The Homerun Record

Barry Bonds is a great hitter,
a great homerun hitter. Always was.
His defensive skills are nothing short of inspired!

Seeing him play has been thrilling, truly amazing!
He is our home team baseball hero.
King of the San Francisco Giants!

Our family got stuck in traffic with him
as he headed out of Candlestick after a game.
We watched him on his huge black motorcycle.
We joined the crowds cheering him,
admiring him, loving his modest smiles and waves.

He messed with drugs, steroids.
Understandable as he watched his skills
being mocked by Sosa, and McGwire.
And Jose Canseco, a man who,
at the very least, has admitted the deed.
Their own drug use pushed them into fame,
unnaturally and undeserved.
A stupid choice.

Bonds knew he was the homerun king.
He knew he was the best hitter ever...
But it takes so much patience to be outdone by scoundrels.
Patience a young, aggressive, competitive, excellent athlete has to have.

Though an incredibly talented and persistent player,
Barry Bonds didn't have that steely patience:
Watch, wait, see the cheaters for what they were.
See the cheaters ousted or asterixed in the record books.

The great Babe Ruth, the carouser,
was no great example for wholesome sport.
But he set hitting records not before seen.
A messy sort of man, his athleticsm was undeniable.

Hank Aaron:
A gentleman, an incredible athlete,
worked patiently for the biggest homerun of all,
the one that beat The Babe.
And he did it amidst death threats in a black and white world,
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream sorely tested.

Bonds deserves the accolades for his greatness.
He surpassed the greatest hitter 3o years after the fact.
He would have made this milestone with or without drugs.
He needed to take his time, he needed nerve that he didn't have.

Barry Bonds deserves his place in sports history.
HE IS THAT GREAT!
I don't see how anyone can ever beat this record.

I don't see how anyone can ever beat Hank Aaron's record.