Knocking on the Door of 756*

This weekend Barry Bonds tied Hank Aaron's career home run record. Anyone who has ready this blog with any sort of consistency, or knows me at all for that matter, knows how I feel about the guy. So what I am about to write may shock some of you......Barry Bonds breaking the home run record is actually good for the game.

Lets flash back to 1994. The focus of the entire season was on if the players and owners would come to their collective senses and realize that the game of baseball belongs to the fans just as much as the share holders. They didn't, and the World Series was cancelled and scores of fans, even die hard life long fans felt cheated and left the game in large droves. I include myself in this group. My childhood best friend being an Expos fan, and I a Yankees fan (of course) had dreamed of a day when those two teams would meet in the fall classic. 1994 would have been the year. No doubt ever baseball fan felt a similar sort of heartbreak.

Baseball was in big trouble, until along came Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. Ken Griffey Jr. had toyed with the home run record in previous seasons, but in 1997 these two were actually going to do it. For the first time since before the strike fans had something that they were excited about. Regardless of if you were a St. Louis fan, hated the Cubs, or had never watched baseball until that season....everyone wanted to see #62. I remember that night well. I had a date but cancelled it to watch the game. I still don't regret that decision. It was a Renaissance for baseball at a time when it needed it the most.

So we come to today, Barry Bonds, and how he is helping the game just like McGwire and Sosa did a decade ago. Like it or not a run at a record drives huge interest in the game. fair weather fans who might not usually watch anything other than the playoffs or the World Series (and only then if their team is playing) are watching to see what happens. More visibility will inevitably drive more interest in the game, and hopefully help seed a new generation of fans.

Bonds is also making a contribution by throwing steroid use to the forefront of what we consider to be an acceptable trade off. Do we really want to see true athleticism, or are we more excited by seeing chemically enhanced record breaking ? I think that this is a personal question, but morally we all know the answer. We want natural athletes like Griffey, or even A-Rod to own these titles, and not athletes who claim that they never "knowingly" used steroids. Let's hope that when Bonds breaks the record this week the negative example that he has set serves to end what will be known as the steroid era. That would be an even bigger contribution to the game than #756.

Yankees Win, and Schilling vs. Bonds

Last night 8-2 win over the Rangers was encouraging. The Yankees are finally starting to look like the Yankees. Andy Pettitte pitched through 7 solid innings, A-Rod hit his 15th homer, and the rest of the line up seemed to be reawakening. But of course that is all moot if the pitching doesn't pick up, so I'll be watching to see how Mussina does in his second start back from the DL tonight.

I didn't mention this yesterday, but I would like to give proper respect to Doug Mientkiewicz who made a really smart play at first Monday night. After missing the runner (and both of them missing the base) Mientkiewicz went for the bag rather than for the base runner. Smart Doug, good work. We appreciate the hits from last night too of course. I'll be watching for more of the same from him the the weeks to come. It's nice to know that we have first covered so that Giambi can concentrate on hitting.

All Juiced Up

By now I am sure that every baseball fan has heard Curt Schillings thoughts on Barry Bonds use of steroids. Just in case you haven't here is the quote from a local Boston radio show:

"I mean, he admitted that he used steroids, I mean, there's no gray area. He
admitted to cheating on his wife, cheating on his taxes, and cheating on the
game, so I think the reaction around the league, the game, being what it is, in
the case of what people think. Hank Aaron not being there. The commissioner [Bud
Selig] trying to figure out where to be. It's sad.
"And I don't care that
he's black, or green, or purple, or yellow, or whatever. It's unfortunate …
there's good people and bad people. It's unfortunate that it's happening the way
it's happening."

I hate Curt Schilling, in fact I think I hate him more than any other player in baseball, but I'm glad that he called out Bonds (although he certainly went over the top by saying he cheated on his wife and his taxes).

Is there really any question that Bonds used steroids...of course there isn't. I have had discussions with people about how it doesn't matter, everyone was using them and they weren't illegal at the time so it doesn't matter. I don't buy that argument. Bonds wants us all to think that he is a victim of media abuse, racism, etc etc. In my eyes much of the controversy that surrounds Barry is self induced. However I can't prove that Barry juiced up, so for now unfortunately I have to say that he should go to Cooperstown. But once the Balco grand jury testimony leaks and we can confirm that he did, baseball needs to take a good hard look at how much cheating it is willing to endure and it needs to make an example of the people who put a stain on the game by juicing up.