This is arguably one of the greatest seasons Major League Baseball has ever seen.

The season began with Texas signing shortstop Alex Rodriguez to a $252 million contract, making him worth more than the entire state of Rhode Island.

Fast forward to now. In that eight-month time span, there has been more baseball excitement than the early 1980s provided (excluding Fernando-mania, you know what I’m talking about).

So how is it that one player alone beckons to us like the North Star?

Barry Bonds began the season with 493 home runs. The media took their politically correct stance and hit another dud. Generic comments were afloat, “One of the best of his generation.”

As a fan of the game, it was tough to see one player get slighted so much. Barry had already hoisted three MVP trophies onto his mantle. Beside them were his eight Golden Gloves. The media can be oh so cruel.

When Bonds hit his 500th home run, the media barely flinched. Eddie Murray received more attention for the same feat (of course, you don’t see 90- year-olds entering the hallowed 500 home run club every day, though).

The show hadn’t even started yet. Bonds began to hit like it was going out of style. By the All-Star break, he had 38 home runs. All of this, and Bonds was mired in a slump that saw him long yard only twice in 18 games. The media started in again, “Bonds chokes under pressure.”

Choke is a strong word for sports. Choking is only brought up in the most extreme situations (Gary “Perfect” Anderson and the 1998 Minnesota Vikings come to mind).

The experts claimed that the Giants were dead in July. This media also proclaimed that the “Curse of the Bambino” was dead in Boston. One month later the only thing dead in Boston was Pedro Martinez’s arm. Meanwhile, the Giants found themselves in the thick of it.

The pennant chase is nowhere for a home run seeker to be. Ask Mark McGwire or Sammy Sosa. Neither of them could even sniff the pennant when they went on their rampage. McGwire complained that Bonds had it easier than he did. I beg to differ.

For starters, McGwire had Sosa there to push him all the way. Secondly, after McGwire hit 61, it seemed that every pitcher in the league wanted a piece of Big Mac.

Numbers don’t lie Mark. From September 1st on, McGwire was walked 19 times – 19 less than Barry.

Whenever people look for surreal seasons they always bring up Babe Ruth. Ask them, in what season did Babe even put up comparable numbers to these: 73 home runs, 177 walks and a .863 slugging percentage?

Ruth, nor anyone for that matter, has ever dreamed of numbers like these. These records have never broken in the same season by the same player, until this year when they fell to Bonds.

Bonds also had a .515 on-base percentage (first player over .500 since Ted Williams and Mickey Mantle did it in 1957). Add to that a career high 137 runs batted in, and a .328 batting average, and you have numbers that can only be described as Ruthian.

Ruth has been folklore for us. This is real life, though. Bonds had the best season I feel I will ever see in my lifetime.

Opposing fans booed their home teams whenever their team walked Bonds. I got goose bumps just watching him step to the plate knowing I may see something that would never happen again. Yet all along, the media tarnished the feat.

At first the retirements of Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn overshadowed Bonds. I thought those two were already dead. Then it was Luis Gonzalez and Sammy Sosa. Then the Mariners.

I don’t want to be misunderstood. Hitting over 60 home runs is tough. To do it three times like Sosa is ludicrous. On the same note, winning 115 games after losing Griffey Jr., A-Rod and the Big Unit, is unfathomable. That is how big Bonds is, though.

I remember getting chills as Bonds hit his record breaking shot against Chan Ho Park at San Francisco. Mark my words, 73 will stand for another 30 years, at least. It is much more difficult than it seems, and it upsets me when people say otherwise.

Baseball is headed to another postseason, and in another year, some will probably forget who was in this year’s playoffs. I urge you not to forget Bonds. I hate this clich‚, but this is something that you can tell your kids about.

Bonds may or may not be a Giant next year, but tune in to watch him.

If all goes as planned, he will hit his 600th home run around the All-Star break. Don’t let the media sway you on your opinions of Bonds.

He is not that bad. I should know; I interviewed him in Texas this summer. Remember, sometimes it’s okay to cheer for the bad guy.

Brett Noble is a senior in electronic media studies from Ankeny.