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| Bonds Ties Aaron With 755th Home Run |
| Historic weekend for Major League Baseball |
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Shannon McCann (joethefig)  |
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Published 2007-08-07 05:29 (KST) |
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This weekend saw many achievements in Major League Baseball (MLB) as Hideki Matsui, Frank Thomas, Alex Rodriguez, Tom Glavine and Barry Bonds all reached career milestones.
On Saturday, Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees became the youngest player in MLB history to hit 500 home runs. At age 32, Rodriguez has a great shot of becoming the league's all-time home run leader by the time he retires. This season, Rodriguez leads the major's in home runs with 36 and will most likely win his third American League (AL) MVP award this year.
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FROM THE SECTION |
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| On Sunday, his teammate, Hideki "Godzilla" Matsui, also reached a milestone when he hit his 100th career home run as a major leaguer. Matsui, a three-time MVP of the Japanese Central League, hit 332 home runs as a professional player in Japan before coming to the United States. With 432 professional home runs, Matsui has a good chance of eventually joining Rodriguez in the 500 home run club.
Frank Thomas of the Toronto Blue Jays hit two home runs on Saturday moving him into 20th place on the all-time home run list with 505 home runs. The two-time AL MVP will probably become the only player to enter the top 20, get knocked out of the top 20 (when Rodriguez passes him on the list) and then re-enter the top 20 when he reaches 513 career home runs. Baseball's list of top 20 home run hitters will get a makeover during the next two years, as Jim Thome, Gary Sheffield and Manny Ramirez should all become new members. They will be replacing past greats Mel Ott, Eddie Matthews and Ernie Banks.
On Sunday night, Tom Glavine of the New York Mets became the 23rd player in MLB history to record 300 wins. In beating the Chicago Cubs, the two-time National League (NL) Cy Young Award winner allowed two runs and six hits in six and a-third innings to record his 10th win of the season.
Unlike the 500 home run club, the 300-win club will not add very many members in the near future. Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks has 284 wins, but is currently on the 60-day disabled list and may not pitch again this season. Johnson will be 44 years old when the 2008 season begins and has chronic back problems that may prevent him from winning 16 more games. No other current pitchers have over 250 wins (Roger Clemens of the Yankees and Greg Maddux of the San Diego Padres are current players that have reached 300 wins already).
In the most historic baseball moment of the weekend, in San Diego, Clay Hensley of the San Diego Padres joined Dick Drago of the California Angels as the only pitchers ever to give up career home run number 755 when Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants smashed his 2-1 pitch into the left field bleachers. This home run ties Bonds with Henry "Hank" Aaron as the all-time home run leader. As Bonds rounded the bases, San Diego fans had mixed reactions. Some cheered, while others booed or held up signs of protest. After Bonds hit his historic home run in his first at bat Saturday, the Padres would pitch around him. He ended up walking in his last three at bats.
Throughout his chase of the home run record, Bonds has been jeered by crowds when he is on the road. It seems that the only city in the country that cheers his home runs is the home crowd in San Francisco. Bonds did not play in the game between the Giants and the Padres on Sunday, possibly to avoid hitting the tie-breaking home run in front of a hostile crowd.
The Giants will return home on Monday to begin a four game series against the Washington Nationals and then a three game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Nationals and the Pirates are two of the worst teams in the NL, giving Bonds a great chance to become the home run "king" in front of a friendly crowd.
Baseball's commissioner, Bud Selig, was present and witnessed Bonds' home run on Saturday, but will miss the first three games of the Giants' series with the Nationals. After the game, Selig said, "Bonds' achievement is noteworthy and remarkable." But it was clear that official celebrations were muted by the allegations that Bonds has used performance-enhancing drugs on his way to becoming the all-time home run leader.
It was a great weekend to be a MLB baseball fan as historic milestones were reached all over the league. Now, fans can sit back and watch as Barry Bonds begins reaching new heights, Ken Griffey Jr. closes in on 600 home runs and the playoff races heat up.
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©2007 OhmyNews
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