I am disgusted by the decisions of Major League Baseball and Marc Ecko regarding the handling of the Barry Bonds 756th home run baseball. It makes for a funny story, but it compromises the prestige of the Baseball Hall of Fame and every record ever accomplished and/or broken in baseball. Dale Petroskey, President of the Baseball Hall of Fame said he would welcome the vandalized ball;
Statement From Hall of Fame President Dale Petroskey Regarding Marc Ecko Ball Donation
“Since the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum first opened in 1939, the generosity of players, teams and fans, like Marc Ecko, has made it possible to preserve baseball history in Cooperstown. Every one of the nearly 35,000 artifacts in our collection has been donated,” said Dale Petroskey, president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
“We’re grateful to Marc for donating this baseball, which represents one of the game’s most historic records. Baseball belongs to the fans — it always has and always will. The asterisk represents the voice of the fans at this moment in time. The level of interest reflects the strong bond between baseball and American culture. Our responsibility as a history museum is to present every story in proper context, and this ball allows us to do that.”
I am not a huge baseball fan, but I am a huge sports fan. I respect baseball for its rich history and the many great athletes that have played the game. My personal opinion is that their Hall of Fame (along with the NBA & NFL) should be more selective, but that is a different story. Baseball needs a salary cap and Commissioner Bud Selig completely botched and continues to mishandle the steroid problem. Dale Petroskey will only magnify this if the vandalized ball is allowed into the Hall of Fame.
Barry Bonds may have done steroids. He may not have earned his spot as the greatest home run hitter of all time. But no one knows the truth… I have more of a problem with Mark McGuire who inadvertently admitted to taking steroids during his Congressional hearings. Or Sammy Sosa who forgot how to speak English during his hearing and immediately became terrible after steroid testing began. Barry Bonds was an amazing player before the steroid era and continues to be an amazing hitter as MLB players are tested for steroids. Not to mention pitchers definitely took steroids as well, so the advantage couldn’t have been that great.
The world of baseball began to attack Barry Bonds in a witch hunt manner when it became evident that he would surpass Babe Ruth as the greatest hitter of all time. Hank Aaron maybe have held the record, but Babe Ruth is viewed as the homerun champ in mainstream America. Since Selig, Congress, and America were not able to legally prove that Bonds is a cheater, defacing the record breaking ball is the next best thing. It may not be the right analogy, but it’s similar to OJ being pronounced innocent, but he loses everything in a civil suit. It’s a loose comparison, but you get the point.
If the mutilated baseball is allowed into the Hall of Fame, the great museum of baseball history can no longer be taken seriously. Baseball does not make my shortlist, but this is just stupid. The idea of this defamed baseball being on display not only takes away from Barry Bonds legacy, but every other great honored by the Hall of Fame. The allure of Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Joe DiMaggio, and Wade Boggs loses its magic. The Hall of Fame should be held at the highest standard, not comprised by ignorance or publicity.
If the branded baseball is allowed into the Hall of Fame where will it end? What else will be accepted? Roger Clemens has been linked to steroids by multiple sources, but no one as chased after Clemens.
It is interesting that after the Jason Grimsley investigation Clemens is no longer playing as if he had found the fountain of youth… What if I bought Clemens’ 1000th strike out as a New York Yankee ball and donated it to the Hall of Fame with an asterisk branded on the ball? Would it be accepted? Let’s take it one step farther. What if Bill Cosby donated Josh Gibson’s Negro League Pittsburgh Crawfords jersey to the Hall of Fame with the inscription, “If America allowed me to play I would be the single season record holder instead of Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, or Babe Ruth.” Or what if I got a hold of a Negro League Satchel Paige baseball and branded “This ball would have kept Babe Ruth to only 713 Home Runs if I was white,” then donated it? How would it be received?
6 Feedbacks on "Get Your Mind Rite: Baseball Hall of Fame"
Tim
I especially like your last point about whether the HOF would accept the Paige and Gibson jerseys with those inscriptions. In accepting an asterisked no. 756, Cooperstown opens the door to accepting most altered baseball memorabilia. Surely they have limits but that particular door has been breached.
On the asterisked ball, as you know, I voted for it. It means different things for different people which is one of the reasons why I voted how I did. I think fans need to remember how Barry Bonds was treated before, during and after he broke Hank Aaron’s record. He ended up getting painted — by baseball, fans and the media — as the scapegoat for a league-wide problem despite never testing positive for steroids.
The league (MLB) won’t be able to put an asterisk on Bonds’ records without doing the same to Giambi’s, Canseco’s, Palmeiro’s, etc. They know at that point a door would be open to even more league-wide scrutiny and for the sake of ticket sales and popularity, they can’t do it.
Since Cooperstown is just a non-profit that collects donated memorabilia they aren’t associated with the records and accomplishments.
If their goal is to present the history, an asterisk here only makes Bonds come off as a martyr and a scapegoat. He is no more guilty than the other names mentioned in the BALCO and Grimsley cases. He just managed to best them all and break baseball’s most hallowed record.
Good luck to ‘em if the MLB wants to put a REAL asterisk on Bonds’ REAL records. They’re too afraid right now to open a door that wide.
I.G.
I understand your point viewing Bonds as a martyr or/and a scapegoat, but I feel the asterick is more so mocking his accomplishment rather than martyrizing him. Although the Hall of Fame isn’t directly associated with MLB and the record books, the families that visit Cooperstown do not view it as a separate identity. I take the Hall of Fame very seriously and think the vandalized ball deminishes from the pestige the Hall of Fame has. The fact the Hall is allowing this ball in defaced is disrespectful to everyone who has their great name displayed. I am more so sticking up for the people that came before Bonds, than Bonds himself.
Tim
I see where you’re coming. The asterisk shows that the plight former black athletes went through to gain equal credit and treatment in baseball still has a long way to go.
Wil
Who cares about that ball. The next one he hit broke that record. The ball that truly matters is the last one he hits.
Tim
Indeed, but that No. 756 was the one to break Hank’s mark… and essentially broke the paparazzi, round-the-clock coverage of his record-setting. We’ll just call the ball the last one the world saw hit out of the park… that is, until Bonds joins a contender…
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[...] Barry Bonds plans on boycotting the Hall of Fame if his 756th home run ball is placed on display with an asterisk. I completely agree. [...]
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