Welcome to Cooperstown*
We've all heard the story about Marc Ecko putting the baseball that Barry Bonds rocketed into the San Francisco seats for the all-time home run record: Ecko won the auction on EBay, created a website, and allowed fans to vote on the fate of the ball. The options were to send the ball to the Hall of Fame, brand it with an asterisk and then send it to the Hall, or blast it into space.
Surprise, the branders have it. Even more of a surprise, Dale Petrosky and the Hall of Fame will accept and display it, asterisk and all.
I think this whole scenario is entirely appropriate. The entire steroids controversy stemmed from a desire to please fanse and draw them into the ballparks after the idiocy of the 1994 strike. It was fueled by the McGwire/Sosa chase for the single season record, and it burst into flame when men the size of mountains began collecting awards and record-breaking contracts. At its heart, though, are the fans. It's only fair that the lone third of the iron triangle of professional sports without any true power to affect change within the game take advantage of this situation.
The Hall of Fame is in no way associated with Major League Baseball as an organization, therefore there should be no shame in acceptinng the item. If anything, the purpose of the Hall is to enshrine all the evolutions of the game since its inception, meaning that the 756 ball should be the centerpiece for The Steroid Era exhibit.
Oh yea, and the whole thing pisses the heck out of Barry, who can do nothing but point out the money Ecko spent.
This is definitely a good thing.
Surprise, the branders have it. Even more of a surprise, Dale Petrosky and the Hall of Fame will accept and display it, asterisk and all.
I think this whole scenario is entirely appropriate. The entire steroids controversy stemmed from a desire to please fanse and draw them into the ballparks after the idiocy of the 1994 strike. It was fueled by the McGwire/Sosa chase for the single season record, and it burst into flame when men the size of mountains began collecting awards and record-breaking contracts. At its heart, though, are the fans. It's only fair that the lone third of the iron triangle of professional sports without any true power to affect change within the game take advantage of this situation.
The Hall of Fame is in no way associated with Major League Baseball as an organization, therefore there should be no shame in acceptinng the item. If anything, the purpose of the Hall is to enshrine all the evolutions of the game since its inception, meaning that the 756 ball should be the centerpiece for The Steroid Era exhibit.
Oh yea, and the whole thing pisses the heck out of Barry, who can do nothing but point out the money Ecko spent.
This is definitely a good thing.
Labels: Commentary
Ryan Brodeur at 9:02 PM
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