The Baseball Blog

My recent absence from the blogging sphere has a number of reasons, some of which include baseball.

Those who know me know that I hold the game of baseball to be very dear to me and that, if asked, I will always be able to come up with something of interest and insight into the game and its history.

Many of you, even non-baseball fans, will be aware of the recent historical moment in the game; Barry Bonds breaking the all time home run record. He actually made the front page (a 3/4 page photo) of the Toronto Sun. This was big news.

There are many who are concerned about the implications of such a sacred record being held by a man enshrouded in the clouds of PED suspicion. They say the record is tainted. And if this most hallowed of records is tainted, well, then the whole game, the whole institution of baseball is threatened.

Bullshit.

Barry Bonds is on the front page of a Canadian newspaper. He was not playing a Canadian team (I know the Nationals used to play in Montreal, but that doesn't count), his accomplishment had no local flavour. I suppose he may have hit one or two of his now 757 against a Blue Jay pitcher, but not recently. Was it a slow news day? Possibly. Does this make great copy? Possibly. Is the question boring, dated and inconclusive? Probably. Most definitely. Whatever entered the body of Barry Bonds or other baseball players, professional athletes or private individuals, he did what no one else could do before him. He hit more home runs in his Major League Baseball career than anyone. Ever. For now.

There are those who profess to already waiting eagerly for Alex Rodriguez or Albert Pujols or someone else to break this record in 7, 8, 15 years. I think there is a good chance that will happen.

There are those who claim that Babe Ruth's old record of 714 was tainted for his not having had to compete against black baseball players. As if that was his fault. As if any MLB player before 1948 had to. Still, with that helpful push, no one neared his record until Hank Aaron climbed that mountain in the 70s.

Today, many people praise Aaron (and justifiably so) for managing not only to hit 755 home runs in is marvellous career, but also for his having done so under the ever present threat of the racist fans who could not bear the thought of a black man topping the immortal, the white, Babe Ruth. In continuing to provide round souvenirs for bleacher occupants, Aaron showed remarkable mental fortitude as well as baseball skill.

He may no longer hold the record, but his place cannot be forgotten. Which brings me back to the man of the hour, Barry Bonds. If it isn't ARod, or Pujols, someone will surpass his final tally. Most likely in his lifetime. Those doubters and fear mongers will celebrate the day. I hope that the day will come at least five years after Bonds has already taken his last angry hack at a hanging slider. When his bronzed bust will be on display in Cooperstown, upstate New York. When we can remember what he accomplished with the benefits of hindsight.

I think the less venomous writers out there, remembering how much good copy Bonds provided them, will be able to mark the passing of his total with kind words for the man, who required an enormous amount of internal fortitude to continue hitting home runs in the face of such relentless, tormenting criticism. Through continuous questioning of the validity of his achievements, he continued to achieve.

Mr. Bonds: Congratulations on a job well done.

Back to local matters. Staying with baseball. Several hours before the Bonds blast, I was in attendance at the Toronto brand of baseball played at the sugar container formerly known as the SkyDome. The Jays were beaten soundly by the Yankees, 9-2. There are so many bad things I could say about Toronto Blue Jays baseball right now.
The natural starting point would be the middling level of performance. But I don't care to go in that direction. I prefer to write about the atmosphere.

The SkyDome was built so that the local nine could play even on cold and rainy days. The roof would close and the game could go on. If you have never been to a game with the roof closed, I don;t recommend that you start. If the day is wet, sell your tickets. Or just stay home. Sitting inside, the the top up is unbearable. The only A/C vents are located in the hallways outside of the seating area. In the seats, it is hot, stuffy, and rather smelly. Very hard to concentrate on anything, much less the intricacies of the game.

If that wasn't enough, the brandedness of the dome is staggering. Every square meter of the dome is advertising something. Every announcement was brought to you by.... Every aspect of the game had a prefix that you could find on the TSE. That game was supposed to be about ALS awareness. It turns out that ALS lead us in the 7th inning stretch. I don't know that anyone was actually aware of it, though.

ALS has no logo. What can we do to downplay the corporate hounding of the beautiful game of baseball? My wife claims that this is not the way it is in Wrigley. (A little ironic, no - the connotations of the name itself).

How about one game a year without corporate propaganda? Just one game played with an old-fashioned feel. No announcements that are unrelated to the game itself. No flashing ads. The open sky above you. Oxygen. Hotdog and beer. Baseball.

Until that happens, I will remain,

Ryan