Barry Bonds is pure perfection
October 2002
by Michael Walls

You know that scene in the Matrix where Keanu Reeves asks about the scrambled green numbers and letters running down the computer screens, "Do you always look at it in code?" And the other guys says, "You get use to it. Now, all I see is blonde, brunette, redhead…"

That's the way I feel about baseball. All the years of watching have finally paid off.

I use to see a guy "throwing" a ball and another guy trying to "hit" it. Now, with pitching, I see the "pitches". I see the power vs. the trickery. I see the sequences. I see the silent relationship a pitcher has with each individual batter.

With batting, I see the hack vs. the skilled hitter. I see the "defensive" swings vs. the "pull" swings. And now, with Barry Bonds, I see what is meant by a "sweet" swing.

I haven't had many opportunities to see Barry play. But with the Giants in the playoffs and the Yankees' quick exit, I've had the chance recently to watch him.

Barry is awesome. Pure perfection. McGuire didn't have it. Neither does Sosa. They both looked like juiced-up hacks, with plenty of strikeouts to match their homerun totals. No, Barry is the complete hitter. With record walks and few strikeouts, Barry sees the ball like no other. I believe he sees it in slow motion.

It's gotten to a point where people are criticizing Barry for being too perfect. "He never swings at things outside the strike zone." Why should he? The object (most of the time) is to get on base. Whether you do it by putting the ball in play, or by watching it missed the zone four times. Barry knows that. That's what makes him an even greater player than his ability to put it in the bay.

What makes him fun to watch, is his whole approach at the plate. Nothing fancy. No Garciaparra or Knoblauch-like adjustments. No mean-looking stares or aggressive stances. Just a couple of casual practice swings, a little-league endorsed batting stance, a slight waggle of the bat, and a subtle "okay - bring it on" look.

From there, he's like a machine. A strike zone machine. He'll watch every pitch as it comes down the line and determine whether it's a strike or a ball, and he'll swing only when he knows for sure it's in the zone. And that swing - is lightning quick. Barry doesn't make much body movements. And you'll swear that he's taking a ball right up until it's over the plate, then "wham" - his bat comes slicing through.

So while the rest of us see "pitches" coming from the hand of the pitcher. Barry is up at the plate seeing "slider-outside, fastball-inside, breaking ball-strike" even before they cross the plate.

I'm enjoying, and appreciating Barry Bonds during these playoffs. And even though my Yankees are resolved to watching Barry from home rather than the dugout, I plan on routing for Barry the whole way. Because I appreciate good hitting.

(Michael Walls is a volunteer staff writer for 2 Walls Webzine)