ANAHEIM, Calif. -- We've seen this look before from Barry Bonds, many times this Series. He usually wears it during his post-home run routine, after he's just launched a ball into orbit and he's exiting the batter's box, shoulders swaying like a prizefighter. It's a look of absolute disgust, as if Bonds is tired of waiting for the pitchers to challenge him.

But a half-hour after the end of Game 7, after the Angels beat the Giants 4-1 to win the World Series, Bonds was still wearing his Home Run Look. He hadn't hit one in 24 hours. His next long ball was at least five months away. But the displeasure on Bonds' face was unchanging -- as if he had ignored the childhood axiom and his face had indeed gotten stuck that way.

	The Barr-O-Meter
	During each World Series game, the Barr-O-Meter measured the degree to which Anaheim pitchers challenged Barry Bonds. Here's a quick summary of what went down in Game 7: 2nd inning: Lined out to second. 4th inning: Reached on an infield single. 6th inning: Popped up. 8th inning: Walked.
	WORLD SERIES TOTALS AB H/HR Walks R/RBI Balls Strikes 17 8/4 13 8/6 73 38

After losing in the seventh game of his first World Series -- an acrid-tasting finale to one of the sweetest postseason performances ever -- you're dang right Bonds was upset. Because for all the World Series records Bonds set or tied, there is one category he absolutely obliterated, and it was one he would have preferred to post a big zero in. It was as big a factor in the outcome of this Series as his record for home runs in a seven-game Series, runs scored, on-base percentage and slugging-percentage. It was -- you guessed it -- walks.

Bonds was the victim of his own fearsome power this October and, as such, the slugger was walked an obscene number of times. During the World Series alone, the Angels took the bat out of his hands by walking him a record 13 times, an average of almost two a game. Bonds is now the most walked player, intentional or otherwise, in World Series and postseason history. Teammate Rich Aurilia, who bats two spots before Bonds, got 32 official at-bats this postseason; Bonds got 17.

Bonds hates being walked all the time, and said earlier in the Series he didn't want to answer any more questions about it.

So he won't come right out and say that all those free passes irked him. But come on. For a guy who makes a living crushing baseballs, spending your postseason as a glorified pinch-runner doesn't sit too well. And when asked to consider his postseason success in light of the Giants' defeat, Barry sounded like a man who loves to hit, but rarely gets to do it: "Doesn't that just show it takes a whole team to win it?" Bonds asked.

And when a reporter asked Bonds what more he could have done, Bonds said, "I was 1-for-3 with a walk. That doesn't seem like a bad day. What do you want me to do, go 3-for-3 with three home runs?"

It's kind of surprising Bonds didn't. This whole Series, Bonds had made the most of the pitches he did see, hitting four homers. He also hit safely in all seven games and reached on 21 of 30 plate appearances for a .700 OBP. But all too often he found himself handing his bat and elbow pad to Dusty Baker's pint-sized batboy son and trudging down to first, usually with that same look of distaste. In fact, you might argue that image of him standing on first with hands on hips will live on longer than Bonds' home runs. After all, Bonds didn't have the most home runs ever in a World Series. But he did have the most walks.

And who's to say the Angels were wrong in walking Bonds? He's arguably the best home-run hitter ever and in the ultimate court of public opinion -- the win-loss column -- Angels manager Mike Scioscia's Bonds Plan seems to have worked out pretty well.

"Sure, there were times we had to intentionally walk him," said Scioscia after the game, champagne-soaked and free from any second-guessing about the way he tackled Bonds. "But it looks like everything fell into place, doesn't it?"

And in the final game Sunday, the Angels didn't exactly duck Bonds. Barry had plenty of chances to do damage, getting three quality at-bats and going 1-for-3 with just one walk -- but, he had come up each time with no runners on base. It was the first time since Game 1 Bonds had not been intentionally walked at least once. As far as the Angels are concerned, pitching to him three times in one night is plenty.

"He is the best hitter I've ever seen," said closer Troy Percival, who got the final out with Bonds helplessly waiting three batters away. "For us to win this game and still pitch to him all night, I would've never expected it."

So this is how it ended: In his last at-bat of an epic postseason performance, with his team down 4-1, Bonds came up against Anaheim reliever Francisco Rodriguez in the eighth inning. It had the makings of a thrilling matchup -- aside from Percival and Jarrod Washburn, Rodriguez had gotten the go-ahead to pitch to Bonds more often than any other of the Angels' hurlers. K-Rod had gotten Bonds to ground out twice before surrendering a monster home run in Game 6 and had shown little fear of the slugger.

Rodriguez came into the inning on fire, fanning Rich Aurilia and Jeff Kent like they were Little Leaguers. But with his teammates dropping like flies all around him and facing a pitcher who had shown no fear of going after him, Bonds' final at-bat in a legendary postseason ended in a most fitting way.

He walked.

Andy Latack writes for ESPN The Magazine.