| Bonds Closes in on Record |
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| Written by cochise | |
| Monday, 23 July 2007 | |
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As September grew to a close in 1973, Henry “Hank” Aaron hit a monumental home-run that would seemingly live in baseball infamy forever. Although his 713th blast would not be his last, the moment is remembered as the high point of a Hall of Fame player’s career. Now, over thirty years later, Barry Bonds threatens to break Aaron’s cherished home-run record of 755 in the upcoming weeks. Bonds has never been a favorite of the league. His me-first attitude combined with steroid allegations has made him a pariah in the eyes of many fans. And his pursuit of baseball’s golden record has prompted some to go to extremes with hate-mail and other actions.
The significance of the 756th dinger Bonds hits should not be overlooked. To break any record, especially once as hallowed as the home-run record, in the sport of baseball is a major accomplishment. But as with most of the public, one has to wonder whether Bonds will ever be remembered as a hero of the game or as a good role model for young ballplayers. And with many major networks, such as ESPN, already producing segments on who will break Bonds’ record, one has to wonder if the media is rooting against Barry’s place in the history books. In 2004, Ichiro Suzuki completed a similar record-breaking year in which he set the new standard for most hits in a single season. His run was celebrated by fans of all loyalties and even the family of George Sisler, the previous king of hits in the MLB. Thus it is odd that just a few years later, most fans would rather turn off their televisions then see another record-breaking performance by an all-time great. Maybe it is the aforementioned steroid allegations. Many allege that Barry’s growth at a late age is a clear indication of illegal enhancers in his system. Or maybe it’s his rough attitude with the media. Heck, it might even be the fact that Bonds, unlike Aaron and Suzuki, is crawling to this record on his hands and knees. Playing injured and unable to run is no way to help a major league team win ballgames. It has become clear, at this point, that the San Francisco Giant’s season has become more about Barry than it is about wins and losses. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that fans hate Barry Bonds. This is not something that will change miraculously as fans watch a historical ball leave the park, and it is not something that will change when the giant, literally, slugger retires. In fact, sad as it is to say, baseball will be best off when Bonds’ new record is broken by a slugger without the suspicion of steroid-usage clouding over him.
So watch Bonds hit his 756th home run and understand the great career this man has had. But don’t forget about the man who will be moving to second on the list, for his career was far more memorable than Barry’s. And, right or wrong, when Alex Rodriguez or someone else breaks this new record in ten or twenty or even fifty years, watch as baseball, slowly forgets about their maligned home-run star. The one they surely are wishing they never had.
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When Hank broke Babe Ruth’s long-standing record back in 1973, he was hated by fans as well; but for a much different reason. The fact that a black man was about to break a white man’s longstanding mark was unacceptable for some. Aaron faced constant jeers and received boatloads of racist messages. Through it all, however, he found a way to prevail and has since been remembered as one of the great heroes of the game. Bonds himself passes credit along to the name ahead of him whenever he is given an opportunity to.
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