By Taylor Bern 2006
Since the beginning of the 2006 Major League Baseball season, a healthy Barry Bonds and his quests to surpass the immortal Babe Ruth’s 714 career home run mark and Hand Aaron’s MLB record 755 career home runs, have been the topic of numerous discussions surrounding baseball.
But the controversy of steroid use swirling around Bonds and his unmatchable attitude toward the media and Major League Baseball as a whole has depleted his popularity amongst fans around the nation and world.
Bonds set the MLB record in 2003 when he hit 73 home runs in a single season, only five years after Mark McGwire hit 70 and Sammy Sosa hit 66 to smash Roger Maris’ record of 61 set in 1961.
Bonds remains stuck on 713 for his career and recently went 1-for-18 against the arch rival Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-game weekend series. In the span of time that Bonds has been stuck on 713, the San Francisco Giants have played six home games, including three against the nation’s loveable losers — the Chicago Cubs — and the rival Dodgers, none of which have been sell outs. Considering that the Giants have only sold out once this year (opening day), it is evident that Bonds lacks support even in his team’s home city due to his own actions.
When Hank Aaron belted his 715th career home run, there were fans patting him on the back when he rounded the bases. The support that both Aaron and Ruth received while they were pursing their career home run marks will never be enjoyed by Bonds, and he has only himself to blame.
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