Bonds' Homer Draws Mixed Reaction
Photo by Jeff Hamson
Local baseball fans are reacting to baseball’s new home run king. San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds hit the 756th homer of his career Tuesday.
Most of the National Adult Baseball Association
players at Frontier Field Wednesday were watching the night before, when baseball's most hallowed record fell.
“It's done a lot for baseball, brought a lot of fans back,” said Casey Beeley as he waited in the on deck circle.
Bonds sent an 84 mile-per-hour Mike Bacsik fastball into the San
Fransisco night for the record-breaking homer. But a steroid
accusation-induced cloud hangs over the milestone.
At Frontier Field, reaction was mixed.
“It was a bittersweet moment,” said John Scarpelli, president and founder of Rochester’s NABA league. “You want to celebrate the
passing of a great record. But the circumstances around it, with Bonds and all the controversy -- for me, just tainted the
whole experience.”
“Nothing's proven yet. We haven't had any ruling yet,” said Beeley of the steroid accusations. “Let him enjoy his time.”
“I think it was kind of exciting,” said Todd Eichas, an umpire at Wednesday’s NABA games. “It's baseball history and I'm a big
baseball fan, so it's always exciting to see records get broken.”
Whether you think Barry Bonds took steroids or not, many of the players here make a point: Just how difficult it is to hit a baseball in the first place.
“Regardless of what people believe you still gottta come out here and hit the ball,” said Ron Scott of Brighton.
Scott says he was upset when Hank Aaron passed Babe Ruth to become the home run king. Still, he says, Bonds deserves his
due as an athlete.
“You gotta give him some credit,” said Scott. “He's still a great
athlete, and he had quite a few good seasons before the alleged accusations started.”
It's been said that records were made to be broken. Many baseball fans think this too, shall pass.
“It's a legacy that'll be held onto for a few more years,” said Beeley.
“Maybe another 5, 6 years you might see it get broken again.”
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