In 2001, Barry Bonds broke the record that I never thought I would see broken. No, not the home run record; that was a surprise, but not a shock. Not the walks record; it was only a matter of time before that one fell. But Bonds also broke a record that had been in the books since 1920 - Babe Ruth's .847 slugging percentage in 1920.
        Some perspective: Ruth followed up his 1920 season by posting an .846 slugging percentage in 1921 - the only two seasons that a player had topped the .800 mark. The third-highest slugging percentage ever was Ruth, again, in 1927, a .772 percentage in the year that he hit 60 home runs. When the Babe set his record in 1920, he hit .376 with 54 home runs in only 458 at bats.
        Very few players have had slugging percentages above .700. The Babe did it eight times, as did a few other players from the 1920's and 30's. Ted Williams and Stan Musial did it in the 40's. Williams and Mickey Mantle did it in the 1950's. No one did it in the 60's, 70's or 80's. It was done several times in the 1990's; Mark McGwire's .752 slugging percentage in 1998 was the best of the decade, and the seventh best of all time, but was still almost 100 points shy of the Babe's record.

         So, did Barry Bonds have the greatest season ever? I think that by any measure, his season has to rank among the all-time best. It is true that power numbers in the new millenium have been incredibly inflated. When Bonds won his first MVP Award in 1990, he also led the league in slugging percentage - at .565, with 33 home runs. That's a difference of 40 home runs and over .300 points in slugging percentage - yet he was considered the best player in the league both years. When he won his second MVP in 1992, he led the league with a .624 slugging percentage, and hit 34 home runs. How much had changed in a decade.
        But Bonds' numbers in 2001 were so high up in the stratosphere, that even if we take into account all of his numerous advantages (including a number of road games in Coors Field), his season still has to be ranked among the best. I have written that I think that Babe Ruth's 1921 season is the greatest ever, and that Mickey Mantle's 1956 season was the best since Ruth retired. Comparing Bonds to Ruth is a little tricky, as baseball in 1921 was still undergoing some dramatic changes. Ruth hit 59 home runs that year; the Boston Red Sox, as a team, hit 17.
         The 2001 season could have been a disaster for the St. Louis Cardinals. Expectations were high heading into the season, but their top slugger, Mark McGwire, was often hurt and struggled badly at the plate. Rick Ankiel, one of their best pitchers, was demoted because he couldn't throw strikes. Despite these setbacks, the Cardinals made the playoffs, thanks to an amazing season from 21-year-old Albert Pujols. Pujols had spent the previous year in A-ball; no one knew who he was, or expected him to even play in the majors in 2001. But the Cardinals had an opening at third base; Pujols played his way onto the team, and the rest is history. He had one of the best seasons ever by a player that young, and in another year would have been a strong MVP candidate.
        The Houston Astros had the #1 draft pick in 1992, and chose Phil Nevin. The pick was a bust; Nevin didn't hit, and played only a handful of games for Houston. He was traded to Detroit, but struggled badly, then went to Anaheim, where he was even worse. The Padres gave him a chance in 1999, and he had a surprising season. He was even better in 2000, and this year had a monster year at the plate. I don't know what happened to the scout who recommended him to the Astros in 1992, but ten years later he was finally vindicated.
        And as if facing Barry Bonds wasn't tough enough, Giants' shortstop Rich Aurilia made things even tougher for opposing pitchers by belting out 206 hits, including 37 home runs. Those numbers are easily career highs; Aurilia has never hit over .300 in any other season, and his next best home run total is 22.