When Aaron Tied The Babe

The press surrounding Bonds since he tied Hank Aaron at 755 has been quite a mixed bag. Some Bonds haters have come out and acknowledged the accomplishment while others hold to the "asterisk" point of view. Bud Selig's statement was a train wreck and I am not sure why he was even there if all he was going to do was look like an old man who was dragged off to church and had to be reminded of when to stand up and sit down.

All of this is quite different than when Aaron tied Babe Ruth at 714. As an eleven year old kid living in New Jersey I remember thinking this guy was a hero and was someone I looked up to. Not sure kids today get that same vibe from Barry. Check out this article from the April 20, 1974 edition of the Sporting News[click on article for larger view], which reinforces my eleven year old impression of a man who played the game the way it was meant to be played and who always put his team before his own accomplishments.

Tonight in San Francisco I am sure that Barry will get a hero's welcome when the Giants begin their series against the Nationals. Cheater or not this is a monumental accomplishment from the best player of his era. It's just a shame he comes across as such a prick.