The Chronic Curmudgeon

great blog, mudge

If Bonds breaks Aaron's record, I'm going to vomit. Why can't he respect the people who actually earned their accolades and stop trying to surpass them. He needs to retire. Even if he does get more homers than Aaron, he'll never be the Homerun King. Uggghhh, I can't stand him.

Liz -

Henry Aaron is not only the all time home run king (no matter what Bonds does, I still see Hammerin' Hank as the king), but is one of the classiest and bravest men ever to wear the uniform.

When we look back now and understand what Aaron was going through -- the death threats, the virulent racism, and all the hate mail, not to mention the ENORMOUS pressure of breaking Babe Ruth's 40 year old record -- and then look at the dignity and grace with which he conducted himself... well, I just hope that if I ever find myself under that much pressure, I have half the class Hank Aaron had and still has.

Bonds, meanwhile, is beneath contempt, and doesn't belong in the same sentence as Aaron, Ruth, Mays, or Frank Robinson. He disgraces the game.

Any opinions on race...I have a Mark McGwire jersey from his oakland days. Does Bond's have a legitimate beef on the race issue? I'm not saying he is Mr. purity -- then again how many folks cheat at something everyday. I'm confusing the issue here...Bonds did take steriods. Does he just "happen" to be black and McGwire white? or is it a proof thing or something else? What if he had purchased a whizzinator?

Well, I would argue that McGwire's stock has tumbled drastically since the halcyon days of 1998 as well; there are a lot of folks who suggest that he may not even get into the Hall of Fame now. That's a pretty steep fall from being labeled baseball's savior just eight years ago.

I also think personality, not race, has quite a bit to do with it. McGwire always *talked* a good game, acting with humility and talking about the Maris family and bonding with Sammy Sosa that summer... Bonds has been a prick since Day 1 (even was voted off his college team by fed up teammates, only to have the gutless coach -- who'd asked for the vote -- not abide by it), has been testy and arrogant, and has generally been unlikeable for his entire career. I think people are responding to that.

Finally, I think that the whole issue of perjury and proof is a big thing. McGwire, in his playing days, didn't get caught in a lie. But look at how quickly public sentiment turned on him after his embarrassing performance in front of Congress in 2005 ("I'm not here to talk about the past..."). As soon as people realize they've been lied to, they get angry. Bonds not only lied, but is continuing the lie despite perjury investigations. And there have probably been few athletes ever who've had such detailed and thorough charges levied against them -- right down to the schedule on which he took the drugs.

The only steroid taintee who's ever seemed to find redemption with the fans is Jason Giambi. Not coincidentally, he is the only one to publicly apologize for what he did to the game's integrity. McGwire's been rejected; so has Sosa; so has Palmiero. Bonds is not only unrepentent, he carries a "you can't do anything about it" countenance about him. That rubs people the wrong way. And I think that's playing a HUGE part in why people refuse to forgive the man; you can't forgive someone who won't admit what he's done wrong.

The only good thing, IMHO, about this, is that a giant man like Henry Aaron is finally getting some of the respect he's due and was denied during his pursuit of the record in 1973-1974.

While I would never argue any of the things youve said about Juicy, I would put a contrast on the difference between his being a prick and his cheating the game and fans.

Bonds is not the first baseball great to be hated by everyone. A-h's have come and gone, and to me it doesn't have that big an impact on whether or not they are a talented player. I can hate TO because he's TO, but I will still acknowledge his extroardinary ability.
But Bonds has cheated at his skills. He has enhanced an ability that now can never be measured otherwise. Its easy to ace the test if you write all the answers on your sleeve.
I really think Bonds likes the fact that everyone hates him. It keeps his face and name in the paper, which keeps his value high.

Mark McGwire was one of my heros as a little kid, long before the 98 race. If I remember right, McGwire hit over 50 home runs his rookie year, 87. When all this steroid controversy was exposed I was like the little kid that just found out the truth about Santa Clause.

Bonds is a cheater and liar, and that all there is to it. I bet if instead of hating him and constantly making the case to show it, if we all just ignored him he would just go away. Ignore he fact that he is about to edge out the Bambino, because his records should rightfully be erased. Ignore that he's a prick because, well, he's just another prick. Ignore him completley. It would be a rightful ending to his entertaining yet increasingly tiresome career as MLB's main stage attraction.

good points on the race card. Ironic that the desire to be like his dad--or surpass his dad in his quest for fame led to such a deep desire that he resorted to chemically altering his body. The fame Bond's desired to achieve has left him empty and bitter and likely to die a Lyle Alzado type death. At the end of the day this is a very sad story of a corrupted/cheated dream.