I guess I did see Barry Bonds homer

I’ve always told people in conversation that while I saw Bonds play live by my count three times–that I never saw him homer. This isn’t accurate. I did see it as a 14 year old kid. On fall Sunday in September of 1996 I went to see Eric Davis play at old Riverfront Stadium. Eric was wrapping up his final days as a Cincinnati Red that month in his second stint. I remember I made an old poster board and sat up in right field in the second deck with my dad and my Uncle.

And thus is why I love Baseball-Reference.com, other then it’s the best site to spend all day on to kill time at work.

Earlier today after reading the Red Letter Days article from the 1987 Sports Illustrated (cover Eric Davis) I wanted to remember that day that my father and I ventured to see Eric play. He wasn’t the Eric that we’d seen as a kid, but he made a comeback and was hitting near .300 that year. He finished with 26 home runs. My sign said in big red marker: “ERIC DAVIS, 1996 COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR”.

And on that day in 1996 I saw Barry Bonds hit the 329th home run of his big league career off Dave Burba.

Managing in the Giants dugout that day? Dusty Baker. Man this game has a history and a memory for a fan with nearly every box score and statistic that exists. You can almost get lost in an afternoon of your life in it. And that’s why I love it.