August 10, 2007
It was a chilly night in San Francisco. The Giants were facing the Washington Nationals and what’s at stake, a victory or an all-time record. Well, in this case, a record. Barry Bonds steps up to the plate with the game tied 4-4. It’s the bottom of the fifth and Bonds’ daughter is getting more airtime on ESPN than the rest of the Giants. Mike Bacsik, a southpaw, is the potential victim of being thrown into the record books and every sports trivia game from here on out. Bonds went up on the pitch count 3-0, usually a good thing. But not for the sold-out crowd at AT&T Park, the screaming fans want to witness history on the night of August 7, 2007. Mr. Bacsik eventually made the count 3-2 after two solid pitches. The stage was set, the only thing he could do was throw his best stuff right down the middle.
No it wasn’t the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World”, it was another. Bonds blasted the ball to right-center field. Once the bat hit the ball everyone knew, even Bonds, that he had become baseball’s all-time homerun leader, surpassing Hammerin’ Hanks old record of 755.
The number 756 had become the most recognized number for that moment. Bonds arms flew into the air while his son came charging to home plate to greet his father after making his historic trot around the bases.
But, there is one little problem about this historic event. Yeah, I’m going to say it, STEROIDS!!!!
We are living in an era in baseball where performance-enhancing drugs are the topic of discussion when sluggers such as Bonds, Jason Giambi, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGuire smack the long ball, one could hear the subtle statement in a dark bar, “He’s juiced up.”
I watched that moment on ESPN and was, well I’ll come out and say it, moved. I was excited to see what I had witnessed along with millions of other people. And, you know what, I’ve heard others here in El Paso say they were excited. The ones who have the negative comments are the ones who hate Bonds. But can you blame them, Bonds is an…um, I probably should not write that. He’s not media friendly, or fan friendly for that matter. But the night he broke the record, he seemed very humbled by the moment and thanked the Nationals for the 10-minute celebration, heck, even Mr. Bacsik tipped his hat to Bonds.
*
Yes, the asterisk. The asterisk derives from the need of the printers of family trees in feudal times for a symbol to indicate date of birth. The definition really doesn’t have anything to do with the eventual record-breaking number that Bonds will posses. But the typographical symbol has been a symbol at every ballpark Bonds plays away from home, especially the fans at Fenway Park.
Let’s look at some other ‘famous’ asterisks. Not that they are official asterisks, but humor me on this one. The 1982 Super Bowl Champion Washington Redskins* (a strike-shortened season), the 1987 Super Bowl Champion Washington Redskins* (one game was canceled due to a strike, three others were played by replacement players), and the 1999 NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs* (a strike shortened season, Lakers coach Phil Jackson says their championship is tainted). San Diego Chargers freak linebacker Shawne Merriman had 17* sacks in 13 games (he was suspended three games for violating the NFL’s steroid policy and played in 2007 Pro Bowl). You could even throw an asterisk next to Sosa* and McGuire* during their 1998 season, but wait, probably not. They both saved baseball that from that dreaded 1994-strike season. Hmmm, I wonder if those two were ‘allowed’ to use performance-enhancing supplements (there I go again with my conspiracy theories).
My point is there is no perfection in sports today. Baseball in the 1990’s and throughout this decade will forever be known as the Steroid Era. Nothing that can be done, because some say it’s not an isolated matter and there is no proof. Jose Canseco did his damage; at least he got his shot at the Surreal Life on VH1.
Brady Anderson, who played for the Baltimore Orioles, hit 50 homeruns in 1996, he never hit more that 24 in his other seasons. Roger Clemens has been going and going, like the Energizer Bunny. Sosa was not only ‘juiced up’, but he apparently used a corked bat.
I’m not saying no one is on the juice (that would be ignorant), but we're in a day and age where athletes are drinking Gatorade, Vitamin Water, taking creatine, and working out with top-of-the-line gym equipment. Diets have changed since Babe Ruth’s hard-core training regiment of consuming beer, hot dogs, cigars and sex.
Bonds, I’m sure, used that clear cream knowingly what it was, but it didn’t help his hand-eye coordination. He will go down in history as one of the greatest baseball players in the game, even if he hadn’t broken the record.
But have no fear baseball fans, New York Yankees All-Star third baseman Alex Rodriguez will eventually be under the gun for performance-enhancing drugs. I mean he’s the youngest ball player to reach 500 homeruns at the tender age of 32. And when A-Rod is at bat at Yankee Stadium in the year 2013 about to break the homerun record, people will ask, is he juicing?
Ok, I’m not going to lie; I too am on the juice. I’m only doing it to help my performance on picking up on the ladies late nights at my favorite taverns.
Let us all congratulate Bonds on his historic moment, for now. Especially all the fans that attend his games and have a chance of redeeming a lottery ticket known as the Barry Bonds Homerun Ball.