I know it's not the popular opinion, but I'm happy for Barry Bonds.
Yeah, I know he used steroids, I understand that he cheated, I've heard that he's a jerk to fans, and the press, and is known as a selfish teammate.
But he's still a human being....playing the hardest sport in the world.
And now he holds the most respected record in the game's history.
Which means in my book....the guy deserves some credit.
My personal experience with Barry Bonds was in game 2 of the 2002 World Series. My future wife and I were in the Right Field pavilion, maybe 3/4 the way up to the top. Troy Percival was pitching in the ninth, the Angels had a comfortable lead with two outs. So Percival and his 99 mile per hour fast ball decides to pitch to Bonds.
I'll never forget it....right before the first pitch a Giants fan in front of me put on his baseball glove....it was the first time all night he did that.
My wife laughed.
She asked me if it was possible that someone could actually hit it up there.
I said, "No way".
Several pitches later I was eating my words.
Bonds launched the longest shot I had ever seen hit, a shot that Tim Salmon, who played in Angels stadium for 14 years, said was the longest home run he ever witnessed in that park.
I had a direct line to it too....saw it from the time it hit the bat to when it dropped a couple of rows in front of me and bounced over my row.
Amazing.
After the game I walked down toward the front gate, and I looked back to observe the distance the ball had traveled from home plate to the Right field pavilion where I was sitting a short time before.
Amazing.
All I could think was...... that a human being had accomplished that.
A human being had accomplished that.
