Well, I am now leaning towards the base on balls record rather than the home run one. With all the pitching-around Bonds is going to be subjected to in the heat of the pennant race, he should up his walk totals (currently at 108 and on pace for 162} to levels unheard of. The record stands at 170 (owned by no other than George Herman Ruth himself), and seems now more likely to be challenged than ever before. Not much hoopla surrounding such a “chase,” but at least it such serve as solace for all of us fans waiting fervently to reminisce glorious epochs long gone…such as that memorable home run extravaganza from times long gone.
Luis Gonzalez hit #43 last night. Randy Johnson got 8 strikeouts, giving him a season total of 259, leading Curt Schilling by 67. Pedro Martinez leads the AL with only 150 Ks. Will Johnson break the record for the most Ks in a season (383 by Nolan Ryan in 1973)? Stay tuned…
Today, Bonds hit #47 into McCovey Cove.
Bonds just hit #48 (sorry no link, couldn’t find one as it just happened).
BTW, could the Reds have blown the game even worse than then did 
<–Giants fan
Here’s a link.
Hey, at least they didn’t blow a twelve-run lead like Seattle did!
Oh, yeah: Bonds hit #49 on August 9th. Luis Gonzalez seems to be stuck on 43 HRs. Randy Johnson has 267 Ks.
Every division except the AL West has a close, tight race. The 4-game lead the Yankees have over the Red Sox could vanish in just one week (though not this week, seeing as how they have three games against Tampa Bay coming up). The NL West may not be settled until the final weekend. Even the Wild-Card races are tight. This has been a great season.
I don’t believe it! Bonds just hit #50! (Click there, and you’ll get an in-progress box score. After the game, it will be the final box score.)
I am slowly gaining acceptance of the fact that the voodoo dolls aren’t working. Damn. He’s still got a lot to do to break the record, but he’s making it look more than possible, Bonds is making it looks plausible and even easy.
Look at his numbers this year - so far, besides the 50 HRs, he’s already driven in 98 RBIs (on pace for 136), drawn 114 walks (on pace for 158), he’s slugging .821(!), while maintaining a .308 batting average and he’s only had 347 at bats. That’s an average of a homerun every 6.94 at bats!
In McGwire’s big year, he hit 70 in 509 at bats (average of a HR every 7.27 ABs), drove in 147 RBIs, drew 162 walks, held a .752 slugging percentage, and batted .299.
I’d really be impressed with Bonds, instead of just irritated with him, if the man played for the Cardinals. (Ok, I’m still impressed, but as a Cardinal fan I wish he would just knock it off already!)
Not to mention Bonds’ 479 stolen bases. Only 21 bases away from having hit 500 HRs and stealing 500 bases.
Weird fact about Mark McGwire: His past 10 hits have all been homers! (He got another one today.) It could be the longest such streak in history, but no one knows for sure at this time.
Yeah, hoorah for McGwire’s homerun streak. It’d be nice if he dropped one in for a single now and again though. What’s that homerun raise his batting average to now? .190? I like Big Mac and all, but DAMN! Hit a freaking single with a guy at 2nd base every now and then, ok big fella?
McGwire’s streak is now at 11. His BA is now .192
You know, jab, everytime I see you post to this thread, I cringe.
It means Bonds is one more closer…
At least the Cards are back in the central division race, if we make the playoffs, that will give me some solace if the record falls.
McGwire hit a single.
At this rate he will own the record in no time. Two more homeruns during todays game…total is 53 right now.
17 Homeruns to go, 41 more games. I think he will get the record this year with a little past 70 barring injury.
Just so Crunchy will cringe…
I have now resolved myself that the record will very likely fall. As if having Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, and Barry Bonds (among others) to the team’s credit was enough, they need this record too?
::sigh::
C’mon, Giants, give the Cardinals something! All we have is Stan Musial and Mark McGwire!
(and Ozzie Smith, Dizzy Dean, Bob Gibson, Rogers Hornsby, and 9 World Series Championships)
But we don’t have anything real pride-worthy for the new century if this record falls!
Toss us a bone, would ya Barry?
You know, maybe that wasn’t the strongest argument I could’ve made for the Cardinal fans needing this record…
Quick question, has Bonds had any kind of slumps this year or has he basically been on cruise control this season?
This Phillies Phan is a little sad that home run #54 will tie Bonds with Mike Schmidt for 8th all-time. 
You forgot Lou Brock…
Barry started the year in a horrendous slump; didn’t hit anything (power or average) until mid-April. Barry hit #39 on June 20-something, and didn’t hit #40 until well after the All Start break. So until this week, he’d hit 11 homers in 7 weeks. So he’s just coming out of a power slump now.
The Cardinals have something the San Francisco Giants have never had.
A World Championship.
Let them have their home run record. You have nine World Series titles.
My, how people forget. Bonds went into a serious homer drought in late June/early July.
If I had to bet $50 on it, I’d bet against him. He still has to hit eighteen home runs in six weeks. That’s very, very hard, above his established level of ability over the last few years.