I just wish congress hadn't turned it into an issue that involes more than the people that care about baseball. No offense Amorette, but I don't really care about your opinion on this one. Babe Ruth is great, but you couldn't pick Bonds or Pujols out of a lineup.
I like to judge the talent for myself and as a serious fan, I feel like my vote should count more. Bonds has talent, maybe the best eye ever, but his stats are tainted. Still, there is no way I'm going to miss history. I don't like that it was Kobe scoring 81 or Mark McGwire breaking Maris's record, but I'm tuned in for Bonds at bats and I like to think that every gigantic homer like the one in Philly brings a bit of credibility to his game. They are testing for drugs now, he's an old man, but he still has it. It's going to be slow going and I'm skeptical if he'll get to Aaron's record, but it's not his fault nobody will pitch to him. Among all the athletes I've ever seen, Bonds has always been the best at ignoring criticism and then proving EVERYONE wrong. If you watch baseball, you know the Philly homer I mean and he had the away crowd on their feet (after they booed him.) It's hard to deny 500 foot homers, so let the fans decide if the record is credible. Put an asterisk by it and say, "Decide for yourself." Hate it or love it, don't miss it.
P.S. Keith Hernandez anyone? I know he sounded like a bastard, but the woman in the dugout did break tradition. He went about it the wrong way, but I don't think women belong in the dugout either. If I'm the manager, I'm not letting a woman in the dugout. Of course, pampered athletes don't pay attention to the game anyway, but I'd have a hard time giving my athletes someone to perform for.
[This message has been edited by Buck Showalter (edited 5/12/2006).]