And with one swing of the bat...
...the taut sphere rocketed towards the right center field stands where history, and hearts, were broken. Awash in a sea of flashbulbs and frenzied hometown cheers, the beleaguered outfielder found himself rounding the bases as the only man to reach what was once thought unreachable.
The commissioner was nowhere to be found. Absent, as well, was the man he overtook for the crown.
In the absences of Bud Selig and Hank Aaron can be found the most telling indication of how history will judge the new record holder. Selig is away from San Francisco preparing to meet with George Mitchell to discuss, of all things, the steroid investigation currently in progress. Aaron chose simply to stay home and leave a message.
Barry Bonds is now the only name atop the record list, but in the hearts of most baseball fans he will never be able to take the place of Aaron. That's not to say that he should be villified, dragged from his house into the village square and tarred and feathered. He is a dislikeable character, a prickly, spiny superstar who has spurned fans, players, and media alike over his 33 year career.
So Bonds broke the record. Fantastic. The Red Sox are on their way to a second consectutive loss in Anaheim and to further shrinkage of their AL East lead. The Cubs, despite losing Alfonso Soriano until Labor Day, are fighting for their first chance at the Series in nearly a century. (Actually, that's not new, is it?) Look, the record was such a big deal that nobody outside of the homer fans and Bonds himself was excited by it. If you look at the tape, his teammates walk to the plate, the Nationals look on without interest, and the game moved on quickly.
Starting tomorrow we'll all be drowning in commentary and an attempt to categorize what just happened. I'm not even sure how coherent this piece is. But the point is, move on.
And if I were the fan, I would put an asterisk on the ball and give it to the Hall of Fame myself, in person.
The commissioner was nowhere to be found. Absent, as well, was the man he overtook for the crown.
In the absences of Bud Selig and Hank Aaron can be found the most telling indication of how history will judge the new record holder. Selig is away from San Francisco preparing to meet with George Mitchell to discuss, of all things, the steroid investigation currently in progress. Aaron chose simply to stay home and leave a message.
Barry Bonds is now the only name atop the record list, but in the hearts of most baseball fans he will never be able to take the place of Aaron. That's not to say that he should be villified, dragged from his house into the village square and tarred and feathered. He is a dislikeable character, a prickly, spiny superstar who has spurned fans, players, and media alike over his 33 year career.
So Bonds broke the record. Fantastic. The Red Sox are on their way to a second consectutive loss in Anaheim and to further shrinkage of their AL East lead. The Cubs, despite losing Alfonso Soriano until Labor Day, are fighting for their first chance at the Series in nearly a century. (Actually, that's not new, is it?) Look, the record was such a big deal that nobody outside of the homer fans and Bonds himself was excited by it. If you look at the tape, his teammates walk to the plate, the Nationals look on without interest, and the game moved on quickly.
Starting tomorrow we'll all be drowning in commentary and an attempt to categorize what just happened. I'm not even sure how coherent this piece is. But the point is, move on.
And if I were the fan, I would put an asterisk on the ball and give it to the Hall of Fame myself, in person.
Labels: Commentary
Ryan Brodeur at 12:01 AM
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