MAILBAG: Oct. 2

Q: How big of an advantage do you think this year's unbalanced schedule gave Barry Bonds? It seems that home-run hitters in the NL West are having career years while the other divisions' home-run hitters are all down. Four of the five pitching staffs in the NL West have also allowed the most homers. Could all the games that the NL West plays in small ballparks (due to the unbalanced schedule) contribute to Bonds' pursuit of 70? -- Tim Dalton, Wellington, Fla.

	This is the fifth season in which Barry Bonds has hit 40 or more home runs.

PWG -- I don't think there's any advantage in terms of pitchers faced, because more games with the Dodgers and Padres -- although he hit 12 homers off them -- is no advantage to seeing the staffs in Montreal, Milwaukee and others more often. If there is an advantage, it's that the travel for West Coast clubs has been less (although it should be said there's a big advantage to mid-country teams) and there has been far less of a media onslaught than McGwire had to face.

Q: Not really a question -- more of a comment. In 1998, a week or so after hitting No. 62, Mark McGwire was playing an away game in Milwaukee and hit a ball that was clearly a few feet over the left-center field wall. However, a fan tried to catch it (and missed) and the ball came back on the field. The umpires mistakenly called it a ground-rule double, depriving McGwire of having 71 homers that year. ESPN should have some archived footage of that game. Bottom line: Bonds should need to hit 72 to break the record. -- Mike Bennett, Plano, Texas
PWG -- I remember that, but the umpire's ruling stands.

Q: Do you think that Babe Ruth could have possibly hit 70 home runs if he had 162 games like Big Mac and Barry? Also, even though I'm 44 years old, I missed out on Ted Williams and Joltin' Joe. Who was the better player? -- Allen, Waterford, Calif.
PWG -- My guess is that if Babe or Ted conditioned like these guys, their numbers would have been far different. I remember Williams once told me that one of his greatest regrets was that in his day he didn't pick up a bat or work out until he arrived in spring training. "If I worked like these guys today," he said, "you'd have really seen something." There's no way not to love that man.

Q: Why is the focus on the home-run race always such a big deal every year now in baseball? There are many other players who deserve the spotlight and recognition but rarely receive it. Have people forgotten that baseball is more than some guy who can hit home runs? A great example is Jeff Bagwell; look at what he has accomplished. He is the first player in major-league history to have at least 30 homers, 100 RBI, 100 runs scored and 100 walks in six straight seasons. Where is the recognition for that? -- Kevin Dominey, Andrews AFB, Md. PWG -- I agree with you, entirely. What makes the Bonds chase so significant is that it is being accomplished within the context of a pennant race and one of the greatest all-around seasons in history. But Bagwell, Pujols and others have had astounding seasons as well.

Q: I've been trying to keep up with this whole Carl Everett mess, but I don't think anyone can keep up with it. I do think he would be much better off with the Astros again. He has a pretty good relationship with Jeff Bagwell and the boys. My question is: Do you think there's a possibility of Carl coming back to Houston and getting his career back on track and regaining his old nickname that Bags gave him ("Superman")? -- Chad Turnage, Houston
PWG -- Carl's relationship was good with the players, but I get the impression from Astros management that it would not be interested in bringing him back, especially at two years and $17 million. Houston wants a center fielder, and if Carl keeps the weight he now carries, it might be difficult to play center in that park. As you know, he had a below-average defensive season, even before he hurt his knee.

Q: Todd Helton has a season for the ages in 2000 and finishes fifth in the MVP race. He backs it up with another record-setting season, (100 extra-base hits back-to-back, first time ever) and ESPN does not even mention it. He has two errors in 1,300-plus chances in the field, (.999 fielding percentage) and not one writer I have read has mentioned him thus far as a Gold Glover. What does this guy have to do to get respect? -- Chris Thomas, Denver
PWG -- Two things: 1) his numbers have been lost being out of the race; and 2) numbers become a blur at Coor's Lite. That said, Todd is one of the great players in the game. Because of his experience, he is still 1A in the first-base category with Bagwell, but we're looking at a prime leader, defender, competitor and hitter. If the Rockies are in it next year, hopefully he will get his props.

Q: What's your take on the "who really invented baseball" controversy? Most places I look say it's the Alexander Cartwright/Hoboken group, but others (including the Hall of Fame) maintain it was Doubleday ... what do you say? -- Steve Silver, Hoboken, N.J.
PWG -- Doubleday is a myth. It was a complicated evolution of a game brought over from England and separated into the New York and Boston game, and eventually won over to the New York version.

Q: What do you think the Braves will do this offseason? Will they make a push for Jason Giambi or Barry Bonds? Maybe go after Ivan Rodriguez or Charles Johnson? And do you think that AOL will give a little more money for them to spend? -- Chris, North Carolina
PWG -- I think there will be a significant overhaul. First, they will re-sign John Smoltz, then decide on Kevin Millwood and Andruw Jones. My guess is that they will let Javy Lopez go, try to get a big bat first baseman and a catcher (Charles, maybe) and give the kid infielders a chance. But there is a long road to go before John Schuerholz makes decisions more wisely than I would.

Q: I've been a Texas Rangers fan since I can remember. Every year we hear about some power hitter coming up through the minors, but what about pitching? Doug Davis is having a good season after a rough start, but does he have help on the way? -- John Pena, Waco, Texas
PWG -- Davis is a pretty good No. 3 or 4 starter, and Justin Duchscherer could be a No. 4 or 5. They need another veteran starter and two to three relievers to help Jeff Zimmerman.

Q: Do you think the Orioles will dip into the free-agent market this offseason? What are the chances of the Orioles going after Jason Giambi or Moises Alou? Who do you think would help the O's the most? -- Krebsy, Baltimore
PWG -- I keep hearing that they will dabble, but Peter Angelos is not going to break the bank on a Giambi or an Alou, and he won't go for Juan Gonzalez because of the medical history. There is cash, as Syd Thrift has pared the payroll.

Q: There has been much buzz about contraction in the offseason, but isn't there language in the Collective Bargaining Agreement that requires the players' union to approve such a dramatic change? If so, how would MLB get that past the union, since contraction of teams also reduces union membership? -- Jim Rice, Belton, S.C.
PWG -- Businesses can fold under labor law, but what happens to jobs would be subject to union participation, approval and probably control, knowing the history. I'm still highly dubious that contraction is realistic, although I do believe Bud Selig is right when he suggests it's a good idea. For the union and big-market clubs to dismiss contraction and more comprehensive revenue-sharing is self-absorbed blindness.

Q: Given the prime symbol of America that is the World Series -- and the potential terrorist target a packed postseason stadium represents -- do you think the FAA should ground commercial flights during Series games this year? -- Yankees fan, Plainfield, N.J.
PWG -- I don't think that is fair to the economy and freedom of the majority of people in the country who don't care about the World Series.