So recently MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said he "may not" be at the game when Barry Bonds breaks Hank Aaron's career homerun record of 755. There has then been some uproar by the media - even those members that outwardly have disapproved of Bonds - basically stating that Selig is wrong in possibly skipping this event. But if baseball - and not just the upper offices, but fans, players, teams, etc - are so scared of this event happening, I've always wondered why not do something about it:
Don't pitch to him.
Bonds sees his fair share of intentional walks anyway - why would this be so radical a change? If most people outside of the Bay area don't want to see baseball's most hallowed of records destroyed by a player who "allegedly" took steriods in the process, why not? I don't think people would mind if he held the single-season walk record - let the forehead have that! And I guarantee that every pitcher who "happens" to walk him will be a national hero the next day.
This obviously couldn't come down from the commissioner's office - that would admittedly look like baseball was trying to "fix" its own records. But this is a record that is unlike most in baseball - it seems, to most, to reflect upon the grand history and players of the game, and I know many see Bonds' potential ownership of that record as a loss all around for the sport and its traditions.
But who's stopping each individual pitcher, on a given night, from saying, "Well, I just didn't want to give up a homer on my watch," or, if this is done closer to the record, "I didn't want to be the guy in the record books that he hit the homer against"? They wouldn't even have to say what may really be on their minds: not on my watch, not in my park, not in my game.
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3 comments:
2 problems I have with this. #1, I'm playing the role of statguy, and I think Bonds already holds the record for walks in a season.
#2 I think there's a problem with walking him every at bat. There's this thing called winning, and putting him on base every time is simply not good baseball strategy.
So while I hate Bonds with every inch of my being, he's gonna get the record, and pitchers will pitch to him.
Yeah, he does have that record, so let him shatter it again.
But #2, yeah, I did consider that. So if you're deep in the playoff race in August/September, yeah, you're not putting him on base except for situations where you might already.
But let's say you're down 8-1 in the 9th and he's 3 HR's away - not that those comebacks don't happen - but why make it easy on him.
Though, I'd rather he got the HBP record.
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