A-Rod Still A Better Home Run King Than Bonds

I could have chosen from a wide selection of Alex Rodriguez's many faces during his apologetic press conference in which he openly admitted to using steroids from 2001 to 2003 while playing shortstop for the Texas Rangers.

I could have done that.  But I didn't. 

We shouldn't remember Alex Rodriguez, baseball's likely heir apparent to the sport's most hallowed record, as a nearly broken man, sitting solemnly and answering questions about his darkest hours as a Major League player. 

There has been a lot of bad press about A-Rod the past few weeks.  Analysts and reporters talk about how his tainted reputation has ruined the sport.  How his pursuit of another juiced up player, Barry Bonds, will forever tarnish baseball's most beloved statistic.

What people seem to misunderstand is that no matter what A-Rod did to his body to help himself produce home runs, he will never be Barry Bonds.

Maybe it's just me.  Maybe I'm missing something.  But I'd rather have Alex Rodriguez listed as baseball's home run king than the enigmatic Bonds.

Bonds rubs everyone the wrong way.  He's confrontational, rude, inconsiderate, and downright mean.  Rodriguez is the closest thing baseball has to a tragic figure.

Don't get me wrong, putting Hank Aaron back on top of the list wouldn't bother me one bit either, but given the choice between Bonds and Rodriguez, I'll take the guy with some personality.

Rodriguez is pretty congenial for someone who's got more cameras on him (even before the steroid debacle) than any other sports personality.  He's also generally considered to be fan friendly.

Fan friendly even though the Yankees fans can't boo enough when he misses a pitch?  That's pretty difficult.

He's much more beloved in the Bronx than Bonds was by the Bay.  He always will be.

Is that enough proof?  No?  Here's something else to consider:

Rodriguez admitted his wrongdoing.  He apologized and continues to do so.  He may not be telling us every little detail, but maybe we don't need to know everything.

Next to Bonds, he's been an open book.  Bonds won't even admit he did anything wrong when a simple comparison of pictures from 1992 and 2003 will show that something isn't quite right.

Don't get me wrong.  I know he did wrong.  I'm not a fan of what he did.  I think its despicable.  Cheating of any kind is inexcusable.  But he said he was sorry, and if he could make amends, he would do it. 

Fans forgave Jason Giambi and Andy Pettitte, but they weren't chasing a hallowed record.  A-Rod is.  That makes all the difference.

At some point before he retires, Alex Rodriguez will likely hit the record breaking home run.  We don't know where or when. 

Maybe its time we make peace with that fact and that we also celebrate one thing:

A-Rod is not Barry Bonds.  For that alone, he should be universally thanked as he trots home with the record.