Barry Bonds just broke Hank Aaron’s National League record of home runs. He hit home run number 734 Saturday night against the Milwaukee Brewers, but even that was not enough to win. The San Francisco Giants still lost by a score of 10-8.
Bonds needs only 21 more home runs to reach Hank Aaron’s career total of 755 home runs. Breaking that record will surely come, but then Bonds comes from good baseball genes. His father, Bobby Bonds, played 13 years in the major leagues. He was known for his amazing ability to combine speed and hitting. For five seasons, he hit 30 home runs and also had 30 stolen bases. Bonds also has a pretty famous godfather – baseball legend Willie Mays. Mays is often considered as one of the greatest baseball players ever and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979.
Great heritage, great physical ability, breaking records left and right…what’s not to love about Barry Bonds? Well, from what I have seen, most everything else. Do you remember when Mark McGuire broke Roger Maris’ single season home run record? Everyone loved McGuire. Do you remember when Cal Ripkin Jr. broke Lou Gehrig’s Most Consecutive Games record? The record, held by a man stricken in his prime by a fatal disease, held for 56 years before Ripkin broke it. But everyone loved Cal Ripkin Jr. too! But do you honestly know anyone that claims to be a huge Barry Bonds fan?
Bonds has been involved in many scandals in his career. He is front and center at the baseball steroid scandal, although all his tests have come back negative. He chose money over loyalty by withdrawing from the Major League Baseball Player’s Association’s licensing agreement. Anyone wanting to use his name or likeness must deal with him directly. There are reports of him being nasty to both reporters and fans. A book came out saying his own college team at Arizona State University voted him off by a 22-2 margin. The coach overruled the voting and Bonds was allowed to remain on the team.
There are few that will not admit he is on his way to becoming a baseball legend. But then Ty Cobb is also a baseball legend no one particularly cared for. The other night, when Bonds broke the record, the crowd booed him as he circled the bases.
Bonds may be one of the greatest baseball players of all time, but it is doubtful that he will ever win the love and appreciation of the fans.