I’ve never been a huge critic of Barry Bonds. But, I think some people have already noticed. The thing is, he’s one of the best hitters in baseball history (home runs aside).
7 - Barry Bonds has walked more times than any other player in the history of Major League Baseball. Yes, some of those were intentional, but it also points to his ability to pick pitches, swing at the good ones and leave the bad ones alone. Bonds has walked a full 400 more times than the player with the second most bases reached on balls - Ricky Henderson.
Hank Aaron had 2400 more at bats than Bonds currently has and he walked more than 1,000 less times. That is no insignificant number.
6 - Swing mechanics - Muscle and power are important, but time and time again, the guys that hit the consistent home runs have a fundamentally sound swing. Barry Bonds has one of the best swings in baseball.
5 - Level swing? That’s a misnomer. Ted Williams would have told you a level swing is baloney. Bonds does not swing level. He swings in a manner that his bat is on an upward plane when he hits the ball out front.
4 - Ted Williams would have also told you (In his book The Science of Hitting) that flipping your wrists over is also baloney. You want to have your wrists square and out front when you make contact. (See photo of Barry for how to do it).
3 - Incredible trunk rotation. Again, this goes back to his swing, but if you watch him when he hits the ball, right as he hits it, he knows how to use the rotation of his body to put power and distance on the ball when he hits it. Go back and watch home run 756. He turned on that ball so fast and quick he could have had toothpicks for arms and still hit it out.
2 - Have you ever tried to hit a baseball? Have you ever tried hitting a 90 mph fastball? Have you ever had a 2-2 count after two 90 mph fastballs and then been thrown a sweeping 75 mph curve ball? I rest my case.
1 - You’ve got to hit the ball first. Hitting it out of the park is another story (see No. 2).
Congrats to Barry Bonds and props to Hank Aaron who said “I step aside.” A-Rod is going to pass you both anyway.
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[...] This guy was wearing a Jose Reyes Mets jersey when he got Barry Bonds’ 756th home run ball. He’s from Queens and stopped in S.F. on his way to Australia. How funny is that? [...]
Thanks for those reasons - it really puts his accomplishment in perspective. If it weren’t for that one season (73 HR’s - 24 more than in any other season) I would have no problems with an otherwise exceptionally skilled player.
First off you are a complete idiot…barry bonds does not swing on an upward plane..he swings on a downward plane to create backspin for homeruns…aparently you have never played on a baseball team that hits a lot of homeruns or you would know that..
a- look at the photo.
b- watch videos.
c- every swing starts on a down ward plane and comes back up.
d- I still play on a baseball team that hits home runs.
e- Read Ted Williams book.
f- Ask a pro scout (oh wait, you’re a pitcher at some school called Erskine…)
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