Steroids trouble clouds the magic, By: Guy Junker
May 15, 2006, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
In a sport where statistical achievement is usually over-hyped, the lack of hype over Barry Bonds' chase of second place on the all-time home run list is remarkable.
His own team, the San Francisco Giants, had to have staff meetings to discuss how they would acknowledge the feat of tying and passing Babe Ruth.
Ruth's living relatives declined invitations to be present.
The commissioner made no special plans to attend.
Bonds has brought a lot of things upon himself over the years, but this has nothing, or little, to do with his surly demeanor. It has everything to do with the cloud of steroids hanging over his head.
The stance of many that achieving second place is nothing to fuss over is a total cop out. Numbers and statistics in baseball are not only important, but revered. And one of the most revered in the history of the sport is 714, the total home runs hit by Ruth. Even after Hank Aaron passed it 32 years ago, it still maintained magic.
Whether it's ever proven that Bonds used performance-enhancing drugs or whether he ever gets nailed for perjury, it's pretty clear that in the court of public opinion, he already is guilty.
Bonds' numbers have brought Ruth back to life a bit, and the more I read about him the more the Bambino's numbers dazzle.
His 714 record for homers stood for nearly 40 years before it was broken by Hank Aaron, but Ruth was actually atop the all-time home run list for nearly 53 years. He took the spot over when he hit number 137 in 1921, passing a guy named Roger Conner. It was just his third year of playing outfield regularly.
When he hit No. 700 in 1934, only two other players had hit 300. And when he retired, Ruth had more than twice as many homers as anyone else.
The most money he ever made was $80,000 in both 1930 and 1931. In 1932, he was forced to take a $5,000 pay cut despite hitting .373 with 46 homers and 163 RBI the year before when he also led the majors with a .700 slugging percentage.
It's OK if Hines Ward doesn't have warm feelings for Bill Cowher. How many people do feel that way about their boss?
It's OK if he felt disrespected during contract negotiations. Lots of players do in that situation.
But under no circumstances, nor at any time in his years with the Steelers, should he have felt that way when the Steelers drafted other wide receivers.
In the current issue of Sports Illustrated, Ward is quoted saying, "The numbers I put up? The seasons I had, for them to keep on bringing in guys...?"
With that logic, I guess Ben Roethlisberger should be upset that the Steelers drafted quarterback Omar Jacobs a few weeks ago.
Last time I checked, Ward is one receiver who does not have to worry about losing his starting job. Besides, there are anywhere from two to five of them on the field at any given time. In or out of context, his quotes come from thinking that is convoluted.
Toronto real estate magnate David Fingold just wants to own a hockey team, and the Penguins just happen to be for sale.
All things considered, he'd like to keep them in Pittsburgh, but all things considered, there is a good chance he would move them to Kansas City if he made the purchase.
His description of the Pens as "affordable and portable" should send chills down the spine of every true hockey fan in this 'Burgh.
