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Little Giant With all eyes on Bonds, Aurilia quietly thrives
Sports Illustrated's Stephen Cannella checks in with his baseball thoughts every Thursday throughout the season on CNNSI.com. Let's say you strolled into Studio 54 one night in the late 1970s. It would have been impossible to take your eyes off Andy Warhol holding court at his corner table, because his star loomed larger and burned brighter than anyone else's in the room. But while ogling Andy you might have missed getting a glimpse of, say, Debbie Harry, who was no Warhol but, at the time, was doing some pretty solid work of her own. Something similiar might happen to you in San Francisco these days, where it's impossible to ignore Barry Bonds' incomprehensibly fast home run pace. While Bonds is filling McCovey Cove with baseballs, the Giants' Rich Aurilia is plugging along at a much lower wattage, blossoming into the National League's most dangerous offensive shortstop and perhaps fixing to make some history of his own. A career .270 hitter before this season, Aurilia was handed the second spot in the Giants' lineup when third baseman Bill Mueller was traded during the offseason. Through Wednesday's games Aurilia led the league in hitting (.371) and hits (79), and topped all NL shortstops in homers (10), doubles (16) and slugging percentage (.615). If Aurilia keeps this up he'll become the first NL shortstop to win a batting title since Dick Groat in 1960 and the second since 1979 to have 200 hits in a season (Mark Grudzielanek had 201 in '96). Aurilia, who could challenge the major league mark for the highest batting average by a shortstop (.388, by Luke Appling in 1936), is also on pace to have his third straight 20-homer season. The last NL shortstop to put together such a streak was Ernie Banks. To be sure, Aurilia has Bonds to thank in part for his torrid start. Batting in the No. 2 slot, just ahead of Barry, Aurilia sees more than his share of hittable offerings from pitchers loath to walk someone with Bonds hulking in the on-deck circle. (Aurilia has walked just 16 times in 230 plate appearances this year.) Still, those pitches have to be hit. Aurilia has struck out only 20 times this season, and has impressed opponents as well as the Giants' staff by using the entire field more than he has in the past. "Everybody in here knows that one guy doesn't make a whole offense," Aurilia said Wednesday after bashing a two-run homer in San Francisco's 6-4 win over the Padres. "It seems lately like Barry's been the only one driving in runs." But he's not the only one getting hits.
Paying the PiperNext time you're booing Alex Rodriguez or Randy Johnson or anyone else playing against your local team, remember this: That player might have helped pay for the road you'll take to get home. One of the subtle advantages teams in states like Texas and Florida have in luring free agents is the lack of a personal income tax in those states, but players who sign with such teams are finding that the taxman is still impossible to escape. Many states and cities have begun taxing visiting athletes and entertainers, charging them for the portions of their salaries they earn on the days they play locally. Coming in for a weekend series against, say, the Orioles? Get ready to pay three days' worth of Maryland state income tax. Playing a total of 10 games at Yankee Stadium this season? Expect a bill from the friendly folks at the New York Department of Taxation. Those payments aren't tiny. Take A-Rod, for example: According to an analysis done by The Wall Street Journal, he'll owe roughly $330,000 of his $22 million salary to the state of California for the 25 games the Rangers will play in the Golden State this season. (The Journal estimates that Rodriguez, whose income goes untaxed in Texas, will shell out a total of more than $500,000 to various other states this year.) The Braves will play 10 games in Philadelphia -- that means Greg Maddux, who's making $13 million this year, can expect to pay about $54,000 to Pennsylvania, on top of what he owes the state of Georgia. Sports Illustrated staff writer Stephen Cannella covers the baseball beat for the magazine. The next edition of Touching Base will appear July 5.
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