It seems like every time you put on ESPN or browse any sports site, you at least hear or see something about Alex Rodriguez and his pursuit of his 600th home run.
I understand hitting 600 home runs is a huge milestone, but it would have a lot more credibility if the man who was pursuing it wasn’t already a confessed steroid user, and therefore a cheater in my book.
A-Rod confessed to using a banned substance from 2001-2003. During those years he hit a combined 156 home runs. To me, those home runs can be taken away since they were not earned fairly.
If you take away 156 form 599 you get 443, still a great achievement, but a much more modest number.
Out of all the players playing baseball right now, A-Rod has the biggest chance to surpass Barry Bonds’ official home run record of 762 home runs (a record that I personally don’t consider the home run record because of Bonds’ steroid use throughout his career).
But I ask: “So What?”
We very well might see the same exact fan reaction to A-Rod’s home run record chase, if he does get close, that we saw with Bonds. Many fans wanted Bonds’ record to be dismissed and given back to Hank Aaron. MLB hasn’t done any of that, of course, so Bonds’ record still stands.
There seems to be two camps when it comes to A-Rod: one side loves him and thinks he’s a great ball player; the other side thinks he’s a selfish, arrogant ball player.
So if A-Rod does give Bonds’ record a run for its money where will the fans stand on it? Will they take it as a legitimate record even though her confessed to steroid use? Or will they reject it, like they did with Bonds?
No matter what the case might be, A-Rod is still a cheater, and will always be, in my head. I’ll start caring about home run milestones when we get a player who has earned it fairly.
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* – Alex Rodriguez photo credit: Mike Cassese / Reuters via NBC Sports
About Tyler Juranovich
