Pitch to 'em.
Quick aside on Bonds which makes the number of home runs he's hit even more incredible. Take a look at this list from Lee Sinins, which I got in his ATM Reports. Since 1955 baseball has been recording intentional walks. This list is the career leaders vs. the league average,

                    Diff   Player  LG. Ave

1   Barry Bonds      406     495     89

2   Hank Aaron       163     293    130

3   Willie McCovey   161     260     99

4   George Brett     156     229     73

5   Ken Griffey Jr.  151     204     53

T6  Wille Stargell   131     227     96

T6  Eddie Murray     131     222     91

8   Wade Boggs       119     180     61

T9  Frank Robinson   118     218    100

T9  Harold Baines    118     187     69

It's staggering that Bonds has been intentionally walked 200 times more than the next most, Hank Aaron. It's also staggering that people got intentionally walked more often in the days of Hammerin' Hank. The most staggering of all is how many home runs Bonds has run off while hardly ever being pitched to. Its also funny that Harold Baines made the list. Who was hitting behind him?

While the intentional walks are staggering, we also have to remember how many times he actually sees good pitches to hit. Almost every time he is up, even if his team is down 4 runs, pitchers will largely pitch around him. Bonds is just that good. Bonds seems like he is playing that video game that you master and can get a hit every time up. Its unfortunate though, since I cannot stand his arrogant, self-serving attitude, but that is another story all together, I can still admit that he is the best hitter I have seen in my lifetime.

Tangotiger, for those of you who know his work, once worked out a "When to walk Barry Bonds" matrix, based on his win expectancy chart. He looked at the expected outcome of a Bonds at bat and worked out when it was better just to put the extra guy on base. Pretty interesting stuff, but I can't seem to find it anymore, so if anyone knows offhand where it is, let me know.
Curt  ¶ 2:31 AM