data-mm-id=”_f4zsiytwb”>Barry Bonds was feared like few hitters in baseball history during his prime slugging years in the early-to-mid-2000s. Nothing proved that more when, on May 1st, 2004, Bonds set an MLB record when he was intentionally walked four times in one game. The Giants were playing the Marlins at home. Bonds was in the early stages of his second consecutive MVP season; about a month into the season, he was batting .463 with a 1.111 slugging percentage. He was, without a doubt, the most feared hitter in baseball. Miami treated him as such by choosing to walk him four times in five at-bats. No one has yet to top that number in one game to this day. We'll never see teams treat any other individual player like they did Bonds again. He holds just about every record for walks in the books. In totality, Bonds walked 2,558 times in his career, which is quite a bit more than second-place Ricky Henderson by 368. He was intentionally walked 688 times, besting Albert Pujols by 392 intentional walks. We may never see a slugger like Bonds again in general, given the fact that his statistical achievements are rather tainted by steroid use. But even if a natural-born Hall of Fame slugger steps onto the field in the future, teams simply won't walk them that much. In the days of analytics, efficiency is king, and it is extremely inefficient to give the opponent a free baserunner every time one player steps up to the plate. Perhaps one day, someone will play long enough to surpass Bonds' walk records, or even approach his home run title. But between his reputation and effectiveness, there may not be a more feared hitter in history at his peak Barry Bonds.
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Kalidou Koulibaly acknowledges his debut campaign at Chelsea has not gone to plan, but the Senegal international remains committed to spending many years with the Blues.
Koulibaly left Napoli for Stamford Bridge in a £33.8million (€40m) deal last July, as part of a huge spending spree sanctioned in Chelsea s first transfer window under the Todd Boehly regime.
However, Chelsea have endured a dire first campaign since their change of owner, sitting 11th in the Premier League table after sacking two bosses in Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.
Caretaker manager Frank Lampard oversaw a 1-0 defeat to Wolves in his first game at the helm on Saturday, leaving the London side 17 points adrift of the Champions League places.
While Koulibaly admits he has not perf…
Liverpool opened up a 13-point advantage at the top of the Premier League as Roberto Firmino scored twice in a 4-0 victory at Leicester City.
The Reds showed no sign of fatigue after winning the Club World Cup in Qatar last weekend, with their nearest challengers Leicester overwhelmed at the King Power Stadium.
Former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers saw his side fall behind to Firmino s first-half header before Jurgen Klopp s men scored three times in seven second-half minutes.
Substitute James Milner made it 2-0 from the penalty spot before Trent Alexander-Arnold teed up Firmino for his second and then finished the scoring himself as Liverpool moved closer to a long-awaited title.
A magnificent performance from the leaders
— Premier League …
Chelsea defender Ashley Cole signed a new four-year contract with the Premier League club on Wednesday.
Cole is the second Chelsea star to commit his future to Carlo Ancelotti s team recently after captain John Terry put pen to paper on an improved five-year deal on Monday.
England star Cole joined the Blues in a controversial move from London rivals Arsenal in 2006 and remains arguably the best full-back in the Premier League.
He has won the FA Cup twice and the League Cup once with Chelsea, as well as reaching the 2008 Champions League final.
Chelsea FC is delighted to confirm that Ashley Cole has signed a new four-year contract, a statement on Chelsea s website confirmed.
…
Croatia are playing England at Wembley tonight. That very phrase makes your average England supporter cringe. In November 2007 a point against the Croatians at Wembley would have seen this allegedly ‘golden age’ of English footballers on the plane to Euro 2008.
Qualifying hadn’t gone brilliantly and we looked to have blown it with defeat in Russia but other results went our way and everything was going to be alright.
Inept
The only potential problem we had in getting a draw against Croatia was that England had their most inept manager at the helm for many years and I include Graham Taylor in that!
Steve McClaren was a very poor choice to replace Sven Goran Eriksson when he left the job. Everyone knew he was…
Roberto Mancini has suggested that Inter could make an offer to his former club Galatasaray for midfielder Felipe Melo.
Mancini worked with the Brazil international during the 2013-14 campaign, before returning for a second stint at Inter last season.
The former Manchester City boss came off second best in Sunday s friendly as Gala for whom Melo was not playing defeated Inter 1-0 thanks to Wesley Sneijder s goal against his former employers.
He [Melo] is a player who could bring something to Inter, but right now he has a contract with Galatasaray. We ll see what happens, Mancini told TRT Spor.
Mancini also commented on the futures of Gary Medel and Yuto Nagatomo, with the former seemingly set to remain at San Siro while Inter are open to offers for the…
Arouna Kone put his injury nightmare behind him to salvage a 2-2 draw for Everton against Premier League newcomers Watford on the opening day.
Quique Sanchez Flores side twice led at Goodison Park and turned in a composed performance despite fielding six of their 10 recruits, while Tom Cleverley was the only new face in an Everton team that played like a group of strangers for long periods.
Mexico international Miguel Layun bagged his first Watford goal inside the first quarter of an hour and that scoreline remained for over an hour of play until Ross Barkley hauled Everton level with a superb long-range strike.
Back came Watford, as Odion Ighalo stepped off the bench to restore their advantage with seven minutes to play.
But, as Watford s fans began to d…
Harry Maguire would be a good signing for Manchester United if they can lure him from Leicester City, says Wayne Rooney.
Maguire is reportedly a target for United, as well as Premier League rivals Manchester City, but the Foxes are said to value the England international at £80million, which would be a world-record fee for a defender.
Brendan Rodgers has confirmed Leicester have already turned down two offers for the England international, who missed training on Monday, although James Maddison joked on social media his team-mate s absence was due to an upset stomach.
United s need for defensive reinforcements was exacerbated on Tuesday when it was confirmed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that Eric Bailly could be out for five months after undergoing surgery on a knee …
Ilkay Gündogan was the first signing made after the appointment of Pep Guardiola as the manager, and the Catalan has no intention of letting the German leave, according to .
This stance has been prompted by recent reports by various outlets claiming Gündogan is a target for Guardiola s former club . The La Liga title holders have lost their long-serving midfielder and captain Andres Iniesta, and despite spending the vast sum of €160million to bring Philippe Coutinho in from Liverpool in January, they see Gündogan as a potential replacement for Iniesta. They are reportedly willing to pay over £50million for his services.
However, Guardiola is keen on giving Gündogan a more prominent role in the City team next season and is currently devising a way to include h…
Banned duo Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor will be able to resume playing for Scotland if the new manager wants to pick them, the Scottish Football Association (SFA) signalled on Wednesday.
Ferguson, a former captain of the national team, and Rangers goalkeeper McGregor were banned for life for their behaviour before and during a World Cup qualifier against Iceland in April.
The pair were dropped after an all-night drinking session and then made V signs at photographers from the bench.
The SFA subsequently announced lifetime bans for both players but SFA Chief Executive Gordon Smith indicated that the successor to George Burley, who was sacked on Monday, will be free to select whoever he wants.
The new manager will definitely have a say in who he want…
Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff admitted Friday he was relieved his side had avoided both European giants France and Portugal in their group stage draw for the 2010 World Cup finals.
Germany will open their 2010 campaign in Group D against Australia in Pretoria on June 13, then play Serbia in Rustenburg on June 19 before the pool stage final game against Ghana at Johannesburg s Soccer City on June 23.
But Bierhoff was happy to have avoided danger sides France and Portugal who qualified through the play-offs and could potentially have landed in the same group as the Germans.
We are glad we did not draw France or Portugal, but Australia, Serbia and Ghana will also not be easy, admitted former Germany striker Bierhoff.
Germany have never been beaten b…