As the chase for No. 756 is under way, the Barry Bonds media-based entourage has reached new heights – much like his steroid-produced home run numbers. As I sat at work on baseball's first night of a full schedule, a 15-inch story (about 450 words) moved over the AP sports wire about his season's first hit. No, it wasn't a home run. Just a little ol' base hit – a double. Now, a Jimmy Rollins double, I believe, would warrant a little side-bar type story as he's in the midst of a 37-game hitting streak. The last time I checked, Bonds' double didn't get him any closer to Hank Aaron's home run mark of 755, but a story came nonetheless. This is the type of media coverage we can expect on Bonds this season, and it's a season that will probably rank among the most watched since the Mark McGuire-Sammy Sosa single-season home run chase of 1998. If not for that season, this might be the “biggest” season of baseball in the last 20, or so, years. Am I complaining about the amount of coverage Bonds gets? No, simply pointing it out. Heck, I'll probably read every bit of it.
The AP also sent over a story, basically, about media coverage. There was a story about the Giants' players watching the first season of Bonds' new show, “Bonds on Bonds” during a rain delay in the San Diego clubhouse. One story that moved over the wire of particular interest, however, was a short little blurb about a San Diego Padres' fan who tossed a needless syringe at Bonds between innings of Monday's game. Of all the things tossed at athletes over the years, that one, I don't know, just seemed a little fitting.
Don't forget to check out MSNBC's own web-based coverage of the Bonds' phenomenon. That's right, msnbc.com has its own all-things-Barry-Bonds section. You can just find the link yourself.
Oh, one more thing: Charlie Sheen is a douchebag.
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