Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Aaron and Bonds Versus Cooperstown
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When it was still another day, another wait for Barry Bonds to perform the inevitable, and nudge Hank Aaron to one side as the all-time home run leader (as opposed to champion), the temptation to ask arose: while you waited, would you have been interested in knowing a) the particular favorite pitchers against whom each man went long; and, b) the Hall of Famers against whom they did it and how often?
Considering the pitchers against whom they hit five or more home runs en route to breaking the lifetime bomb record — accounting the first 715 of Aaron's career and what stands to end up the first 756 of Bonds' career — here, first, are their favorite marksmen overall. If you'll pardon the expression and the device, the asterisks indicate Hall of Famers in fact or in likely waiting:
HANK AARON
Five — Steve Blass, Nelson Briles, Ray Culp, Carl Erskine, Jim Maloney, Jim O'Toole, Dave Roberts, Ed Roebuck, Chris Short.
Six — Steve Carlton (*), Dick Ellsworth, Jack Fisher, Warren Hacker.
Seven — Bob Buhl, Larry Dierker, Sammy Ellis, Bob Gibson (*), Don Gullett, Sandy Koufax (*), Curt Simmons, Ray Washburn.
Eight — Johnny Antonelli, Harvey Haddix, Jay Hook, Ron Kline, Juan Marichal (*).
Nine — Vernon Law, Mike McCormick, Robin Roberts (*).
Ten — Don Cardwell, Roger Craig, Larry Jackson.
Twelve — Bob Friend.
Thirteen — Claude Osteen.
Seventeen — Don Drysdale (*).
BARRY BONDS
Five — Tom Browning, John Burkett, Jose DeLeon, Mike Hampton, Greg Harris, Orel Hershiser, Jon Lieber, Jose Lima, Jamie Moyer, Kevin Tapani.
Seven — Andy Ashby, Denny Neagle, Pete Schourek.
Eight — Greg Maddux (*), Terry Mulholland, Chan Ho Park, Curt Schilling (*), John Smoltz (*).
That would be 35 pitchers off whom Hank Aaron hit five or more bombs, compared to 18 for Barry Bonds, who's never hit more than eight off any pitcher. A pretty impressive performance paper for Bad Henry, that.
But let's see how they did against the Hall of Famers not noted above. In considering Bonds we'll consider Hall of Famers incumbent and in waiting alike. But, first, we'll look at the ones who've never had to watch one fly out on their dimes:
AARON — Dennis Eckersley, Rollie Fingers, Catfish Hunter, Jim Palmer, Warren Spahn.
BONDS — Roger Clemens, Dennis Eckersley, Pedro Martinez, The Mariano, Nolan Ryan, Bruce Sutter, Don Sutton.
Before you holler "teammates don't count," bear in mind that Warren Spahn was sold to the New York Mets for the 1965 season, and the Mets shipped him on to the San Francisco Giants later the same year. Aaron got to hit against his longtime teammate seven times, getting two hits and a walk and hitting nothing over the fence against the old screwballer.
Now, let's look at the other Hall of Famers against whom they did reach the seats:
AARON
Four — Tom Seaver.
Three — Gaylord Perry, Don Sutton.
Two — Ferguson Jenkins, Nolan Ryan.
One — Jim Bunning.
BONDS
Four — Tom Glavine. (Remember, we count Hall of Famers in waiting here.)
Three — Randy Johnson.
Two — Trevor Hoffman.
And what are the total bombs each man's hit off the Hall of Famers, incumbent or in waiting?
AARON — 69.
BONDS — 33.
Even if you believe that the caliber of pitching in Bonds's time hasn't really been up to the overall caliber of the pitching in Aaron's, even if you believe that Aaron simply got the opportunities to face more Hall of Famers than Bonds, the fact is that Aaron hit at least one bomb off 12 different Hall of Famers to Bonds hitting at least one off six; and, that 36-homer difference between the two men's bomb totals against the Hall of Famers is a huge distinction.
Make of it what you will as Bonds, for better or worse, deservedly or not, stands on the threshold of passing Aaron. Meanwhile, make note from above: there's one Hall of Famer who got to face both men and never had to watch one fly out off either man's bat.
If you're reading, Mr. Eckersley, you have the right to answer the wisenheimers thus: "Yep. I gave up a World Series walk-off shot to a guy who almost couldn't walk around the bases without taking a shot. And I'm also the only Hall of Famer in history who ever kept both Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds in the ballpark!"
Bond's era is still producing HOF'ers...Aaron's is not.
Revisit this idea in 10 years and it'll be closer.
Also note, Bonds accomplished his HR's in way fewer at bats - A HUGE DISTINCTION.