Barry sits on the threshold of destiny

Just one more swing and it will all be over. Barry will sit alone as the home run king of all time, or until some young punk like Alex Rodriguez comes along to break whatever mark Bonds leaves behind.

The way teams have been pitching to Barry, 800-home runs seems to be out of the question. He would have hit that mark sometime early this season if teams would pitch to him like they do A-Rod and Albert Pujols among others.

It was hard enough to catch Aaron, but to add the element of teams freezing Bonds out made it that much tougher. "I am going to take the game Sunday off and go celebrate with my family." said Bonds when asked if he would try and break the record in San Diego.

I have a feeling a little Roger Clemens clause was in his contract to take days off like this one to rest up from the grind that comes with achieving something like this.

See you in San Francisco Barry. The Florida Marlins are up next and if Barry's swing is any indication of things to come, the one pitch a game to hit he has seen over the last few years could be enough for Barry to get over that hump and pass Hank Aaron.

Going into the series with San Diego, Padres starting pitcher Greg Maddux stated that he would not pitch to Bonds because he did not want to get put in the history books as the guy who gave up the big one.

Maddux lied and he worked the outside corner on Bonds all night. Barry seemed to wake up out of his funk at the plate and even though he did not go deep against Maddux, it made him revert to his college days and worked on his swing with a early batting practice session before the hordes of media could arrive to the stadium.

"In college my hitting coach used to tell us that it was easy to pull the ball and hit a home run. If we wanted to impress him we had to hit one out to the opposite field. We used to have contest in batting practice to see how many we hit could going the other way." said Bonds on how he found the stroke that would make him new Sultan of Swat.

Second half begins with tight races all over baseball

The second half got underway Thursday, two days after the American League once again showed the National League how it is done in the All Star game. It was the Jr. circuit's tenth win in a row.

The real season begins and on the eve of the dog days of summer the Detroit Tigers have the best record in the big's at 56-36, but that record is only good for a two game lead over the Cleveland Indians in the American League Central.

The Tigers are doing it with their bats. Detroit has the best team batting average in the majors (.288) and they rank in the top 10 in home runs (110, 6th) despite playing in the spacious Tiger Stadium.

The most exciting race could come out of the National League East where the New York Met's (52-42) sit two games in front of surprising Atlanta (50-45) and five game ahead of the charging Philadelphia Phillies.

The Met's begin the season as the odds on favorite to make it to the World Series out of the National League. The Phillies were thought to be the main competition for New York, but Philly got out of the box slow, falling way off the pace.

Defending NL MVP Ryan Howard took two month's and a stint on the DL before he got his game in gear. Jimmy Rollins, the teams short stop and team leader promised the teams fans and the rest of baseball that the Phillies were not out of the race and the rest of the team is doing what they can to make J-Roll (as he is called) look like he knew what he was talking about.

AL does it again in the All Star Game

It got a little dicey at the end.The National League loaded up the bases in the bottom of the ninth against two of the best closer's the American League had to offer only to watch the Phillies' Aaron Rowand fly out to right field, giving the American League their 10th All Star game win in a row.

Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki hit an inside the park, two run homer in the fifth to give the AL  a lead they would never give up. He left the game with an All Star game MVP trophy in tow. An All Star every year since entering the big's back in 2001, it was the first inside the park dinger in his major league career.

Ichiro was three for three with two rbi's. Cleveland catcher Victor Martinez provided what would become the winning runs with a two run blast in the 8th off of Houston pitcher Billy Wagner.

This was supposed to be the Barry Bonds show. Hitting second to give him an extra at bat, Bonds flied out twice before getting lifted in the fourth. No splash hits, or even hits, but Bonds relaxed for the first time all year as he bathed in the love shown him by the Giants fans.

Boston's Josh Beckett pitched two scoreless innings for the win while San Diego's Chris Young gave up Ichiro's homer and took the loss. Who ever survives the AL playoffs will have home field in the World Series.

This is the fifth year that the All Star game has had home field in the World Series riding on it and the pervious four All Star wins for the AL has translated into 2-2 split with the NL in the World Series. So, apart from a popularity contest and a love fest of baseball, the game does not really matter.

That might be the reason why NL manager Tony LaRussa left one of the games best hitters, Albert Pujols, on the bench with the game on the line in the ninth inning.

Bonds is the peoples champ as baseball heads into the All Start break

Well Mr. Bonds is not as hated as it seems. The slugging outfielder, on the verge of passing Hank Aaron as baseball's all time home run king got a surprise when he won a starting spot in the 2007 All Star game being played in his home town of San Francisco due to fans voting.

He was so happy that he is going to throw a party for his closest friend's. Who would have thought Bond's would step out of his box like that. A week ago he was more then 100 thousand votes behind Alfonso Soriono, the leadoff hitter from the Cubs.

Bonds has heated up in the last few weeks which could have helped him get support from fans around the country. It took a pr decision out of All Star NL manager Tony LaRussa's hands. People wondered if Tony would pick Bonds as a reserve.

Barry sits just five home runs away from Hammerin Hank. Anything around the plate is getting deposited over a fence by Barry right now. He hit a first inning home run against Cincy last week and he was walked every other time he came to the plate until the game was out of hand..

To be 43 and command that kind of respect is impressive and that could have a played a part in Barry getting voted into the All Star game. Having it in his home town has to help with the votes as well since he was in the minds of people wanting to see their home town slugger play.

Alex Rodriguez, the big hitting third baseman of the Yankees was the overall top vote getter. A-Rod is have quite a turn around in 2007 after stinking up the joint in 2006. His bad year in 06 must have fueled an off season of practice and preparation for what he is doing in 2007.

A-Rod leads the major's with 28-home runs and 80-rbi's. He is hitting a respectable .314, but that is well of the pace of Magglio Ordóñez league leading .370 heading into the All Star break.

A-Rod is capable of hitting around .325 and if he keeps this pace up and Magglio Ordóñez and Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki (.365) cool off, we could be watching A-Rod come close to winning a triple crown.

That is a ways away. We have the All Star game first and the winner of this game will give their league home field advantage in the World Series at the end of the year. Does this make the game more exciting.

The players want to win every time they step on the field and this motivation did not add any more drama to the game. Sure it is nice for the team that makes it to the World Series and gets home field because their league won the All Star game.

Bay Area baseball fans in a New York state of mind

Last weekend saw a match up of perhaps the two greatest home run hitters that the world has seen to date over a three game series at San Francisco's AT&T Park. The Giants got right against New York, stopping an eight game losing streak in game two of the series.

This one had it all. Barry Bond and Alex Rodriguez did not disappoint, hitting a home run each while constantly getting on base in the three games. Bonds against A-Rod was only part of the story.The stands, of course, were filled every game with both Yankee and Giants fans.

San Francisco also hosted a 1962 World Series reunion. That World Series was played out between the San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees. It was San Francisco's first World Series appearance after they moved from New York to San Francisco, but the Yankees won in seven games when Giants great Willie Mcovey hit a screaming line drive that was caught with the winning run on second base with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

Classic stuff.

This was New York's first trip to the City by the Bay to play the Giants since then and most came away impressed with the stadium and you know they love the City. That is where the Yankee's stay when they play the A's, so they know their way around.

The series even brought out the stars as comedians Billy Crystal and Robin Williams sat side by side every game. Crystal rooting for his Yankees and Williams donning a Giants cap, letting Billy have it every time San Francisco did something good.

Oakland, on the other hand, were the guest of the New York Met's over the weekend. It was not a fun trip for the A's. Let me put it this way.

They got swept.

That broke a string of 45 series in which the A's did not get swept. At home, on the road, Oakland has won at least one game of every series they have played in since last June when Arizona did the trick. The last time the A's had a streak like that was 1988-89 when they went 51-series without getting swept. Oakland made it to the World Series both years.

Somebody forgot to pack Oakland's offense on their flight to New York. The A's scored a total of three runs in the entire series. Two of those came when they scored in the fifth and sixth innings Sunday on a Jack Cust home run and a Eric Chavez rbi single.

Oakland was already down 5-0 when Cust hit his home run in the fifth. Oakland now finds themselves a season high nine games out of first place. There are still some 90 plus games to play and Oakland is keeping their fingers crossed the starting pitcher Rich Harden will continue to progress and return to the rotation.

Harden has been out the past month with shoulder problems and Oakland will need him healthy and pitching if they are to have any chance at making the playoffs in 2007.

Ageless wonders take center stage

Some people say that 30 is the new 20, but in baseball several players are showing the world that 40 just might be the new 20. Look at 48-year old Julio Franco trying to stick with another team after getting cut by Atlanta at the tender age of 48.

The 40-something's strutted their stuff when five pitchers took the mound Wednesday that were all over the age of 40. That has never happened before and it shows how well athlete's are taking care of themselves these days.

Jamie Moyer, John Smoltz, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and Roger Clemens all laced them up and went out on the mound to show that they still had it. The five gave up a total of eight earned runs. Seven of those came from Clemens and Moyer.

The old Atlanta teammates Glavine, Smoltz and Maddux gave up only one run in a combined 18-innings while walking 4 compared to 12 strikeouts. Add three wins into the mix and it was quite a day for the OG's.

Mark Ellis: "I didn't know that until after the game that Chavvy had hit for the cycle here. This is the only other one at the Coliseum. There are a lot of tradition and a lot of good players here so that's pretty cool." "I felt good at the plate and you never know if it's going to be a great night or not. I know I felt good at the plate and after my first couple of swings I looked absolutely terrible and then got locked in when I got two strikes and sometimes that's the best thing to do is to get two strikes on a hitter." Eric Chavez: "I'm able to drive balls, not homers but getting a good pitch and driving it. It was a good win but its like night and day, you hear your fans boo and I'm at the point I almost want to hear them boo. It's sometimes disheartening but that's the way it is. You play hurt you'd think they'd applaud you every time you get up to bat, not boo you. I've been hearing them and I almost welcome them now and I hope they continue."

A-Rod soars, Barry on his way to breaking Hammerin' Hanks mark

Alex Rodriguez sits atop the majors with 14 home runs and 36 rbi's while batting a robust .380 which is good for 4th in the majors. A-Rod has more home runs by himself then most teams in the league. The Yankees have not taken that much advantage of A-Rods power surge and they are treading water at 8-10, four games off the pace of their good friends up in Boston.

Where would the Yankees be without A-Rod? He has hit a dinger in all eight of New York's wins.

A-Rod going deep is not the cure all for New York. Rodriguez went 3 for 5 with two homers, three runs scored and four rbi's, but the Yankees still lost at Boston. New York wasted another two home run game by Alex for the second time in a week when they fell 10-8 to Tampa Bay Monday night.

New York's pitching situation is in shambles. Starters Mike Mussina and Carl Pavano are on the DL after getting hammered in the games they started this year. Mister reliable, closer Mariano Rivera has been getting pounded as well to the tune of a 8.44 ERA and a 1-2 record with just two saves.

Rivera melted down in Boston as the Red Sox overcame a 6-2, bottom of the ninth deficit to win with much of the damage coming against Mariano. It has not been a recipe for success, but it is early. If Mussina can come back and pitch the way he did in the second half of 2006 and Pavano can be effective, something he has not done in a few years, then you never know.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have started out the hottest team in 2007. LA is fresh off a bottom of the tenth, walk off grand slam to beat Pittsburg for win number 13 Saturday night. Russell Martin was the man, taking a 1-2 pitch out of the park. Jeff Kent has put some punch in LA's offense, batting .355 to start the season.

Milwaukee, behind Chris Capuano's three wins and the bat of shortstop J.J Hardy have jumped out to a 10-7 record good for first in the NL Central. That is the home of the defending World Series Champions St. Louis Cardinals.

St. Louis has started out the 7-10. Their best pitcher, Chris Carpenter went on the DL last week and their main men, first basemen Albert Pujois, third basemen Scott Rolen and out fielder Jim Edmonds bats have all been somewhat quiet so far this year. Pujois and Rolen seem to be warming up as the season goes along.

Barry Bond's bat is red hot after homering again Sunday in the San Francisco Giants 2-1 win over Arizona at home improving their record to 9-8. It was his second home run in as many games and it left him just 15 shy of trying Hank Aaron for the all time home run record in the Major Leagues.

After a slow start the Giants have now reeled off five wins in a row. The last two showed the promise of their young pitching staff with Matt Cain pitching a complete game Sunday which followed Barry Zito seven shut out innings in San Francisco's 1-0 win Saturday. The one run, a Bonds blast in the bottom of the second.

The way Barry is swing the bat I wonder how long pitchers will keep challenging him. He is backing his five home runs up with a juicy .525 batting average and he has even stolen a base this year. It looks like his 42-year old legs are just fine.

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