We’re Talking Baseball: Roger Maris, Hank Aaron Still Rule as Home Run Kings

There are certain events in our history that require one certain question during conversation.

“Do you remember where you were when ‘it’ happened?”

For the older generation, the ‘it’ is Pearl Harbor.  For my parents’ generation, it is President John F. Kennedy being assassinated.  For mine, it’s September 11^th.

But as for me, the subject matter is normally sports-related.  On the night of Aug. 7, 2007, I was shooting pool at McGregor’s Bar in downtown Mt. Dora, Florida. The game was being televised, and I saw the entire event live.

I remember the pitch. I saw the swing. And I watched as number 756 flew over the outfield fence off of Barry Bonds’ wooden bat.

I felt nothing.  For ten minutes I stood there, emotionless.

Holding the pool cue, I stared at the television as Bonds rounded the bases, celebrated with the brainwashed fans of San Francisco, and destroyed the significance and meaning of the most important record in all of sports.

To be fair, there was a time when I celebrated all of Barry’s accomplishments. He is, after all, one of the greatest baseball players to have ever graced the field.

The problem is, however, that he is the greatest player to have ever tainted the game.

He chased after Hank Aaron to steal his title and wear his crown of the “All-Time Home Run King.”

He already overtook the throne that Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire apathetically kicked Roger Maris out of belonging to the “Single Season Home Run King.”

But, simply put, he, and they, cheated.

Unfortunately, and obviously, we are beginning to realize just how many players took anabolic steroids and performance-enhancing drugs—two terms that should never roll off our tongues as swiftly and comfortably as those do today.

And no, I don’t care if anyone chooses to blow up the record-setting ball, brand it with an asterisk, blow it into orbit, or instead, innocently inscribe the names of those players in the record books next to Maris and Aaron—pretending that they are just as much heroes that those two men were in their day.

Ask any fan—any real baseball fan.

If we can easily state that certain players cheated, then we should be able to easily reinstate Maris and Aaron as the record holders—the “Kings”—even if it’s only in our minds.

In addition, sometimes actions really do speak louder than words, or in this case—numbers.

Let me explain.

If you remember when history was made in 1998, Roger Maris’ family was there to celebrate with and to be congratulatory of Sosa and McGwire.

When Bonds lifted his hands in triumph and trotted around the bases amidst the fireworks erupting, the cameras clicking, and the lights flashing, taking all the time he wanted on the field as he embraced the title, the crown, and the throne—Aaron had taken the time to record a message that was shown on the ballpark’s monitor that night to congratulate him.

Yet, in the middle of Congressional hearings, McGwire sobbed, and Sammy needed an interpreter as their magnificent careers were reduced to shambles.

And, although he has been given chance after chance and opportunity after opportunity, Bonds refuses to come clean and remains unapologetic with no remorse.

When it comes to humbleness versus humiliation, it will produce the same result and the same winner every time.

So, on Saturday, May 17, 2008, the former home run king, Hank Aaron, was asked to speak at the commencement for Concordia University. He spoke words of wisdom that a true hero is capable of.

“This is advice from an old man who has been a lot of places, seen a lot of things,” he started. “Be careful before you make choices. Avoid shortcuts. They are quick fixes and unrewarding.”

His use of vocabulary is probably taking effect somewhere outside of the Concordia University campus.

I believe it was meant to.

Aaron even went as far as saying beforehand to reporters, “I still consider myself the home run king.”

And folks, that is the one and only reality of this situation—at least until somebody comes along and legitimately replaces Mr. Aaron and Mr. Maris.

Give them back the crowns that they worked so hard to earn.  After all, we are still a people that want a deserving king, aren’t we?