Let’s get the obvious out of the way: Bonds has the single-season record for walks with 232 in 2004. That’s insane. He walked more than 100 times more than the league average that year.
But here’s the part that makes you snort your coffee: In 2004, he had 120 intentional walks. That’s more intentional walks than the entire Seattle Mariners team had that season. Teams just threw up their hands and said, “Nope, not today.”
Think about the arrogance. You’re paying a pitcher millions to literally throw the ball away from the plate because you’re that** scared. It’s like a chess grandmaster offering a draw on move three because he knows he’ll lose.
When Walking Was a Mistake
Here’s my favorite stat: In 2004, Bonds had a .609 on-base percentage. That means he got on base more than six out of every ten times he came to the plate. For context, a good hitter has a .400 OBP.
He reached base more often than a .400 hitter reached base in a career year. He was a guaranteed baserunner. It made catchers look like they were trying to catch a ghost.
And no, it wasn’t just walks. He hit .362 that year with 45 home runs. So if you pitched to him, he hit a dinger. If you walked him, you still had a man on base. Lose-lose.
