Barry Bonds is the new home run king. He has hit 758 home runs in his career and hasn’t stopped. Hank Aaron hit 755. 755 is less than 758 thus Bonds is the home run king. Of course, we all know Bonds cheated to get there so that means his home runs don’t count. Right?
How MLB differs in the late 20th and early 21st centuries from its historic past, is by virtue of its yearly multi-billion dollar revenues it now enjoys, enabling it more unilateral power over the game of baseball in spite of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) and the World Umpires Association (WUA) with which it must collectively bargain.
"Baseball is almost the only orderly thing in a very unorderly world." -Bob Veeck, past MLB franchise owner
"I’ve come to the conclusion that the two most important things in life are good friends and a good bullpen." -Bob Lemon, HOF-er
No one needs two catchers on his fantasy team. And no one’s going to win his league if his entire team targets one type of stat, whether it’s ERA, SLG, BA… 22 players with identical strengths will never give you the versatility and power to dominate a team of carefully selected position players that all satisfy unique roles. So, if we religiously apply this seemingly common knowledge to our fantasy teams, why can’t we apply these principles when coordinating other areas of life? Like…our friends.
Now the whole Barry Bonds lovefest is over, what do we do?
I don’t know if ESPN gave you the impression that the 2007 baseball season was all about Barry Bonds, but it certainly gave me it. I live in the UK, where you can only watch one or two games a day – and one of them – almost every day of the week – were the San Francisco Giants.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s great watching Bonds intimidate pitchers. And whether he’s juiced or not, seeing a home run from the San Francisco leftfielder is pretty big thing to watch. But having to watch Ryan Klesko (who last hit .300 in 2002 and last hit over over 20 homers in 2003) day after day – twinned with the Giants bullpen and the non-stop Barry conversation, is really beginning to get to me.
Heck, I’m a Yankees fan and I even had to turn the sound off to ignore Michael Kay’s constant jawing about A-Rod and Number 500.
Of course it matters. This is Hank Aaron we’re talking about here, enduring proof that greatness can be discovered within consistency, Hank Aaron, class act, a hero in this and future generations, transcendent of the vicious scorn that compromised his time. This is Hank Aaron, baseball’s all-time home run king, a living legend.
This is his mark, what he earned. That is the symbol of a bygone era, what could have existed that never came to pass, what should have been but never was.
It’s an idea, a fantasy, for those who wouldn’t quit dreaming.
The All Star break is here, and a much needed rest is given to the hard working ball players in the MLB, but for the Philadelphia Phillies, it is only delaying the inevitable. With their next loss, the Phillies will have 10,000 in their history.
In fact, no team in any sport across the world has every sucked more than the good old fightin’ Phills. During its 125 years of existence, the club has one world series title, that in 1980.
Scrutiny which has been paid, in only just the past two years, over drug use among MLB players, while having been a black eye for MLB, is also convenient as Commissioner Bud Selig need not address myriad other issues which also play their part in preserving the integrity of the game.
It had been a competition, and circus all the same.
And now, the 2003 American League Championship Series would be decided on one game, on one night.
Pedro Martinez had his legacy to protect, damaged in Game 3.
Roger Clemens had his dignity to fight for. It was common knowledge that Clemens would dive into retirement immediately following the ’03 season. He couldn’t be remembered as a loser, defeated by his successor.
The fourth contest was washed away by rain, leaving the tabloid vultures to pick at the carcass of Game 3.
Everyone would have a say.
There was New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, suggesting that Pedro Martinez, now known as an enemy of the elderly, would have been arrested if he pulled his shenanigans at Yankee Stadium.
There was Pedro, the man himself, maintaining his intent to gently push Zimmer aside.
There was Red Sox manager Grady Little, displaying little tact in declaring the Series a battle upgraded to war.
When speaking about the integrity of the game of baseball, we must address the very basic idea of baseball as being a team sport, which takes the efforts of every player to be in attendance for every game, whether or not they are actually participating on the field that day.