When Barry Bonds steps into the box, he isn’t a batter. He is a health hazard. All he does is force people to pay attention, reveling in their cheers and their venom.
He arrives in Denver today for his first game at Coors Field this year. In 22 at-bats this season, he has sealed his legacy and breathed life back into the San Francisco Giants’ season.
The elephant is back in the circus. The peanut gallery is ready.
“I would expect the reaction to be mixed,” said Rockies pitcher Jeff Francis, tonight’s starter. “There will be people who boo him. But everyone seems to cheer when he hits a home run.”
During his first road trip this week, in Washington, Bonds has taken his shots and delivered his share – both on and off the field. Asked why he thinks he’s booed, he said succinctly, “Because I am good.”
If there was any doubt about the dangers of pitching to him, Bonds clubbed home runs in four consecutive starts before resting in a day game Thursday. The Giants lost to Washington, leaving them five games behind the first-place San Diego Padres with 10 games remaining. San Francisco is 6-1 in games that Bonds starts.
“Quick bat, a great eye,” Rockies pitcher Jamey Wright said. “And he does it even when he’s always getting the pitcher’s absolute best.”
Even for Bonds, this latest display of power has surprised his peers. Bonds didn’t make his season debut until Sept. 12, sidelined after three knee surgeries. In his first at-bat, he doubled off the wall at SBC Park, missing a home run by inches.
“Nobody does that with that pitch,” Rockies pitcher Jason Jennings said. “It’s inside and down and he nearly hits it out?”
Added Padres outfielder Brian Giles, “The biggest topic in our clubhouse is how he could miss so much time and then make the game look so easy.”
Bonds is hitting .318 with four home runs and six RBIs. He has walked five times, two fewer than the Rockies’ Aaron Miles. With 707 home runs, only Babe Ruth (714) and Hank Aaron (755) stand between Bonds and immortality.
“He changes the dimensions of the game,” Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. “He’s one of the guys you aren’t going to get a hot dog or go to the bathroom when he’s on deck.”
Bonds owns a lifetime .349 average against the Rockies, highest of any National League West team, with 47 home runs. Twenty-four have been launched at Coors Field, including 12 over the past three seasons. Hurdle, who used to relish his pitchers’ confrontations with Bonds, will treat the slugger with care.
“We will pitch to him in certain situations,” Hurdle said. “But our goal is to win the game.”
Fans hissed loudly at Bonds during the Giants’ three-game series at Washington’s RFK Stadium. One flashed a red asterisk sign at Bonds, a less-than-subtle suggestion that the outfielder’s numbers are tainted because of his connection to the BALCO steroids investigation.
“I like Bonds, but I am sure he will hear the boos. He always did even before any talk of steroids,” said Curt Miller, a longtime Rockies fan. “People don’t like him, but love to get the balls he hits into the stands.”
Rockies outfielder Dustan Mohr played with Bonds in San Francisco last season. He predicted Bonds would make a seamless comeback. Animosity, he said, is not a distraction to Bonds, simply motivation.
“He’s one guy where boos don’t bother him,” Mohr said. “It’s the ultimate sign of respect.”
Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-820-5447 or trenck@denverpost.com.
