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See #83. The poster did NOT make an excellent point. How can you make the case that Ruth's numbers -- in and of themselves, not in comparison to other players of his era -- would have been different in an integrated environment, when there have NEVER been more than a handful of black pitchers in big-league baseball even today (60 years after the color barrier had been broken).

That's sort of like saying that Wayne Gretzky's NHL record of 92 goals in a single season is somehow tainted because there were no Mexican-American players in the NHL back in the 1980s. Well, OK -- that's true . . . but it's not like there are a ton of them in the NHL today, either!

would have been different in an integrated environment, when there have NEVER been more than a handful of black pitchers in big-league

Of course they would have been different, possibly even better. They were however impacted by the existence of a professional league of athletes unable to compete with the "Rest of the Best" because of the color of their skin.

Gretsky's numbers would have been affected as well if there had been a similar league in existence.

My point being both Ruth and Bond's numbers stand as whole for the era they were produced. Segregation/Steroids.

If you think Bond's is the only athlete using or having used them in today's athletic enviroment your nuts.

It's as pervasive as Beer and Hotdogs.

Therefore, in my opinion, there is no * necessary.