Post from: Knuckle Curve

San Francisco is now 39-54 on the season and has slipped “ahead” of the Astros and Nationals in the battle for worst team in the league. The Giants’ lineup is ancient and, with the exception of Bonds and Ryan Klesko, they’re playing like it. The bullpen has been shaky, and the rotation hasn’t been much better (with the weakest link being $126 Million Man Barry Zito).

Bonds now has 753 home runs in his career. He needs two to tie and three to pass Aaron. The worst part? Nobody outside of San Francisco seems to care.

Joe Posnanski covers the Bonds dilemma beautifully at The Soul of Baseball:

My own thoughts constantly contradict each other. I tend to believe that steroid use is worse than using amphetamines (or the more law-friendly cheating like corking bats or scuffing baseballs) but I couldn’t tell you exactly why. I think that Hank Aaron is more worthy of the home run record though I believe Barry Bonds was the better player (even before steroid suspicions). I think Barry Bonds was, in most ways, just playing the rules and boundaries of his time, and yet I also think he was fully aware of the lines he was crossing.

It’s a complex issue, to be sure. Personally, I have very little use for Bonds or any records he may break (and this comes from someone who routinely defended him when he was merely a prickly personality playing for the enemy of my team). As a baseball fan, I find it sad that there is little cause to celebrate the coming of what should be a glorious achievement.

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Slippery slope, meet can of worms.

The unfortunate truth is that whenever you honor someone in this way, you also make a judgment on everyone else. In San Diego, for example, Steve Garvey’s number 6 is retired essentially because he hit a home run in a playoff game. Garvey spent most of his career with the Dodgers, who have not retired his number. Among Padres, he hardly ranks among the greats. Heck, he’s probably not even among the top five at his position. Nate Colbert, to name one player, is more deserving of the honor based on his overall body of work.

Back to the larger point. MLB has set precedent by retiring Robinson’s number throughout baseball. Now the Ruth camp wants in on the action. If they get their wish, then who’s to say that Hank Aaron or the Ted Williams family won’t do the same? Then the question becomes, where do you draw the line?

It’s a tricky situation, and one I’m glad I don’t have to deal with. What do you think — should the Babe’s number be retired throughout baseball?

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Sosa is only a marginally effective player these days — .242/.297/.458 is nothing special (I was going to say, especially in that ballpark, but the truth is, he’s doing much better on the road this year than at home) — but that’s more than he was for the Orioles in 2005 and certainly not what I expected from a 38-year-old who had sat out an entire season.

It’s a bittersweet thing to see Sosa reach this milestone. Many of us, myself included, have fond memories of watching him and Mark McGwire chase Roger Maris’ hallowed mark of 61 home runs back in ‘98. But in light of subsequent events that have cast a long shadow over baseball, it’s a little tough to celebrate what should be a remarkable achievement. That’s a real shame for all of us.

Post from: Knuckle Curve

When I got my 11th e-mail, my buzzer was going off on my phone, and I finally got on and checked it and realized that for a guy that doesn’t talk much to the media, he sure does talk to the media.

How Francona manages to keep his sense of humor during this is beyond me, but good for him. Anyway, it gets better. Now Schilling has posted a public apology on his blog. I’m paraphrasing here, but the gist of it is, “blah blah blah.”

Of course, I’m being flippant. If I wanted this kind of nonsense, I’d watch MTV instead of baseball. Seriously, there’s a lot of garbage available for consumption. Let’s keep it out of our game, boys, shall we?

Meanwhile, Bonds inches closer to Hank Aaron’s all-time home-run record. I’ve said I would “celebrate” the chase by honoring Aaron, but lately I’ve been slacking in that regard. Frankly, the Bonds story no longer engages me in any way, which saddens me greatly. One of the most hallowed records in all of sports is on the verge of being broken and I don’t care.

That sucks.

Is there a point to all this? I don’t know. I guess if there is, it’s something along the lines of “shut up and play ball.” And I hate like hell that the cloud of steroids continues to hang over a sport I love.

To those that brought this upon us, I say, thanks for nothing…

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Right, then. Barry Bonds hit home run #741 Wednesday night off Los Angeles Dodgers’ left-hander Randy Wolf. I love the quote from Wolf: “The guy’s got super-human power.”

Yes, Randy; we just haven’t been able to prove it.

Here at Knuckle Curve we’re using one man’s pursuit of history to highlight the accomplishments of a more deserving man. With that in mind, here’s a little more about Hank Aaron’s 741st career home run.

Aaron had gone nearly three weeks without a homer when he stepped to the plate against Red Sox left-hander Roger Moret at Milwaukee County Stadium on July 3, 1975. Aaron had drawn a walk in his first at-bat against Moret in the second inning. In his next trip to the plate, Aaron drilled a homer to lead off the fourth, breaking a scoreless tie.

The game remained tied until the seventh, when future Brewer Cecil Cooper opened the inning with a home run of his own. Eventually the Brewers won the contest, 3-2, in 10 innings. Robin Yount scored the winning run.

Here’s to Hank!

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Aaron hit his 739th home run off Oakland left-hander Vida Blue on June 12, 1975. With the Brewers clinging to a 4-3 lead, Aaron homered to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning. Blue proceeded to strike out the side in order, but Milwaukee went on to win the game, 9-7.

Two days later, with the Brewers and California Angels deadlocked at 2-2 in the third, Aaron launched a two-out solo homer to left off Nolan Ryan to break the tie. Milwaukee hung on to win this one as well, 6-4.

Blue and Ryan? Not quite Gonzalez and Petit, but oh well…

Post from: Knuckle Curve

On May 9, 1975, Hank Aaron hit his 736th homer in Kansas City against right-hander Al Fitzmorris. With one out in the seventh, Aaron broke a 1-1 tie with a solo shot and helped lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 7-1 victory.

Aaron’s 737th home run came almost a week later, in Texas. Batting against Rangers right-hander Steve Hargan with runners at the corners and two out in the fifth, Aaron launched a blast to left field, extending the Brewers’ lead to 7-1. The insurance runs provided by Aaron’s homer proved necessary, as the Brewers held on to win, 8-5.

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Aaron pounded his 735th home run off the late Pat Dobson on April 26, 1975, at Yankee Stadium. With the Brewers trailing, 8-0, Aaron hammered a solo shot in the seventh inning. He also singled and grounded into a double play in the game. Hall of Famer Robin Yount, then just 19 years old, was Milwaukee’s starting shortstop. The right fielder for the Yankees? Bobby Bonds.

Post from: Knuckle Curve