The Shot Only Heard In San Francisco

Today is Wednesday, August 8, 2007. Last night Barry Bonds hit home run 756, making him the most prolific home run hitter Major League Baseball has ever seen.[1]

Now, the whole world can talk to you about steroids. The whole world can talk to you about the guy was a jerk even when he was a slim base stealer in Pittsburgh.[2] The thing that most amazed me is the actual cultural implications 756th home run should have had versus what it did have.

Sure, football is the reigning king of American sports... But people really love baseball. It’s the summer time, it’s our dads and granddads, it’s the thought that just maybe our favorite player will hit a homerun while you are at the game when you are 10. Americans fell in love with Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire in 1998.[3] The whole country was cheering them on. It brought us back, after baseball tanked following the strikes.

When I was a kid I could not imagine another man's name being even near the names Mays, Ruth and Aaron... Let alone above them. This should have been the greatest sports day that didn't include someone winning a championship. This should have been the talk at every water cooler in every business in America. I work with a couple really good sports fans.[4] I am currently on the train heading back into the city after work and its little after 7. I have spoke to dear friends from Chicago. I have spoke to dear friends from New York. I have spoke to friends with whom sports consumes most of our conversation.[5] I didn't get a call from my dad to talk about it. I have spoke to no one about it.

I'm not saying that I am sad about it... I am simply saying this should have been a day where we all talk about where we were when we heard a la 9/11, the moon landing, JFK's murder, the Beatles on Ed Sullivan! Instead it’s a day that we say nothing about it. That saddens me. Not because I like Barry Bonds... Because I don't (I don't really dislike him either).[6] It saddens me that this whole steroids cloud is ruining this day. It saddens me that I need to wait for ARod and Albert Pujols to make this cloud go away.

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[1] Personally I didn't know this until I was watching Mike & Mike this morning, I was asleep last night. And regardless of the steroids or not, he has hit more home runs than anyone else.
[2] If you were a young boy in the 80s you remember Bonds, Bonilla and Van Slyke, break up the Pirates!
[3] Again no steroid talk today
[4] And some women who couldn't care less.
[5] Unless we are out drinking – then we just have fun.
6] I still see him as a great, possible greatest, player that happened to play in a tainted era.