A Sports Fan’s Lament: Part III
Baseball
What you know: One of the greatest sports records of all time is going to be broken by an admited steroid user. Barry Bonds will have passed 755 home runs (set by Henry “Hank” Aaron) and the backlash is like the humidity in New Orleans: Overbearing. Bonds said to a grand jury that he had taken a substance called “The Clear,” but he didn’t know what it was. Hmmm, I don’t know what this lotiony stuff is, but I’ll go ahead and rub it all over my upper body because it’s supposed to help me on the field. Anyone who knows Bonds personally (which I don’t, but have read interviews with some who do) knows that he knows everything that he puts in and on his body. He still won’t admit to using steroids, but it’s virtually impossible to go from a slender speedy outfielder with power to a slow monsterous home run pounding machine in a matter of a couple of years. Bonds may never admit that he used, but the circumstantial evidence in the court of public opinion is overwhelming.
What you should be hearing about: I’m not the biggest baseball fan, but this has been the year for milestones. Two of my all-time favorite players have reached or are about to reach career milestones. Frank Thomas hit his 500th home run and Ken Griffey Jr. is approaching his 600th. Sammy Sosa (another alleged ‘roider) hit his 600th homer and Alex Rodriquez is about to become the youngest player in MLB history to hit 500 homers, and he’s only 31. Tom Glavine is approaching 300 wins (which almost guarantees a Hall of Fame induction) and Yankees could very well be out of the playoffs for the first time in forever, which will make New Yorkers cry and every one else rejoice. I may not be a big baseball fan, but I sure have found a lot to love about the game this year.
