Posted on 08/08/2007 4:58:54 AM PDT by Chi-townChief
There's no denying 756 home runs, and if Selig wants to try, he'd better examine the rest of baseball history
Baseball's most cherished record now belongs to Barry Bonds, and no matter what is said, written or alleged, there is no taking it away. Teeing off on a 3-2 pitch from Washington Nationals left-hander Mike Bacsik, Bonds launched his 756th career home run to the deepest part of AT&T Park on Tuesday night. The instant the ball left his bat and sizzled toward right-center field, there was no doubt the San Francisco Giants' controversial slugger had just elbowed his way past Henry Aaron for the all-time home-run record.
Critics can hate Bonds, they can swear that he became a home-run machine through performance-enhancing drugs, but they can't erase 756 home runs.
Not even commissioner Bud Selig, who tried to distance himself from the Steroid Era he helped create by not being in attendance, can erase this record. It stands until the next slugger comes along.
After Bonds left Wrigley Field last month with 753 under his belt, Selig made the most half-hearted pledge possible in trying to be a witness to history, saying in a statement: ''Out of respect for the tradition of this game, the magnitude of the record, and the fact that all citizens in this country are innocent until proven guilty, I will attend Barry Bonds' next games to observe his potential tying and breaking of the home run record.''
The numbers are safe Innocent until proven guilty? Guilty of what? Perjury, the biggest crime that any of us -- including Selig -- knows might be hanging over Bonds' head. Even if Bonds is convicted of perjury, his baseball numbers are safe.
Check baseball's record book. The all-time hits leader: Pete Rose, who has been banned by baseball and who was convicted of tax evasion, serving a prison term in Downstate Marion. There isn't a single asterisk next to any of his records -- and Rose committed the game's biggest sin, gambling on baseball.
Rafael Palmeiro, a slugger who actually was caught by baseball's testing program and suspended, remains a member of baseball's exclusive 500-homer club -- no asterisk attached.
But Selig leaves the impression he might wipe away Bonds' mark should damaging proof surface in the slow-going Mitchell investigation. In fact, Selig's flimsy excuse for not being in San Francisco on Tuesday was that he was meeting with former Sen. George Mitchell in New York to get an update on his probe into steroids in baseball.
If Selig tries to wipe away Bonds' accomplishments, then he'd better go after Mark McGwire and all of the other oversized stars of the Steroid Era. Otherwise, he'd better get used to the idea of Bonds owning what the commissioner has called ''the most hallowed record'' in all of sports.
Put an actual asterisk next to Bonds' name and you might as well do the same for every World Series won in the last 20 years -- unless someone can prove that every member of those championship teams, including the 2005 White Sox, was 100 percent clean.
The fact is much of Bonds' work from 1999 to 2004 -- during a time many of us believe he was juiced -- can't be touched by an asterisk. Baseball had no policy against steroids during this time. You can't break a rule that wasn't there.
Selig points to the little-known provision that using any illegal drugs is a violation of baseball rules. But none of the players caught with marijuana or cocaine or amphetamines in the history of the game has an asterisk next to his numbers.
Look at Detroit Tigers infielder Neifi Perez, the former Cub who is missing 80 games -- maybe the rest of his career -- because he ingested amphetamines, performance-enhancers that were as common as bubblegum in clubhouses during Aaron's era. Perez is serving a stiff penalty, but his numbers won't be erased.
Like it or not, Bonds represents one of baseball's eras that most of us would like to forget.
Babe Ruth belted a record 714 home runs in an era that didn't allow black players. Aaron's era was drastically different from Ruth's -- and just as different from Bonds'. What happened Tuesday night in San Francisco does nothing to weaken Aaron's career. He was the best of his era. Ruth the best of his.
And Bonds the best of his.
Deserving of the honor It would be one thing if Bonds were a unique case, the lone abuser in an otherwise clean game. If you believe that, you're as naive as Selig now claims he was back in the 1990s. Bonds faced something neither Ruth nor Aaron ever had to endure -- a slew of pitchers whose arsenals were enhanced by performance-enhancing drugs.
Love him, hate him, he's still the Home Run King. Ask his peers in clubhouses around baseball. Bonds still gets the ultimate respect.
And if you are a baseball fan, deep down, you know he deserves it.
Need further proof? How about Aaron's classy message congratulating Bonds on the giant screen at AT&T Park? ''It is a great accomplishment which requires skill, longevity and determination,'' Aaron said in the recorded message. ''Throughout the past century, the home run has held a special place in baseball, and I have been privileged to hold this record for 33 of those years. I'll move over now and offer my best wishes to Barry and his family.''
cdeluca@suntimes.com
As you point out, you've got to play by the rules, and in this case the rules we play by are innocent until proven guilty.
So in my book Bonds is the HR king even though I may disapprove of his behavior (as I did disapprove of Aaron's and Ruth's).
I don’t think Aaron in ‘74 caught near the crap that Maris did in ‘61.
I remember when Hank broke Ruth’s record...I was 11. I didn’t even think about Hank being black, or white.
After he hit the home run, I ran to the back door and yelled to my mom, “Hank did it! Hank did it!
Last night, I watched DIY network.
Then you get another steroid king... this one an admitted cheat... and Bonds is #3... and Sosa is #8.
source: http://www.baseball-almanac.com/hitting/hihr3.shtml
TOP TEN ALL-TIME HR PERCENTAGE
Mark McGwire 9.42 (hits an HR in 9.42 % of his at bats... or just under one every 11 at-bats)
Babe Ruth 8.50 (aprx one every 12 at-bats)
Barry Bonds 7.72 (aprx one every 13 at-bats)
Jim Thome 7.36
Manny Ramirez 7.15 (aprx one every 14 at-bats)
Ralph Kiner 7.09
Harmon Killebrew 7.03
Sammy Sosa 7.00
Alex Rodriguez 6.86
Ken Griffey, Jr. 6.78 (aprx one every 15 at-bats)
JoBo should be awarded (2) saves for that 9th inning here in Chicago last night!!
I don’t think anyone who knows baseball actually thinks Bonds wasn’t an excellent player throughout his career. In fact, I believe pre-roid Bonds was a much better player than the bloated one-dimensional steroid freak he has become. The point is he became obsessed with breaking home run records and with his advancing age and declining skills became a drug-induced home run machine. Is he the only one, of course not! But that doesn’t make it right. As far as others, McGwire has been shunned from the game in retirement and respect lost. Sosa, the other fake-HR “king” of the roid era, has an invisble asterisk follow him wherever he goes and toils in relative obscurity for Texas. Bonds deserves his place of shame right alongside them for the cheapening of the game and for CHEATING.
They always said that it’s not cheating if you don’t get caught as far as baseball goes. It remains to be seen but there’s a pretty good chance that Bonds, Clemens, McGuire, Sosa, et al. may have gotten caught.
I don’t think Aaron in ‘74 caught near the crap that Maris did in ‘61.
Nor do I. Nobody boo’d Aaron when he tied Babe’s record here in Cincy.
They did boo the next night, when he didn’t play so as to get the record in Atlanta, however.
You might recall, it was a big controversy, holding out a player for such a thing.
Then again, baseball still had integrity in the 1970’s...and a real commissioner for that matter.
And I wonder just how many previous baseball fans are no longer fans precisely because of this disgusting kind of crap. ...like me, for example.
Maybe those who remain fans have a stronger stomach for steroids, cheating and multi-millionaires going on strike for more money.
Personally, I've had my fill. Hence, I'm no longer a professional baseball fan. I watched my last professional baseball game about five years ago.
So who is the HR king?
And what drugs did Babe Ruth take?
Then let's go look at all the records held by linebackers, running backs, tight ends, et. al. in the NFL.
Okay, let's accept all of that openly. The Chicago Black Sox too. Let's agree that baseball is fake. I'm okay with that. Just as long as it's acknowledged.
That’s the second time this year that he earned a five-out save. I missed the theatrics on TV but read about it this morning.
Gotta run get a copy of this paper for my garden.
This BS should be great for my flowers.
Roger Maris broke Ruth’s single season record in 1961, and an astericks appears next to Maris’ record of 61 homers because teams played less games per year when Ruth hit 60.
astericks = asterisk
Sheesh, what a silly typo.
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