Posted By:
john/z28jdThe Giants really are set up for a 1 year run.I think Grissom,Alou,Bonds and Vizquel all have one good year left and they have to make the most of it this year.They also added a gold glove catcher in Matheny
Should be a good race in the west just like last year.
To answer the initial question,Bonds is too close not to get it,hes definitely playing the next 2 seasons he said,and even if he somehow doesnt get it in that time frame he will be close enough where he will play one more year to get it.
You have to remember,and i truely believe this,if he walked as much as a normal baseball player and didnt have any help then he would probably have hit the same amount of homers as he has hit just over more at-bats. 750 walks in the last 4 years,even subtracting 80 walks a year means he lost a seasons worth of at-bats.
I dont think steroids helped his home runs as much as it helped his HR per AB average,on base percent and walks record.Assuming 10 homers were helped enough each year then its not hard to believe he could hit 40 extra homers in the 430 at-bats he lost because he was pitched around.He also plays in a difficult home run hitters park,imagine if he were a member of the Astros[since minute maid/enron field opened] or Rockies this whole time
His documented workout routine is also phenomenal and i dont expect it to decline,and would actually believe it to increase because of the controversy.Im sure he wants to prove the doubters wrong,i dont expect much of a decline if any in his game this season except less playing time,meaning more frequent rests.
I wouldnt be surprised to see the league as a whole down alot in homers due to the new testing.