
Now On SI.comThe Daily Blog
Congratulations to Barry Bonds for breaking Rickey Henderson's
alltime walk record on Sunday. Now, can Barry and his apologists
(yes, they exist) please shut up about the toll his high on-base
percentage and outfield tasks take on his chiseled legs?
As his walk totals have skyrocketed in recent years--he's at
2,191 and counting--Bonds has whined about how fatiguing life as
an offensive superhero can be. Last week Giants owner Peter
Magowan got into the act when asked if Willie Mays's godson will
finish his career in San Francisco. "Look at what he goes
through, standing at first base and in leftfield all the time,"
Magowan told the Contra Costa Times. "He never gets to sit on the
bench. From his perspective it makes sense to be in the American
League [so he can DH]."
Please. Bonds's body is one of the planet's most finely tuned
machines. (Hasn't his trainer been in the news a lot lately?) I
don't care if he does turn 40 this month. Being erect for the
better part of a baseball game isn't that draining. And let's
face it: We've seen Bonds play defense lately. Some solar-powered
cars burn more energy.
Bonds is way beyond trying to make the public like him. But there
are plenty of waitresses and security guards out there who don't
want to hear him complain about being on his feet. Not to mention
Henderson. Rickey, now 45, is leading off for the Newark Bears of
the independent Atlantic League, praying for another shot in the
majors. Word is he's even willing to play in the NL.... Duke's
campus planners were probably thrilled Mike Krzyzewski snubbed
the Lakers. No need now to rename Coach K Court or The K-Lab,
which is either Durham's hottest club or Duke's sports medicine
facility.
For more SCORECARD DAILY--including TRUTH + RUMORS, Pete
McEntegart's 10 SPOT, THEY SAID IT and SIGN OF THE
APOCALYPSE--go to SI.com/scorecard.
COLOR PHOTO: AL TIELEMANS (BONDS)
TWO COLOR PHOTOS