Barry Bonds Facts (Happy Birthday, Barry!)

It always saddens me when people write that the Giants are better off without Barry Bonds. Some say that they won the World Series because he left. That's just ridiculous. Was the controversy surrounding Bonds annoying, distracting, and at times overwhelming? Sure. But did the Giants somehow benefit from losing one of the greatest hitters baseball has ever seen? No chance.

Of course, I didn't know Bonds personally, and I doubt many people actually did, despite what they say. I have no clue what kind of substances he used on his body, and frankly, I don't care all that much. Fifty years from now, I won't remember the BALCO scandal, or even remember the absurd statistics. I'll remember the magical home runs, the fight in the dugout with Jeff Kent, and yes, the rubber chickens. Watching Bonds play on a daily basis was truly something special, and a lot of Giants fans seem to take that for granted. Happy 47th birthday Barry, and thanks for all the memories.

Although numbers fail to describe Barry's dominance, here are some cool facts in a present-day context.

• Over an impressive 17 year career, Johnny Damon has been worth 45.5 wins above replacement. Bonds was able to accumulate 47.8 WAR from 2001 to 2004.
• Pablo Sandoval is sporting an excellent RC27 of 6.08 in 2011, meaning that a lineup with nine of him would score about six runs per game. Bonds put up a RC27 of 20.21 in 2004.
• David Ortiz is still one of the best power hitters in the American League, with ISO of .263 in 2011. Bonds sustained a .536 mark when he hit his 73 bombs in 2001.
• Jose Bautista, Miguel Cabrera, and Prince Fielder are on pace to draw a combined 71 intentional walks in 2011. Bonds was walked intentionally 120 times in 2004.
• Ryan Braun currently leads the National League with a .426 wOBA. Despite occasional "struggles," Bonds put up a .429 wOBA in his final season with the Giants.