My Part of the Conversation

Finally, someone standing up for what’s right…

You’ve probably seen all this by now, but I just can’t help but briefly comment on it.  The buyers of the balls in home runs 755 and 756 that Bonds hit are allowing the public to determine what should happen to those controversial pieces of history.  Ball 756 was bought by Marc Echo, the fashion designer.  He has a very simple website, www.vote756.com.  Ball 755 was bought by a group of friends who are allowing voting for the ball, but are selling ads to their site, www.endthedebate.com.  Interesting way to invest $200,000.

Under normal circumstances, I would think this cheapens the sport and draws attention away from the incredible accomplishment that we probably won’t see again in our lifetime (that is, until A-Rod breaks it in 5 or 6 years).  However, since there’s been so much controversy and debate, it seems kindof helpful for fans to get their say… then hopefully move on to other things.

Just in case you’re wondering, I chuckle at the idea of branding #756 then sending it to Cooperstown.

So far, this year has shown a lot of potential for being a historic year in sports. Here’s 5 things I would like to see happen:

5. New Orleans Saints win the Super Bowl. Technically, that would be for next year. That’s why it’s number 5.

4. The Utah Jazz win the Western Conference finals. Everyone now knows that the Spurs are dirty, dirty cheaters. Going down to my old favorite team would be adequate retribution.

3. Ken Griffey, Jr hits #600. He’s close, and he’s getting older, but he still has a great swing. It’s hard not to like Junior. He’s currently at #572. Plus, he’s on one of my fantasy teams.

2. A-Rod hits 75 home runs. It’s only May, and he has 18. Let’s break Bonds’ record and get him off the top of the books. Also, he has 481 homers, and looks to break 500, something even the great Jose Conseco never accomplished.

and that brings us to…

1. Bonds breaks Hank Aaron’s home run record. Let the asterisk talk begin!!! Yeah, he presumably used steroids, but if he was hitting home runs off pitchers who were using steroids, it washes out, and two wrongs make a record. We don’t know what those statistics might be, so we can never know. We can only sit back and watch the circus of one of the greatest records in all of sports history be broken anti-climatically in the midst of controversy. Then, we can watch A-Rod (and possibly even Junior) break the record Bonds sets in the next 5 years.

**Note: The World Cup is too many years away to make this year’s list**

Do friends pass on massive-multiplayer real-time online baseball games to each other during weeks they need to be working on retreats that will happen that weekend? Do they pass them on even- no especially- when they are free? I don’t think so, Dave.