[新聞] Yankees Insider: A-Rod has real shot at Bonds
文章來源：http://tinyurl.com/2f5a28
Yankees Insider: A-Rod has real shot at Bonds
BY KAT O'BRIEN
DENVER -- As Barry Bonds closes in on Hank Aaron's hallowed all-time home run
record of 755, this weekend he will have the chance to see the player who
could next hit that mark: Alex Rodriguez.
The Yankees open a three-game interleague series against the Giants Friday
night in San Francisco, with Bonds sitting on 748 home runs and Rodriguez at
491.
Bonds (limited to 14 games in 2005 because of injury) is in his 22nd season;
A-Rod is in his 12th full season after a total of 196 at-bats in 1994 and
1995. Bonds will turn 43 July 24, three days before Rodriguez turns 32, and
has played in 2,925 games to Rodriguez's 1,816. Bonds is 257 homers ahead in
the equivalent of seven full seasons, an average of about 37 homers per year.
When Bonds was asked this spring about getting to 800 home runs, he laughed
and said: "Call A-Rod. Call Alex."
Rodriguez said of Bonds' apparent confidence in A-Rod's long-term power
hitting: "It's very humbling."
But Rodriguez would not bite on whether he agrees with the assessment that he
could finish his career as the all-time home run leader, or whether he even
contemplates it. Said Rodriguez: "I'm too concerned with winning tonight's
game."
The same, he said, goes for the 500 mark: "Nope, not yet. Maybe when I'm one
away or something like that."
As preposterous as it may sound, Rodriguez could challenge the 800-homer
plateau, or whatever the home run record happens to be when Bonds retires. If
A-Rod averages 38 home runs per season (he topped 40 in seven of the previous
nine years, including 57 in 2002 and 52 in 2001) and retires on his 40th
birthday, he would wind up with 801.
Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, of whom former Ranger Rodriguez speaks
highly, didn't need any prodding to think about A-Rod and the record. He
returned home from Wednesday's game, in which Sammy Sosa hit his 600th homer,
and he and his wife, Shelley, discussed A-Rod's chances of topping Aaron and
Bonds.
Said Yankees manager Joe Torre: "I don't think there's any question
[Rodriguez could break the record]. Whether it be individual year or
lifetime. Again, you have to be lucky. You saw what happened to Junior [Ken
Griffey, who hit 438 homers in his first 12 seasons before turning 31 but has
been slowed by numerous injuries]."
Torre, a teammate of Aaron's for eight seasons, said he has mixed emotions
about Bonds being on track to pass Aaron but added: "You can't emphasize
enough what a great player this kid was when he was young, before there was
any question of how he was doing it."
Torre is aware that Aaron does not plan to be in attendance when Bonds passes
him. He said he has not spoken with Aaron about it but surmised that Aaron
would not have a problem with being passed if Bonds were not surrounded by
questions about possible steroid use.
Many people feel as Torre does, or are even more strongly opposed to the idea
of Bonds holding the record, either because they believe he got there in an
unsavory manner or simply because they don't like him.
Yet many players, including several of the most accomplished Yankees hitters,
are wowed by Bonds' numbers.
"It's phenomenal," Rodri.guez said. "I think it's incredible. He's probably
the greatest baseball player ever to put on a uniform. I hope we celebrate it
[the record-breaking]."
Bobby Abreu and Derek Jeter were just as complimentary. Jeter called the home
run record one of the most impressive in baseball, along with Pete Rose's
4,256 hits, Cal Ripken's 2,632 consecutive games played and Yogi Berra's 10
world titles.
"He's No. 1 to me," long-time National Leaguer Abreu said of Bonds. "He can
do it all. The way that I see it, he's outstanding. He's one of those players
that you want to come to the stadium to see."
Said Jeter: "It's quite an accomplishment, it goes without saying. It's
unimaginable for me. Whenever he breaks it, it's going to be a special
moment." As for the fact that so many people focus on the steroid
allegations, Jeter added: "As I've always said, he hasn't failed any tests,
so I think it's a little bit unfair."
Abreu and Jeter named Rodriguez as the most likely person to surpass Bonds
and Aaron. Thus far in his career, A-Rod has homered once every 3.70 games
and once every 14.3 at-bats. Bonds has homered once every 3.91 games and once
every 12.9 at-bats. A large part of the disparity between Rodri.guez homering
more often in games but Bonds homering more frequently per at-bat comes from
the fact that Bonds has walked 1,637 more times than A-Rod in 1,109 more
games.
"Alex's ability, we're all in awe," Torre said. "And we're in the same
uniform. We're not up in the stands, and we're in awe. I think that's
probably the highest compliment."
--
Drive to my World:
http://www.wretch.cc/album/album.php?id=rodvader&book=19
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 203.69.75.117
A-Rod 近期熱門文章
PTT體育區 即時熱門文章
