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May 28, 2006 The Sunday or Memorial Day weekend is traditionally dominated by racing. The Indianapolis 500, America’s most storied race, and the Coca-Cola 600, America’s longest race, draw crowds in the hundreds of thousands and extensive media coverage. But this Sunday of Memorial Day weekend will be remembered for a different reason. In the fourth inning of a game between the Colorado Rockies and the San Francisco Giants, Barry Bonds drove a 3-2 pitch over the center-field wall for a two-run homerun. It wasn’t just any old homerun; it was the homerun that allowed Bonds to do something done only one other time in history—surpass the mark of 714 homeruns set by a man nicknamed Babe. In the midst of the steroids scandal that has enveloped Major League Baseball in recent years, and has swirled primarily around Barry Bonds, it is easy to forget exactly what this man has accomplished during his career. Even though he has not won a World Series ring, he’s done just about everything else. Bonds has been voted to 13 All-Star games; won eight straight Gold Gloves between 1990 and 1998; won a record seven National League MVP awards, including four straight awards between 2001 and 2004; won two Hank Aaron Awards, given to the best hitter in each league; the single-season homerun record (73) in 2001; became the first player in major-league history to hit 400 homeruns and steal 500 bases; and became the first to hit 500 homeruns and steal 500 bases. Not surprisingly, he has also drawn more walks, including intentional walks, than anyone in major-league history. What makes what Bonds has done so incredible, though, is the fact that he has accomplished so much after the age of 37. Many players, at that stage of their careers, become role players or, if they’re American Leaguers, wind up becoming designated hitters. But Bonds flourished, until injuries began taking their toll last year. Despite his career accomplishments, Bonds has not always had an easy relationship with the fans or the press. Consequently, Bonds has as many detractors as admirers. And with the specter of steroids hanging over him, the voices of the detractors have grown even louder, carrying to the ears of those who have control of whether or not Bonds, who has never admitted to using steroids, and other players of the so-called Steroids Era, will be admitted to the Baseball Hall of Fame someday. That despite the fact that steroid use actually saved baseball after the devastating strike of 1994. (Hint to the baseball purists: Chicks aren’t the only ones who dig the longball.) The fence over which Hank Aaron hit his 715th homerun still stands today, in the parking lot where Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium used to be. Hopefully, a similar marker will be erected in AT&T Park in San Francisco, to stand where baseball history was made once again. ------------ About the author: Claxton Graham has written a number of articles for Useless Knowledge. He works as a business systems analyst. Email: scifiwriter8502@email.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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