Junk Bonds

Yeah, I'm sure that if you did a search for articles with that title in reference to Major League Baseball's newly-anointed home run king, you would find dozens, possibly hundreds.

Now, I'm just going to throw this out there to give this article context and to save you all the trouble of thinking it as my bias. I don't like Barry Bonds anymore. In the early 90s - when he was the National League MVP in '90, '92, and '93 he was an all-hustle, grit it out kind of a player (in '96, he was only the second person in history to ever hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season). I liked that kind of play.

Something changed.

I had the opportunity to sit in left field at Pac Bell Park during a game between San Francisco and Oakland in 2004. A ball was hit over Barry's head, he turned to make the play, stumbled and fell into a roll. The ball had since rolled to the fence. The centerfielder ran over and made the play while Barry sat there on the ground, making no effort to get back up until the centerfielder who made the play came and gave him a hand up. Every at bat that he hit anything, he didn't hustle down the baseline, he did nothing more than a jog. At that moment, I realized that I did not like the way Barry Bonds was playing baseball.

Now, in the days since the home run record, the ball has been auctioned and purchased. This is where the story gets fun. Barry is upset with what is being done with the ball. No... Barry is upset with the guy who bought the ball for 3/4 of a million dollars. He claims that he doesn't care that the ball might be marked with an asterisk, or that the ball might be jettisoned into space. He does, if he didn't, he wouldn't think it was so stupid. If Marc Ecko paid that much money for the ball and did nothing other than donate it to the Hall of Fame, Barry would have had nothing to say about the matter. But, Barry realizes that what is being done with the ball is a commentary on him, which should be no surprize to anyone.

My mom told me growing up that the bullies like to pick on kids that give them a reaction, so, when you get picked on, don't give a reaction. Barry Bonds is upset because the bullies of popular opinion are finally flexing their collective muscle. It has to tear him up inside that people are potentially more excited with what will be done with the ball than the breaking of the record itself.

Face it, you can't argue with the facts, he has hit more home runs in the major leagues than anyone. But, it doesn't mean that people have to like him. Ty Cobb was an arrogant jerk, but was probably the best to ever play the game. Babe Ruth was also arrogant, but knew how to play the game of winning people over.

My prediction: The ball will be emblazoned with an asterisk. Barry's right... that number (756) stands. But, it will stand forever with either a symbolic or a very literal asterisk.

And to Barry, that is the biggest sucker punch his tormentors can throw.