Regarding Barry Bonds

On Friday I started reading the recently published Bonds-on-’roids book, Game of Shadows. It’s turned out to be one of those books that’s always in my right hand as I move from room to room in the house; that is, it’s well-written and utterly damning in that fine muckraking tradition.

On Sunday I was working out down in the basement, accompanied by GameDay on ESPN when the program broke away for Bonds’ latest attempt to pass Babe Ruth’s HR record. He actually did it this time. As I paused to listen to the obligatory description of the ball’s majestic flight into history, I was surprised to hear the voice of announcer Dave Flemming just…sort of…trail off. All I could hear was crowd noise. I figured that this was Flemming’s stylistic choice - let the adoring fans speak for the moment. Turns out that it wasn’t Flemming’s choice at all:

Speaking of HR calls, the call of Bonds’ No. 715 by KNBR’s Dave Flemming will never be heard. Flemming’s mike inexplicably went dead right after Bonds hit the ball, meaning the biggest moment of his broadcasting career was lost in space. That’s what’s known as “Murphy’s Law” folks.

Too bad for Flemming. The guys at ESPN - who’ve held themselves hostage to Bonds for weeks by breaking away to cover his every at-bat - tried to laugh off the failed HR call, suggetsing that the ghost of the Babe interfered. I smiled and gave thanks instead to a just Providence. Then I finished working out and had a protein shake, sans steroids.

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