He's Great. Why Does He Have to Be Good?

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The flap over Bad Barry shouldn't overshadow the fact that we are watching one of the greatest players the game has ever produced. Like Ruth, Bonds has changed the sport. Before Ruth, the name of the game was "scientific" baseball, a singles strategy designed to move runners from station to station to create a run. With his mighty uppercut, the Bambino ended that style forever and made power primary to winning.

Bonds has bent baseball with his skill and power. He so petrifies opponents that they have abandoned traditional strategies to try to defend against him. Pitchers gave Bonds an intentional walk 68 times this season rather than face him, breaking the record of 45 set in 1969 by another Giant, Willie McCovey. Opponents walk Bonds in situations where no other hitter would get a free pass. In the National League Championship Series, St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, one of baseball's acknowledged brains, nearly burned out his laptop trying to neutralize Bonds. In the eighth inning of the series' fourth game, he put Bonds on first with no one on base and the score tied 2-2. The next batter, catcher Benito Santiago, hit a home run that won the game. Bonds' presence destroyed the Cardinals in that contest.

Now the Angels, a young, happy-to-be-here team, are putting up a "Barry Who?" front, beginning with the littlest Angel, Rodriguez. But it's clear that Bonds bestrides the series and the game as the Golden Gate Bridge does San Francisco Bay. This is his World Series. That is, assuming the Angels will play ball. "There are situations where we will pitch to Barry Bonds, and situations where we won't," says Angels manager Mike Scioscia. Translation: not a chance, if they can avoid it. --With reporting by Dan Cray/Anaheim