The Single Season HR Record

Most days, I try my best to avoid ESPN.  But the other day I saw a poll about the single season HR record.  Here it is:

Now, I know he’s just pandering, but this is so stupid I felt compelled to write something.

Math

First things first, 73 is more than 62.  I know math can be tough, but if you’ve learned to count you should have this one locked up.  Maybe you have not learned, so I’ll provide a little more information.  On September 9th, 2001 Barry Bonds hit his 61st HR in the first inning which is 1 less than 62.  In the 5th inning, he hit his 62nd HR, which is samesies as 62.  In the 11th inning, he hit his 63rd HR, which is 1 more than 62.  So now we’re solid on that, I hope.

Cheating

Now, here’s the real reason why people cry about this record all the time.  Because Barry Bonds was cheating.  But I must ask, what rule was he breaking?  He didn’t get caught using a banned substance, he didn’t get suspended, so why say he cheated?  Is it because his head got much, much bigger and it was very obvious to everyone he was using HGH?  I mean, steroids don’t make your head bigger, but HGH does, that’s just fact.  So it had to be HGH right?  Well, if it was, he wasn’t cheating.  HGH was banned by Major League Baseball in 2005, well after his 73 HRs as pointed out in the Math section above.  You can’t take things away because he did something that was allowed at that time, but then became outlawed later.  If MLB outlawed drinking in the clubhouse during games, would we go back and take away Mark Buehrle‘s save?  And before you say alcohol is not a performance enhancing drug, remember that you’re talking to the 108.  Babe Ruth‘s ghost will come visit you, and not in a cool Sandlot way.

Conclusion

I am not going to try to argue that Barry Bonds is some great guy and I wouldn’t argue that for Bill Belichick either.  But as long as there are rules, there will be people that work around those rules.  You can hate them or call them cheaters, but the fact is, they’re taking advantage of poorly written and poorly enforced rules.  It’s happened forever and will continue to happen.  And that may really rub you the wrong way, but it doesn’t change the fact that a big headed goon cranked 73 dingers and that is now the record.  And trust me, it’ll be all the more enjoyable when Nicky Delmonico hits his 74th HR in late September 2018.

-Chorizy-E