COMMENTARY

By Ken Rosenthal

updated 12:32 a.m. ET Sept. 18, 2004

The real debate isn't over National League MVP, but over which of Barry Bonds' seasons should be considered his finest. There's 2001, when he hit his record 73 homers. There's 2002, when he hit .370 and won his first batting title. And now there's 2004, when he's preparing to shatter his single-season record for on-base percentage, hitting for nearly as high an average as Ichiro Suzuki and missing fewer pitches than ever.

Giants assistant general manager Ned Colletti declines to pick his favorite Bonds season, saying only, "We're talking about the four greatest offensive years ever." That includes 2003, when Bonds missed 31 games but won his sixth MVP. And Colletti is right -- each of Bonds' past four seasons is a wonder in itself, making it difficult to choose one over another.

Bonds' legacy still might be tainted by his connection to the BALCO scandal and suspicions that he used performance-enhancing drugs. But barring fresh revelations that portray him in a negative light, he will be remembered for his astonishing hitting skill above all else.

As Bonds, 40, hit the 700 home-run milestone, he shows few signs of slowing down. Oh, he no longer is much of a left fielder, and those who prefer more rounded MVPs are talking up the Dodgers' Adrian Beltre and the Cardinals' Scott Rolen, both elite defenders at third base. Bonds, however, creates so many more runs than any other player offensively, he remains the obvious choice even if other candidates prevent more runs defensively.

Look at the Giants, for heaven's sake. They began the week ranked second in the N.L. in runs per game, but without Bonds batting cleanup, they'd be the Mets of the West. Their leadoff men ranked seventh in the N.L. in OBP, their No. 2 hitters sixth and their No. 3 hitters 12th. Their No. 5 hitters, meanwhile, ranked next to last in on-base/slugging percentage (OPS), their No. 6 hitters 11th, their No. 7 hitters fourth.

The Giants aren't proficient at getting runners on in front of Bonds. They're also not proficient at advancing him once he's on base. Yet he's second in the league in runs. Bonds' .605 OBP, padded by walk totals that will eclipse his '02 record, gives the team an immense advantage in run production, helping an otherwise mediocre group remain in contention.

Now imagine if the Giants had someone to play Scottie Pippen to Bonds' Michael Jordan. Given Rolen's supporting cast in St. Louis or even Beltre's in Los Angeles, Bonds would be seeing a greater number of strikes and already might be approaching Hank Aaron's all-time record of 755 homers. Thus, it would behoove the Giants to obtain the biggest, baddest slugger they can find this offseason, creating a Rolen-Albert Pujols or Manny Ramirez-David Ortiz dynamic. Remember Bonds and Jeff Kent?

Even as a lone wolf, Bonds remains the most disruptive force in the game's history. Three times this season, according to STATS Inc., Bonds has scored the winning run after receiving an intentional walk in the eighth inning or later with the score tied and no one on base. Beltre can hit 50 homers, Rolen can drive in 140 runs, Pujols can put up his own stupid numbers. No matter; there's Planet Barry, and everyone else is in a satellite orbit.

Choosing a new MVP might be tempting for some voting baseball writers, but Bonds can't be dismissed as if he were a two-term president. He actually is hitting for more power than he did in his previous two seasons -- his current home run rate and slugging percentage rank second in his career only to his '01 numbers. His OPS is on pace to break his '02 mark of 1.381 for the highest in major league history.

The perception that Bonds never misses a pitch to hit isn't entirely accurate; other hitters make contact more often but don't achieve the same results. Perhaps Bonds' greatest gift is his ability to pull his hands close to his body and hit inside pitches fair. Eventually he will lose bat speed, but his swing is so short, his decline might not be as rapid as that of other sluggers.

As Marlins manager Jack McKeon told reporters last week, "You can't tell me the Babe was any better than this guy. You can't tell me this guy isn't the best player in the history of the game."

Coming soon: 755 and much more.