So, as I’m sure everyone knows, Barry Bonds broke Hank Aaron’s record last night, hitting his 756th homerun. I didn’t see it in real-time, but I watched the video this morning.
I have to admit, watching it, I was a bit more moved than I expected to be. I’ve tried to keep an open mind about Bonds but one always wonders. What annoyed me more than anything else was all the talk of the guy who got the ball. He shouldn’t be the story.
I would like to think that if I happened to be at a game like that one, and happened to be lucky enough to catch the record-breaking ball, that I would handle it in a dignified way. (I’m not saying this guy, didn’t.) In my imagination, here’s what I’d do:
After being escorted away by the police, I’d ask if it was possible that I could congratulate Mr. Bonds after the game. I’d also ask to remain anonymous. When the game was over, I’d congratulate Barry Bonds, ask for his autograph (on my hat or shirt or something), and then hand over the ball, asking only that it go into the Hall of Fame. I wouldn’t try to sell it or get any publicity out of it. This is about the history of baseball, not anything else.
Of course, I wasn’t there, and I didn’t catch the ball, so who knows what would have really happened. I’m just annoyed at the fact that all of these records seem to get turned into get-rich-quick schemes for alleged fans.
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