Ya' gotta feel for Barry Bonds, as he approaches what once was the greatest record in sports, held by the greatest ball player of all time. The question is...what do you feel?

Is it contempt? Is it disgust? Is it sorrow? Or are you one of those who wants to believe Barry is just the one being targeted as the bad boy of baseball because he is it's biggest name? Is it because Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Rafael Palmiero are gone and Jason Giambi who is the most likeable of all of these guys linked to 'roids, has quietly played well since he turned things around after a slow start last year.

Entering Monday night's game, which by the way Barry was scheduled to rest his creaky knees. He sat at 713 home runs, just one shy of tying Babe Ruth for second on the all time list after hitting a monstrous homer off the Phils John Lieber on Sunday night.

Bonds was lustily booed each time he approached the plate in Philadelphia, as he has been in each city the Giants have visited. He was hit by a batted ball during batting practice before Wednesday's game, by a pitch a day later, and has talked about how overwhelming it all has been. What did you expect Barry?

Major League Baseball has decided to stay at a distance from Barry in his quest, as Bud Selig was missing in Milwaukee when Bonds and the Giants visited last week.

The Giants return home for seven games in which Bonds will most likely pass the Babe.

Royally Bad
The Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates are off to their usual awful starts. Rumors are swirling about the departure of Royal General Manager Alan Baird. Owner David Glass suggested a need to shake things up soon. Maybe he should look into the mirror for the problems in Kansas City. This is the guy that has let a once proud franchise continue to decline. He has never kept young talent when the time came to sign or lose them and instead tries to patch the team together with veterans on the downside( Doug Mientkiewicz, Mark Grudzielanek, Reggie Sanders). Mike Sweeney is hurt again, and the once promising young pitchers like Runlevys Hernandez, Jeremy Affeldt, and Zach Grienke, (by the way, where is Zach Grienke?) have never developed. Another long season in KC.

In Pittsburgh it is more of the same. With 24 losses in the first 33 games, the Pirates seem destined for another bottom dwelling season. Like KC, the young pitchers continue to struggle. Off season acquisitions, Joe Randa and Sean Casey, are hurt, Jeremy Burnitz has been awful (.191), and the only bright spot is Jason Bay. Manager Jim Tracy has got to be wondering why he took this job.

Mets Fever
The NY Mets are off to a great start and GM Omar Minaya is showing what he can do with a fat wallet. Adding Pedro Martinez last year, and Carlos Delgado, Billy Wagner, Xavier Nady and Paul LaDuca this year, along with improving youngsters David Wright and Jose Reyes, has the Mets looking a lot more like contenders than pretenders. This team is fun to watch.

Rockie Mountain High 
A month into the season and the Colorado Rockies are in first place. That was not a typo kids, the Rockies are in first place. Led by their young hitters Brad Hawpe, Matt Holliday, Garrett Adkins and shortstop Cliff Barmes, and a surprising start by the pitching staff, this team may just hang around in what looks to be a pretty mediocre west Division.

On Fire
It would be impossible to talk about the young season without mentioning the unbelievable start of Albert Pujols. In 31 games thus far, Sir Albert has 16 homers and 38 RBIs, without a lot of protection around him. Scott Rolen was also off to a great start but got hurt and you have to wonder if managers will start walking Pujols the way they do Bonds. If not, we may be in for another run at a home run record.

All in all it has been an exciting start for the season, and this week it gets even better as the NY Yankees and the Boston Red Sox get set for a three-game showdown in the Bronx.

Play Ball!