He's Not Gonna Do It
Barry Bonds hit another one last night, his 711th, bringing him that much closer to Babe Ruth's mark of 714. Bonds'll catch Ruth if it kills him (and it may) but there's no way in the world he'll break Hank Aaron's record of 755 -- he doesn't have 44 more home runs in that body and he doesn't want it bad enough to languish around in mediocrity for the years it would take to chip away at it much further. He wants The Babe, (and he's made enough comments on that subject for it to be taken as a racial thing if you're inclined to,) but he's not after Hammerin' Hank with nearly the same drive and at this point there's no reason to think he could do it even if he wanted to.
I say all this as an unrepentant Bonds fan. Still. What I like is baseball played at its highest level and Bonds has shown us that. Illegally? Yep. Unethically? Sure. Dishonestly? Well, yeah. But I'm don't generally follow a player because of his ethics or his moral stature. You're welcome to, but that's not why I watch baseball. I'm more interested in a guy's bat speed or pitch recognition or plate discipline than in his position on what we used to call Modern Ethical Problems. Watching Derek Jeter take off from first base with two outs and the payoff pitch on the way is exciting to me -- stories about how responsible he is when he goes out clubbing are not. Vlad Guerrero's arm in right field and ability to hit a pitch in the dirt through the ozone brought me to the ballpark when the Expos used to come to town, not the fact that he lived with his mother, who made his breakfast every day. I don't care. There are a million good guys in the world, but I don't pay to watch them at work. What I like is baseball played as well as it can be played. I like Barry Bonds -- he's been the best I've ever seen. Best baseball player on the planet for the better part of twenty years.
And he's not gonna do it.
For all the advantages, for all the steroids and tiny new ballparks and watered-down expansion pitching and modern nutrition and training technology and genetic predisposition and growing up in the dugout and advice from Willie Mays and elbow pads and thin-handled bats and clubhouse recliners and chartered jets -- and for all the breathtaking talent -- he's not gonna do it.
So can we please take a break from all the hating on Bonds long enough to give honor to whom honor is due? Hank Aaron hit 755 without ever hitting more than 50 home runs in a single season, averaging almost 33 a year for 23 seasons. That kind of consistent productivity isn't as immediately attention-grabbing as, say, a 73 homer season, but it does leave Aaron with additional records for total bases, extra base hits and the all-important RBI. Three Gold Gloves and 24 All-Star games. And when the dust that surrounds Barry Bonds, the most jaw-droppingly great player of the past couple generations, settles -- for all the controversy, for all the attitude, for all the talk of witch-hunts and perjury -- it'll be Bad Henry Aaron that's still standing.
Not to mention the fact that Aaron did what he did amid hate mail and death threats born of a culture of racism of which Barry Bonds has experienced very little. The Hammer tied the Babe in Cincinnati for crying out loud and circled the bases hoping he wouldn't be shot. How's that for concentration in the face of distraction?
Junior Griffey may make a run at 755. Ditto ARod and Pujols and some kid who's in high school right now. But don't hold your breath and don't get distracted by brilliant talent sustained for twenty years -- apparently that's not enough. The smart money's still on Hammerin' Hank.
I wonder what kind of odds Pete could get me?
I say all this as an unrepentant Bonds fan. Still. What I like is baseball played at its highest level and Bonds has shown us that. Illegally? Yep. Unethically? Sure. Dishonestly? Well, yeah. But I'm don't generally follow a player because of his ethics or his moral stature. You're welcome to, but that's not why I watch baseball. I'm more interested in a guy's bat speed or pitch recognition or plate discipline than in his position on what we used to call Modern Ethical Problems. Watching Derek Jeter take off from first base with two outs and the payoff pitch on the way is exciting to me -- stories about how responsible he is when he goes out clubbing are not. Vlad Guerrero's arm in right field and ability to hit a pitch in the dirt through the ozone brought me to the ballpark when the Expos used to come to town, not the fact that he lived with his mother, who made his breakfast every day. I don't care. There are a million good guys in the world, but I don't pay to watch them at work. What I like is baseball played as well as it can be played. I like Barry Bonds -- he's been the best I've ever seen. Best baseball player on the planet for the better part of twenty years.
And he's not gonna do it.
For all the advantages, for all the steroids and tiny new ballparks and watered-down expansion pitching and modern nutrition and training technology and genetic predisposition and growing up in the dugout and advice from Willie Mays and elbow pads and thin-handled bats and clubhouse recliners and chartered jets -- and for all the breathtaking talent -- he's not gonna do it.
So can we please take a break from all the hating on Bonds long enough to give honor to whom honor is due? Hank Aaron hit 755 without ever hitting more than 50 home runs in a single season, averaging almost 33 a year for 23 seasons. That kind of consistent productivity isn't as immediately attention-grabbing as, say, a 73 homer season, but it does leave Aaron with additional records for total bases, extra base hits and the all-important RBI. Three Gold Gloves and 24 All-Star games. And when the dust that surrounds Barry Bonds, the most jaw-droppingly great player of the past couple generations, settles -- for all the controversy, for all the attitude, for all the talk of witch-hunts and perjury -- it'll be Bad Henry Aaron that's still standing.
Not to mention the fact that Aaron did what he did amid hate mail and death threats born of a culture of racism of which Barry Bonds has experienced very little. The Hammer tied the Babe in Cincinnati for crying out loud and circled the bases hoping he wouldn't be shot. How's that for concentration in the face of distraction?
Junior Griffey may make a run at 755. Ditto ARod and Pujols and some kid who's in high school right now. But don't hold your breath and don't get distracted by brilliant talent sustained for twenty years -- apparently that's not enough. The smart money's still on Hammerin' Hank.
I wonder what kind of odds Pete could get me?
5 Comments:
i'd really like to comment...but i won't...an arguement for beers and brats, not computer screens...so...any of the dates i sent you work?
I hope to get tomorrow my work schedule for the week that includes the 12th. That game's more interesting to me than the D'backs (wonder why). I'll let ye know. I'd certainly do the other one. Maybe both...
Meantime, comment away.
well. ok. but only because you asked;)
no surprise to you...i'm glad he's not going to do it and that aaron's record will stand.
your stance on bonds has always confused me a bit. and, it's not because bonds is such a jerk that i can't root for him. i've rooted for lots of jerks. the guy on the bench @ the ville, for instance.
no, it's because i've always seen you as a 'purist' (whatever that means). i know i've laughed at your adamence re: rose, but, deep down, i agree with you.
and so, i can't understand your admiration for a guy who would not be any where close to the player he's been the last 10 years if he hadn't cheated. he probably wouldn't have even lasted 1/2 as long as he has without cheating, and we wouldn't be having this conversation. i just don't see how you, or anyone else for that matter, can root for a guy like that.
i know you like to see baseball played the best it can be played...and i agree...but, i prefer it be played on natural grass, outside, by real human beings.
More on the other thing later, but I have to close on the 12th. Lemme see what I can do about the 27th.
Okay, here goes. Four (maybe five) approaches to the subject at hand present themselves. We may find that they bleed together, but here's what I've got:
1) As you've noted, "purist" is a made up label and therefore, perhaps, not very helpful. It's been a long time since I've considered myself a purist, so it may be as simple as recognizing this as a place where you and I disagree.
2) Maybe I'm cool with Bonds/steroids for the same reason I'm cool with the Yankees and the economic steroids they've been on for so long. I've developed some affinity for them and they've put an outstanding product on the field. Is it good for Baseball? I don't know, but it is good baseball.
3) Sadly, this whole conversation seems to confirm my original thesis, i.e., Bonds imminent failure to break the home run record ought to have us all talking about Henry Aaron for a minute.
4) I'm honest enough to admit that it's at least possible that I like Bonds because of his attitude and I'm scrambling for ways to explain it. You'll notice (I hope) that I don't defend him and I'm certainly not proselytizing on his behalf. Maybe I just like him. Maybe I should let that be enough.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home