Barry Bonds - Chasing History or Listening to "His" Story

 Barry Bonds - Chasing History or Listening to "His" Story

by Skip Pulley

Is creating a scapegoat the treatment for guilt or part of the cause? The cure is accountability.
I had been previously criticized for my stance on defending MLB superstar Barry Bonds in his chase for the all time home run record held by Hank Aaron. This has nothing to do with my personal opinion of Bonds (which is low) but my love of the sport and my refusal to play the all American blame-game. Many of the fans, writers and players who attack Bonds’ status and credibility often make an unfair comparison to the man whose record he is about to break. This is a last ditch effort to assuage the inherited guilt of racism and the “sins of the father” most notably segregation. Henry Louis Aaron was born on February 5, 1934 in Mobile, Alabama. No one under the age of 40 can even imagine the adverse conditions he had to endure as a young black man to play the game that he loved so dearly. In High school, he was such a proficient baseball player he signed a contract with a Negro League team called the Mobile Black Bears for $3 per game. Aaron later led the NLB team the Indianapolis Clowns to the Negro League World Series. On June 14, 1952, the Boston Braves acquired Aaron's contract for $10,000. On April 13, 1954, Aaron made his major league debut. After putting up “hall of fame” statistics during his career he came within reach of the all time home run record then held by Babe Ruth, a white player and a baseball icon. Some recent historical texts try to convince today’s youth that this was an exciting and respected potential milestone supported by baseball fans and the majority of the American public. 

What most will fail to include are the death threats, constant harassment, and emotional abuse heaped on Aaron by some white Americans for doing exactly what he was paid to do and what he knew he could do. Although some, including Babe Ruth’s widow, came to Aaron’s defense and a show of public support counteracted some of the bigotry, the undercurrent of racism and hate was still very prevalent in the South in 1974, the year that Aaron broke the record. After the record was broken and all grumblings were put aside there was no other course to take but acceptance. A key component of widespread acceptance is recognition. This did then what it still does today; covers up animosity and erases the misjudgments of past discretions, or so most people think. In the years following Aaron’s accomplishment, he was considered a new American sports icon, idolized by millions of children and sports fans of all ethnicities. He was honored and decorated by countless societies and organizations. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, was given the “Spingarn Medal” by the NAACP and the “Silver Buffalo” by the Boy Scouts of America. After his career ended he became a successful businessman and a model citizen. So how does one go from being hated to being so loved? Two essential reasons; the man himself, who is a picture of dignity and definition of integrity, and the system of media manipulation who succeeds in part by covering up the fact that he was ever hated by anyone. Hate can be very profitable, as long as it is sold as justification. Once people realized that they had no reason to hate the man, they simply found something or someone else to hate, because that’s what hate does. It shifts and changes direction in that of popular opinion. 

The vast majority of people who hate Barry Bonds have older relatives who hated Hank Aaron for the same exact reason, the color of his skin. With Bonds however it is deeper and uglier. Most people aren’t even aware of the reason for their hate. It’s the same reason why so many hated those Duke Lacrosse kids (before and after the scandal) or any Arab person since the alleged 911 attack. Negativity and disillusion are constantly being pumped into our subconscious by almost every media source. If you dislike Barry Bonds because he is a jerk, that’s fine. But how does that keep him from getting what earned? Some will say its illegal substance abuse, although he has never tested positive for it or admitted to it. His personal trainer (who also trained other professional athletes) was implicated and eventually indicted for trafficking of steroids. During that investigation and trial would have been the most opportune time to charge Bonds with this offense, but of course, they did not. So the more acceptable reason people have to hate him is that he somehow broke the rules without getting caught. To me this sounds more like an excuse than a reason. In either case, his recognition will disguise the guilt, but never erase the accomplishments of Barry Bonds or the memories Hank Aaron.

Skip Pulley

Contributing Editor