Jovian9 said:
I agree. As soon as he breaks this record it will be a record that no longer matters. MLB Baseball deserves a slow-painful death.
i admit that barry bonds is not the most likeable guy...but at 40 years old, there is no guarantee that he will break the record...one injury, even a small one by the standards for a younger player, could end it all for bonds...he has to be careful and the pressure on him will be tremendous
in the pursuit to beat mcgwire's 70 home runs, several players were on pace to break that record but came up short due to circumstances or even injury...willie stargall of the pirates looked like he would go on forever like some of the players of vintage era baseball but he didn't...dave stewart had some amazing years as an older pitcher but he abruptly fell apart...clemens is great but he too will show his vulnerability in the next couple of years since a slight aging of a great pitcher often becomes a field day for batters
the list goes on and the watch for bonds to break the record will be closely followed...pitchers will pitch way less to him and intentionally give him bad pitches and give him less chance to hit the ball
it will take two full years for bonds to catch the record and the giants have signed him up for the next two seasons in anticipation for the record...if bonds loses his ability, he will be let go and no one will want him
if bonds was 33, then i could say with 90 percent assurance that he will catch the record with no problem...but sometimes even the most talented players in baseball have amazing ability that does not hang on with them with age...just ask nomo or valenzeula
it will be interesting to see if ichiro, 29, can keep up his last 4 years' pace of over 200 hits a season and one day join the 3000 club...he's at 919 right now and this current season's total for him is the biggest of any player since 1930...but if he declines slightly as is the case with most players, he would have to go until he was 42 to hit the 3000 club...at that point i would say he's one of the greats of all time
i think a case can be made that barry bonds is one of the greats of all time...other non popular personalities have graced the all time list like reggie jackson and ty cobb...barry's job is to be a baseball player for the giants, not a role model...it would be nice for barry to get a world series ring but few will care either way if and when he breaks aaron's record...baseball is a team sport but if 755 falls, it will be focused all on him
i prefer to watch football and the olympics to baseball, but it's amazing in my life i have witnessed aaron on tv as a kid break babe ruth's record, mcgwire's 70 home runs, bonds' 73 home runs, and maybe, bonds breaking aaron's all time record...these types of records fall but about twice in a century
it could be 100 years before another hitter hits 73 home runs in a season or that anyone comes within striking distance of 700 career home runs
some records seem totally unbreakable and the two that stood in my head all my life have been beamon's long jump record and roger maris' 61 home runs
