What Barry Bonds has had to go through these past couple of months seems so trivial now when we think back to what happened to Hank Aaron when he was chasing Babe Ruth for 714. Aaron went through much more when racial tensions were high in the South, and Bonds’ controversy is something he has brought on himself.
Aaron’s plight was worse because he ended the 1973 season with 714, leaving him one shy of being the home run king. Over the winter Aaron received hundreds of letters that included racist hate mail and even death threats.
It was April 8, 1974 and the Los Angeles Dodgers came to Atlanta for the Braves first home game of the season. Dodgers’ pitcher Al Downing took the mound for Los Angeles, and in the 4th inning Aaron took one deep and into the Braves bullpen for number 715. As Aaron rounded the bases, two men who ran onto the field greeted him. From that point on, Aaron could call himself the greatest record holder of all-time. Aaron finished his career in Milwaukee, where he started his career 22 years earlier. Hammering Hank retired with 755 homers.
We witnessed history on Tuesday night when Bonds stepped up to the plate with no one on and one out in the bottom of the 5th. Washington National left-hander Mike Bacsik ran up the count to full. Bonds stepped out of the box and fiddled with his batting gear and waved his bat around as he normally does. Then, Bonds stepped back into the batter’s box and waited for Bacsik to deliver. Bacsik tossed up an 86 mph fastball to Bonds and Bonds turned on the pitch and sent it into right center field. He hit it so hard that no outfielder had a play on it, and when it flew into the stands of the AT’T Park seats, a mob of fans dove to retrieve the record-setting baseball. It took more than 33 years, but Bonds finally dethroned Aaron with that last crack of the bat.
Bonds then rounded the bases and met his son, Nikolai, at home plate. He then pointed into the sky and thumped his chest for his late father, Bobby Bonds. He met his teammates, who were waiting for him near the dugout, and they met him with hugs and congratulations. Bonds then took a microphone and we started to see a Barry Bonds that we’ve never seen before – an emotional one. Bonds started to tear up when he thanked his father.
We should embrace this moment in history just for a bit even with the steroid cloud over Bonds. Regardless, it should be celebrated as 755 may have been considered the biggest record in all of sports. Maybe it was the message that Aaron gave Bonds that made me feel it was OK to forgive Bonds for at least that split moment in time. Maybe it was that heartfelt chest pound and emotional speech that made me look the other way, at least for now. And maybe it was because of baseball commissioner Bud Selig, who turned his head when his sport was dying that made me change my mind at that moment.
Bonds is everything Aaron wasn’t. Bonds’ attitude toward the media and even teammates doesn’t make him the most likable man. Aaron was praised for his deeds and his way of dealing with racial threats. I wonder how Bonds would have dealt with the 1970s and the Deep South, and I wonder what kind of player Aaron would be in the age of steroids. But regardless of any of the "what ifs," we have a broken record, and another name on top of sports greatest feat.
Bonds had to wait 33 years to pass Aaron, but we may not have to wait that long before someone passes Bonds. With the way medicine is advancing and the way athletes work out year round, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see the record be broken twice in the next 33 years.
At age 32, New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez is at 500 home runs, and at the pace he is going, it could be just six or seven years until he reaches 790 – assuming that’s what the mark will be.
St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols is 27, is nearing 300 home runs for his career and was the youngest player to reach 250 home runs. Pujols is the only player to hit more than 30 home runs in his first six seasons in the majors. Pujols stands at 274 home runs, and even though it could be a while, it’s definitely a possibility.
Miguel Cabrera of the Florida Marlins has a very bright future, as well. At 24 years old, Cabrera has 129 home runs and is already in his fourth season in the majors. He may be the biggest long shot because of his young age, but he definitely has the potential – later – to be chasing Rodriguez or Pujols in 20 years.
To belt 756 home runs is an amazing feat and Bonds should receive many congratulations, but in 10 years, baseball will take a huge sigh of relief when Rodriguez passes Bonds.
