October 19, 2006
Aaron and Bonds
Roch Kubatko notes that Henry Aaron won't attend the game if and when Bonds passes Hank's home run record:
"First, I don't like to fly," Aaron told the Oakland Tribune this week. "And if I come, there's going to be some controversy. And if I don't come, there's going to be some controversy."
...
"I have pride in the record, but records are made to be broken," Aaron told the Tribune. "But the reason I don't want to get involved is everybody is innocent until proven guilty, and we can talk, we can talk, we can talk, but until there's proof, I have no comment."
A few years ago Hank and Barry did a funny commercial in which Bonds is taking batting practice and Henry's voice is coming over the loud speaker discouraging Barry from going for the record. I guess Aaron wants less to do with Bonds at this point.
Posted by David Pinto at
12:46 PM
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Maybe he read Game of Shadows?
re: Bonds passing Aaron
It's not like the ruth people showed up for Aaron's passing the record, did they? Did the Ruth people show up for Maris passing the record?
Only the Maris family was kind enough to show up when McGwire broke the record.
I've been reading summer of 49, and halberstam claims that Joe DiMaggio, while outwardly sympathetic to Pete Rose during his 44 game hit streak, worried privately that Rose would beat his 56 game hit streak and wipe out his most important statistical record.
These guys LOVE their records. They don't want to see them broken. There's a lot of ego and self-worth wrapped up in certain records.
DiMaggio, Aaron, etc. were competitive on the field. They wanted to be number one. Even retired, they didn't want anyone breaking their records.
That's what made them great.
You have to respect Aaron for secretly wanting Bonds to fail. He's a competitor and wants to stay #1.
We can all understand that. Aaron hated to lose. He wasn't like today's ballplayer, who collects his $10 million check and doesn't care if he wins or loses so long as he gets his two hits and a walk. In Aaron's world, winning and being #1 are all that count.
In Aaron's view, he beat out racism and a world of hatred to get that record. To him, Bonds is a johnny come lately who doesn't deserve the record. Aaron in his mind is the greatest and wants to stay that way.
To his credit, Bonds also hates to lose.
this creates an interesting chess match across generations.
--art kyriazis, philly
Yup, all those guys back then could do no wrong. They were all perfect, God knows. Today's players are crappy good for nothings. None of today's players work their way out of 3rd world poverty, risk their bodies in the stands to get an out, get emergency stitching in their ankles so they can pitch in the playoff games. Nope, its just the check with players today.
DiMaggio also holds the record for biggest prima donna in the history of the game.
