And The Season Start To Roll, By: Ryan Matthews
May 5, 2006
The race goes on. We are now through with the first month of Baseball. April has brought to the viewers and fans more news and surprises than any other beginning to a season that I can recently remember. Record home runs have been hit all over the league and one player by the name of Steve Finley is already on pace to break his own record of hitting ten triples in a season. He hit his fourth on Sunday, and let me remind you again that the season is a month old.
The home runs hit around the league have been phenomenal with a combined amount of homers surmounting to over 500. There are many explanations to this spectacle, and I hope that I can fi gure out a good reason why everyone is hitting the ball, but I am sure I might digress into Barry Bonds.
What could be creating all of these home runs? The “Steroid Era” has hit its climax. It now includes our federal government, who is now conducting an investigation on the claim that Bonds committed perjury when testifying before a federal grand jury. With this going on, I couldn't believe that anyone would want to be doing steroids this season. Sure people such as Ivan Rodriguez (Pudge, I-Rod mini) called the leagues b luff and got caught. Rafael Palmeiro did the exact same thing. The situation that Bonds has been put in by the media is enormous, and I doubt that any other player wishes that upon them.
Why is everyone hitting those homers, though? I think that the players that have been overlook the most, in accordance to steroid allegations, are the pitchers. They take the steroids because their arm is in such high demand all of the time and steroids assists in quicker rehabilitation. When choice players meet before congress, Curt Shilling was there and he was the only pitcher, but this is here just to prove a point. My theory is that many pitchers are off the steroids and the batters are able to get a better range on the throws that they make. There are many different ways that you could look at it.
Remember, any common fan knows that Barry Bonds is in a slump right now. He is barley hitting over .200 and as of now, he is one of the most walked players in baseball. This columnist always debates over ‘Bonds’ history and recent news, and again the easiest answer is to say that he is off the juice. How many of us out there have ended our careers due to our fragile knees tearing or shattering. The knee is the arguably the most feared common injury in sports, and Bonds has battled his knee through three surgeries and months of rehabilitation. Remember that as you look at his numbers.
I believe that this is his last season, he will not beat Hank Aaron, nor will he play 120 games as Felipe Alou and GM Brian Sabean anticipated.
But why is he still getting those oh-so-common pitchouts when Moises Alou bats right after him and happens to be on fire right now? It truly comes down to the mindset of the opposing manager. Bonds has been put into swinging situations this year and has continuously grounded out, usually up the first base line. Other players are ripping the baseball all over the place in every park all over the league. Bonds has three home runs this season and there are other players such as Jason Giambi, who have hit four times as many home runs than Bonds.
Commissioner Bud Selieg has no plans to celebrate the passing of this record because he that it is not important to him or baseball. He supports this by mentioning that Hank Aaron already passed Ruth in 1974, so what is the point? The point is that we are watching the “Bambino” of our generation. Babe Ruth was an alcohol abuser and smoker, among other things. He was the fi rst player to play in the league with a voice box. Now I don’t know if those are as big as a steroid scandal, but whatever generation it might be, people (including baseball stars) are always looking for an advantage above everyone else.
As of now, Bonds is only two home runs away from beating the Babe Ruth record. Bonds sent a full-count, 96 mph fastball from Scott Linebrink over the center-fi eld wall for a solo shot that traveled an estimated 440 feet. Linebrink became the 419th pitcher to surrender a home run to Bonds.
“The fast ones I’m able to see. The slower ones I’m missing,” Bonds said, smiling. “He challenged me one time too many.”
