The debate raged all winter in Pittsburgh, in newspaper columns, on the talk shows, over beers: Who was better in the prime of their Pirate careers, Roberto Clemente or Barry Bonds?
Older-generation fans remember the late Clemente's laser-dart throws, his unparalleled consistency and his 3,000 hits and say there is no argument: No. 21 was beyond comparison.Many younger fans, though disappointed that Bonds escaped Pittsburgh in the prime of his career to sign a $43.75 million contract with San Francisco Giants, beg to differ.
They contend that Bonds, arguably the top player in the game today, is a more skilled athlete in a much-faster game that is entirely different than that played in the 1960s. Back then, starting pitchers routinely labored deep into the game and hitters didn't face a different relief specialist in nearly every late-inning at-bat.
Bonds' proponents also argue his 1990-92 seasons - when he became the first major leaguer to average .300, 30 homers and 40 steals over three consecutive years - are among the best by any player in any era.
There is no definitive answer to an argument that will persist as long as Bonds remains one of baseball's elite players, but Pirates coach Bill Virdon has a few opinions on the subject.
Virdon, 61, played beside Clemente for years, then managed him in Clemente's final season (1972). Virdon has never seen an athlete play right field as well as Clemente, and he is certain he won't see another throwing arm to rival Clemente's. Still, as the Pirates bench coach, he watched Bonds play left field better than he's ever seen it played in his 44 seasons as a player, manager and coach.
"It's probably unfair to compare them," Virdon said Monday. "Clemente was a better hitter, Bonds hit for more power and was a better base stealer, but we didn't steal much back then. It wasn't a priority. Clemente had a better arm and he played a more difficult position, right field in Forbes Field, a huge ballpark. Clemente played in a bigger ballpark that limited his ability to pull the ball. Bonds played in a smaller ballpark (Three Rivers Stadium) where he could pull the ball."
Research has shown that no Hall of Famer had less falloff from his peak years to his final seasons than Clemente, besides injury-related exceptions such as Sandy Koufax, who won 27 games the season before he retired.
In his final 13 seasons, Clemente missed hitting .300 only once - in 1968, baseball's year of the pitcher. He hit .255 as a rookie in 1955 (Bonds hit .223 as a rookie), but batted .311 the following season and went on to hit .300 13 more times. He hit .341 and was the World Series MVP in 1971, at age 37, and batted .312 in '72 at age 38.
The Bonds vs. Clemente debate won't be settled until Bonds' career is over and his later years can be compared to his prime years, Virdon said.
"They're from different times and different eras; you can't put them in the same lineup and watch both of them against the same pitchers," Virdon said. "What made Clemente different was how well he played the game at the end of his career. That set him apart from everyone."