Barry Bonds Home Run Chase… Seven Eleven?

Barry Bonds is just four home runs shy of breaking Babe Ruth’s career home run total of 714, and three shy of tying it.  What will it mean when he breaks it?  That will depend on whom you ask.  I for one will always have an asterisk next to his name in my mind when records are mentioned.  In my mind, Hank Aaron is the all time home run leader, and will continue to be so even if Barry passes him on the career home run total. 

Not only did Babe Ruth hit 714 home runs on soda and hot dogs instead of steroids, he was a pretty darn good pitcher as well.  Show me a guy who can pitch as well as he hits, and knocks over 700 home runs out of the yard in his career, and then I’ll listen to comparisions to Babe Ruth.  Even if Bonds beat Ruth’s record without enhancements, he would still in my mind not be better than Ruth by simple virtue of the fact that Ruth pitched, played the field, and hit.  Bonds plays the field (or tries to at this point) and hits.  He is a great hitter no doubt, but until a ballplayer can put together fielding, pitching, and hitting the way Ruth did, there is no question in my mind who the greatest baseball player of all time is.