball's third-place all-time home run hitter.
"The competitive nature we all have, I'm sure everyone [pitchers] would feel that way," Pavano said. "You're left wondering, 'Would I have gotten him out? Would he hit the ball right at someone? Or would he have hit a ground ball?'"
Still, it's a manager's call, and McKeon laughed when asked, hypthetically, 'What if an intentional walk automatically put a runner on second base instead of first -- would he walk Barry?'
"Nothing against Barry Bonds," he said, "but we'd probably still walk him."
Rich Draper is a reporter for MLB.com. Joe Frisaro, a reporter for MLB.com, contributed to this story. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Bonds sets intentional-walk record
Four purposeful passes a new nine-inning mark
By Rich Draper / MLB.com
SAN FRANCISCO -- It was fitting that on the day the Giants unveiled Major League Baseball's first-ever Fitness Walking Course at SBC Park and handed out pedometers to fans, megaslugger Barry Bonds strolled into history himself. Intentionally.
Walking is good for your health, but Bonds' 39-year-old legs are admittedly getting weary with the veteran being walked 43 times this season, including 22 intentional walks by opposing pitchers.
Bonds set a big league record for a nine-inning game Saturday, being walked four times intentionally by Marlins pitchers. The standard for a game of any length is five by Chicago's Andrew Dawson (1990) in a 16-inning marathon. Bonds was given four intentional passes against the Dodgers on April 23, but that was in a 12-inning contest.
His third free pass Saturday didn't pay off for Florida, as Bonds eventually scored the go-ahead run in the Giants' 6-3 victory.
The outfielder nearly didn't play in the game but told manager Felipe Alou rather than possibly pinch-hitting once, he'd try to get a couple of at-bats.
"Even if they walk me," Bonds told the skipper.
"He's really dragging," said Alou. "No question about that. It's his legs. He gets on base four or five times a day plus the outfield play."
It's possible Bonds will not play in Sunday's game and then rest during the team's off-day Monday before playing against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium on Tuesday night.
Walks, however, seem his destiny this season, as opposing managers don't want the big man -- he has 668 career homers and 10 this season -- to beat them with his bat.
The San Francisco fans will do the "Chicken Dance" and squawk about the intentional walks, but competition rules.
"He's the only single guy in baseball who can turn the game around," Marlins manager Jack McKeon said. "If you walk him, they have a chance to score one run. If you don't, they could get three. I sympathize with the fans who come to see him play. And I sympathize with Barry. But I think Barry's a big boy and he understands the fact that we're in this game to win."
The opposing pitcher in Saturday's game, Marlins right-hander Carl Pavano, however, would like to pitch to baseball's third-place all-time home run hitter.
"The competitive nature we all have, I'm sure everyone [pitchers] would feel that way," Pavano said. "You're left wondering, 'Would I have gotten him out? Would he hit the ball right at someone? Or would he have hit a ground ball?'"
Still, it's a manager's call, and McKeon laughed when asked, hypthetically, 'What if an intentional walk automatically put a runner on second base instead of first -- would he walk Barry?'
"Nothing against Barry Bonds," he said, "but we'd probably still walk him."
Rich Draper is a reporter for MLB.com. Joe Frisaro, a reporter for MLB.com, contributed to this story. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
