I only saw the highlights of Bonds's record-breaking homer and Hank Aaron's videotaped congratulations. I could not bring myself to watch Bonds's thank-you speech.
As I posted Saturday, there's no joy in Bonds's achievement for me; however, I accept his record as valid, just as I accept Ruth's record though he didn't play against minority players, and Maris's single season record though he had more games that season to pass Ruth. I accept records because there's no way to go back in time and adjust them. There are nuances in every era, and as long as we're conscious of them, no asterisks are needed.
Barry Bonds passed Hank Aaron in an era of rampant chemical enhancement.
3 comments:
I agree, Gerald. Different eras have different things going on, but the number's the number.
And a Mets fan ended up with the ball. The only good news for Mets fans last night...
Anthony
Haven't seen the highlights yet. Great that he did it in San Fran.
I accept Bonds' record as valid for two reasons - he was a great hitter even before the year when everyone started to get suspicious (2001?). Also, he has missed substantial time due to injuries so even if he took steriods, they didn't make him into a Superman. In fact, they may have hurt him even more than they've helped. Also, his bat speed is tremendous even now and I don't think steriods helps with that. And lastly, as you point out, if he took the steroids, so did some of the pitchers he faced and other hitters, etc.
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