Hats off to the new king
By Will Schmidley, The Dartmouth Staff
Published on Friday, August 10, 2007
At last, the wait is finally over. This past Tuesday night at 8:51 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, San Francisco left fielder Barry Bonds launched Washington Nationals' starting pitcher Mike Bascik's 84-mile per hour inside fastball deep into the Bay Area night and etched his controversial name atop baseball's list of storied sluggers. The atmosphere in Pac Bell Park was electric, and for the most part, the evening of 756 was an enjoyable and pleasant one. There wasn't a boo or jeer to be heard, which is precisely how it should have been. Like I said last week, Bonds' achievements throughout his career are something to admire, regardless of the controversy that has perpetually followed him the past few years. Some thoughts on the night of #25's historic achievement:
Bud Selig's Absence
The absence of the commissioner was unacceptable on all fronts. What is even more irksome is what the commissioner chose to do instead, which was to meet with Senator George Mitchell to discuss Mitchell's ongoing investigation into steroid usage. Selig's thorough pursuit of the facts that are continuing to emerge out of the steroid controversy should not be downplayed or trivialized.
However, regardless of the questions that may surround the event, choosing to be absent from the game in which baseball's most hallowed record is felled borders on the unconscionable.
Perhaps Selig's motivation to excuse himself from the game stemmed from knowledge the rest of us are not privy to, and he was hesitant to give his support in person for fear of being pegged years down the road as a commissioner who wasn't tough enough on steroids.
What Selig failed to realize, it seems, is that Tuesday night was Barry's, and Barry's alone. The commissioner could have attended the game, tempered his actions and congratulatory gestures with the appropriate degree of reserve, and at least acknowledged one of baseball's legends for his momentous accomplishment. No one would have really noticed or cared.
Instead, in making the possibility of his absence well known, he only highlighted his discomfort with the entire issue of chemicals, ballplayers and the record books -- an issue that captured the public eye during his tenure, and might have been checked by more vigilance on his part.
Hank Aaron's Message
Bonds wasn't the only baseball legend to hit one out of the park on Tuesday night. Aaron's video gesture was a home run in and of itself; a class act that only further cements his standing as one of the most down-to-earth, likable and gracious sports superstars of all time.
I would venture to guess his decision to not attend the game had virtually nothing to do with any particular animosity he harbored towards Bonds. Rather, I believe it was largely attributable to his humble desire to avoid the spotlight, a trend that could be seen throughout the Milwaukee legend's whole career.
Bonds
After he slugged his no doubter, Barry assumed his trademark smug "me against the world" facial expression and took a proud, methodical trot around the bags. We got a rare glimpse of his softer side when he spoke about his father, Bobby Bonds, the man who plainly played the biggest part in his vast successes on the baseball field.
In the post-game press conference, for the most part, we didn't see the surly, defensive Bonds we are so used to. Instead, we simply saw a relaxed 43-year-old man with the weight of the world finally removed from his shoulders.
The only tense moments came when a couple of prying, shameless members of the press attempted to goad Bonds into speaking about his maligned former trainer Greg Anderson and the possibility of the new record being tainted. Bonds justifiably shunned their inquiries, and continued to enjoy the moment. It will be interesting to see what path his career takes now. He's always loved San Francisco, but signing him to another one year deal worth in excess of 20 million dollars might be too much for the Giants' organization. We may very well see him finish his career as a designated hitter in the American League, which is perhaps his best option in light of his age and the amount of stress he has endured. But that is an entirely different debate . But no matter what happens, the hard part is over for #25. Congrats Barry.
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