If A-Rod breaks the HR record...

[bigfnjoe96]

Re: If A-Rod breaks the HR record...

Oh you guys are right, I'm wrong. I guess when I see people screaming "N***R" this and that and watching one game where Tim McCarver never explicitly said what some of the crowds were saying but pretty much explained it as "wrong for the sport" and "say what you want but those things aren't needed in the sport" and going to VARIOUS message boards and reading "N****R" all over the place I guess I was delusional.

Yeah ok, been on this earth long enough to know better. YOU guys might not have racism in your hearts but trust me ALOT of people do.

Totally agree. I've been to Cooperstown & saw with my own eyes letters written in an exhibit on Hank Aaron where people called him everything other than his name, in reference to passing Babe Ruth for the HR Record..

I couldn't help but shed a tear..

[Alliball]

Re: If A-Rod breaks the HR record...

Totally agree. I've been to Cooperstown & saw with my own eyes letters written in an exhibit on Hank Aaron where people called him everything other than his name, in reference to passing Babe Ruth for the HR Record..

I couldn't help but shed a tear..

We're all well aware of the overt racism that Aaron had to endure, but the subject at hand is Bonds.

Some assert that the the disdain for Bonds had more to do with the color of his skin while others claim it's who he is as a person.

[allBthere]

Re: If A-Rod breaks the HR record...

Race was so not a big deal to you, you had to comment upon race as being a nonfactor with Bonds.

My initial point was that it doesn't matter who is breaking Ruth's records, people will resist it, and I illustrated that point with Roger Maris' experience when he broke the 60hr in a season record. Which noone seemed to acknowledge. So in the large scheme of things, I don't think Bonds passing Ruth's numbers was resisted by the MAJORITY of fans because he is black, but more because his behaviour, his (obvious use of)steroids, and the feeling of losing history.

I think people see something magical about Ruth and that era and don't want those records to go away because they feel something will be lost. And at this point in time, I don't think peole want Aaron's numbers to be passed by juice pigs.
just for you: THAT IS MY ****ING OPINION.

[albsur2003]

Re: If A-Rod breaks the HR record...

I saw a pretty good old time article from 1969 from Sports Illustrated today. A lot of what was said about PEDs back then is pretty ominous. It really makes you think that if steroids were prevalent as far back as the sixties, who's to say that the stars of the 70s and 80s weren't juicing. That's exactly why I don't any type of asterik should be placed on 1996-2004 or whatever. Honestly, if guys in football, track, wrestling, and other sports were heavily using steroids in the sixties. You can't honestly tell me that baseball players didn't at least catch on to the trend by the seventies at least.

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1082543/index.htm

[ehh]

Re: If A-Rod breaks the HR record...

I saw a pretty good old time article from 1969 from Sports Illustrated today. A lot of what was said about PEDs back then is pretty ominous. It really makes you think that if steroids were prevalent as far back as the sixties, who's to say that the stars of the 70s and 80s weren't juicing. That's exactly why I don't any type of asterik should be placed on 1996-2004 or whatever. Honestly, if guys in football, track, wrestling, and other sports were heavily using steroids in the sixties. You can't honestly tell me that baseball players didn't at least catch on to the trend by the seventies at least.

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.c...2543/index.htm

Quality post.

[BigDofBA]

Re: If A-Rod breaks the HR record...

There are no asterisks in my mind. If A-rod breaks the record he is the king. Cheating has been a part of baseball forever with the Blacksox, uppers, spitballs, skuffs, stealing signs, etc.

Babe Ruth didn't even play in an integrated league.

You don't know how far steroid use goes back and pitchers and hitters were using.

[MaverickisBack]

Re: If A-Rod breaks the HR record...

There was a lot going on with Bonds also. Like pure racism when he jumped Ruth. That had nothing to do with anything but racism right there. More people hated him for hitting that record than for hitting Aaron's.

Be careful dude...whenever you talk about racism in sports people will look at you like YOU are the racist in the country and in this forum especially. Kinda the ultimate sign of racism imo (pretend it doesnt exist) instead of facing up to it. Yes anyone who has eyes and isnt blind can see that peoples dislike for BOnds was about race. McGwire juiced everyone knew it since the bash brother days...but when he broke the record it was OK...I WONDER WHY? Barry smashing every good ole boy record made people upset. When steroids was saving baseball (ala the McGwire/Sosa race) it was ok. When steroids was changing the color of the record books...well that when people need to be tested....go figure.

If A-Rod breaks the HR record, than he is in the running of being the greatest baseball player ever.

As it stands, Bonds is the best player ever, with or without his rightly earned home run record.

I think even if A-Rod beats Barry. Barry is still better overall. Its not just homers that make Barry better. Also...I think A-Rod has a good chance at claiming the all-time strikeout leader as well. He is currently #26 and only 956 behind the leader over the last 12 season he has averaged 131 so per season. So he could break the all time record in 8 seasons.

Bottom line...I dont want to see an asterik...they played the game at a hi level bottom line. They did everything they could do. Also imo if ANYTHING..***th should have an asterick. He never played against speciality relievers or against the great internatinal and African American talent nor were there extensive scounting reports.

[SPTO]

Re: If A-Rod breaks the HR record...

If A-Rod owns the record eventually he's still not the HR king in my world. That honor goes to Hank Aaron.

[MaverickisBack]

Re: If A-Rod breaks the HR record...

If A-Rod owns the record eventually he's still not the HR king in my world. That honor goes to Hank Aaron.

lol...well thats good that you have it your mind...but the books are what matter. In my mind Josh Gibson is the homerun King with 800 Homers and the single season record with 80 homers. If you dont know who Josh is....look him up. Point is...that he may the king in my mind....that just in MY MIND

[av7]

Re: If A-Rod breaks the HR record...

No, he's admitted to using banned substances (2001-2003). Dont care that he was under immense pressure at 24, he cheated and he's tainted just like Bonds or any other HR freak.

[totalownership]

Re: If A-Rod breaks the HR record...

Also imo if ANYTHING..***th should have an asterick. He never played against speciality relievers or against the great internatinal and African American talent nor were there extensive scounting reports.

I didn't want to bring it up but I agree with you WHOLE HEARTEDLY. I personally don't recognize any records that occurred at a time my father wouldn't have had an opportunity to break. NO RECORDS.

[Scottdau]

Re: If A-Rod breaks the HR record...

I didn't want to bring it up but I agree with you WHOLE HEARTEDLY. I personally don't recognize any records that occurred at a time my father wouldn't have had an opportunity to break. NO RECORDS.

Though he did play in Ball Parks that were freaking HUGE!

[bigfnjoe96]

Re: If A-Rod breaks the HR record...

We're all well aware of the overt racism that Aaron had to endure, but the subject at hand is Bonds.

Some assert that the the disdain for Bonds had more to do with the color of his skin while others claim it's who he is as a person.

Yeah he was a jerk, but you really think the color of his skin doesn't ALSO play a part in that dislike?

[Kashanova]

Re: If A-Rod breaks the HR record...

if Arod breaks the record then to me he's the home run king.

[mjb2124]

Re: If A-Rod breaks the HR record...

lol...well thats good that you have it your mind...but the books are what matter. In my mind Josh Gibson is the homerun King with 800 Homers and the single season record with 80 homers. If you dont know who Josh is....look him up. Point is...that he may the king in my mind....that just in MY MIND

If the books matter then Gibson might not be the HR king since most of his accomplishments aren't documented on paper. Many of the numbers surrounding Gibson are "guesstimates" as there is no game by game data regarding his accomplishments. He could have hit anywhere from 600-800 HR's....nobody really knows for fact. It's also been reported that his 80 HR's in a season is not factual. Many reports list his highest season total as 69 (against all levels of competition...some good, some very poor). This is certainly not a knock on Gibson as all the research I've done on him show that he was without a doubt, an excellent baseball player. It's just that his stats are a bit fuzzy.

If you're really interested in the Negro Leagues, come to Pittsburgh and visit the sports museum here. They have a large section regarding the Negro Leagues and some really excellent videos. Since it's Pittsburgh, the focus is on the Crawfords and Grays. My grandfather has told me a ton of stories about Gibson, Leonard, Paige, Ruth, Dimaggio etc... He saw them all in person and is one guy who knows his baseball history - even today at the age of 91.